Thread: How to create a program that plays/saves an MP3 file.

I would assume you are just supposed to use an external command ("mplayer") via system() or exec(). I think mplayer maybe includes or at least uses the mpg123 libraries but you are probably not required to get into that.

Of course, just using mplayer as a command will not actually allow you to open or save an .mp3, just play one.

"exec" actually refers to a group of functions (execv, execl, execvp, execlp, and so on). Probably the easiest one for what you want will be execlp.

There are lots of docs and examples online, here's another:

Code:

execlp("cat","cat","somefile.txt",NULL);

If you can't get it to work the way you want, post what you have tried.

Originally Posted by m88g88

Thanks! I managed to enter it with no errors, but could not work out what "cat" is for, so at the moment, it only has the name of the file I want to open and looked the function up on sites, but they seem to be aimed at people with good understanding of C already, so was unable to work it out.

This is all I have done with it, and I found the library to include.

Code:

execlp("cat","cat","Kalimba.mp3",NULL);

Cat was just an example for *nix-based systems...I think MK was hoping you could extrapolate that "cat" was the external program you were invoking and the rest were just parameters to your mp3 player. Replace "cat" with "mplayer" and see where it gets you. As far as reading/saving MP3 files, they are just binary files like anything else so open the file in binary mode and read/write as usual.

If you want the simpler to understand yet less elegant solution, system("mplayer some_music_file.mp3"); will work too...it gives you less control over things but if you want a "feed the monkey, watch it poop" solution this would be it...