Custom Tag reader plugin help

[RickJamez]

Hi I'm a beginner at programming (Java OO originally, now C/C++) and I need help designing and programming a winamp plugin to show lyrics which I am able to put into WavPack files by the use of the

code:
wavpack foo.wav -w "Lyrics=@foo.srt"

tag input. The Lyrics are in .SRT format (just for demonstration purposes) and looks like this

code:
"

1

00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:5,000

Lisa Miskovski - Still Alive

Lyrics by RickJames



2

00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,000

You have changed

I have changed



3

00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:30,000

Just like you

Just like you



4

00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,000

For how long

For how long



5

00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:38,000

Must I wait

I know there's something wrong

"

or

code:
"

<number>

<start-time hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds> --> <end-time hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds>

<Lyrics to displayed at corresponding times (multiple lines)>

<space>

"

I've made a small command line program that reads tags from a wavpack file and spilts them out in reasonable time if you execute it and play the song reasonably quickly.

The program is at 'mega uploads . com /?d=BCXVBEPF'
and a sample song embedded with lyrics is at /?d=2SXYMATN at the same website

I'd really like to know how to turn that into a plugin for winamp that I can then transfer the lyrics tags to other formats like MP3, FLAC, etc.

If anyone is interested I'll post up the source code for that little program as well.

Thank you
RJ

[DrO]

the main issue you're going to experience is getting tags saved into other formats as there's no native way with Winamp's metadata api's to read / write custom metadata tags without the native plug-ins being updated to cope with them.

the other option is you have your own tag read/write libraries for accessing mp3 and flac for example. WavPack would have the same issue as the native plug-ins for getting custom tags from what i remember of the source code of the Winamp plug-in.

i believe this is one of the main reasons for other lyrics plug-ins using external files (which also makes it easier to use with other players). so i think you're going to have to look at thnigs in a different manner if you're looking to get things running with embedding into tags if going the Winamp route (Foobar2000 shouldn't have such limitations from what i remember though i'm not 100% sure seeing as you're going to be targeting that as well).

so main summary is unless the input plug-in for a format supports the 'lyrics' tag you'd want to use you're going to have to manually add / read those tags if using the Winamp approach.

-daz