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*      Z-Play V0.93      *
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(c) 2000 by Dirk Schulz, aka WinSuxx on #os/2ger [ircnet] **, WinSuxx@gmx.net

This little tool is e-mailware! If you continue to use it for more than 
three weeks I would like you to send me an e-mail with some kind words, 
like 'thank you' :-)
If you find bugs or other vermin, please drop me a note! I promis to do 
my very best to be a good exterminator. If you would like new features 
to be added, you're also welcome to write me... I don't bite ;-)
What leaves is to say that I am not responsible for any of the problems 
that this program might cause, use it at your own risk (or don't use it 
at all, but I know that that'll be a loss for you!!!)


What Z-Play does
****************

- Z-Play is kind of a remote control for Z!
- Z-Play makes life easier (ok, just kidding...)
- Z-Play make tea (more kidding)

Ok, back to reality. Some days ago I discovered Z! by dink (http://dink.org/). 
I began to love it, since I like cute little command line programs that 
don't eat up too many of my little CPU-ressources. There was only one
thing that I missed: to be able to add a song to the playlist while Z! is
playing. I found out that it's possible to control Z! via named pipes, so
I decided to write Z-Play. Z-Play lets you easily play songs using Z! If Z!
is not running, it will be started, the song given as parameter will then
be added to the playlist. 


How to use Z-Play
*****************

First of all, Z-Play needs to be installed! To do that, just copy all the
files from this archive (ZPlay.zip) to the directory where Z! is installed
(you will find a list of all files in the archive below!). Then run setup.
A folder will be created on your desktop containing Z!, Z-Play, Z-Help and
Z-playlist (plays *.zpl playlists). Z-Play will be associated with 
.mp3-files.
To play a mp3, just drop it to Z-Play or, if Z-Play is the default 
association for .mp3, just double click an mp3 (to make Z-Play the
default assoc, please use AssoEdit!).
To be able to add songs from the command line, be sure to add the path
where Z! and Z-Play are installed to your PATH.


Troubleshooting
***************

Troubles??? Bang, you're dead!!! This program shouldn't cause any troubles...
Just in case, change the settings of the Z-Play object to: "don't close
at exit" and "run in foreground" (sorry, I don't have an english version
of Warp, so I don't know the real terms for these settings...)
Then copy the output and paste it into an e-mail directed to the author.
Perhaps I can figure out what problems you migth have.


Future enhancements
*******************

There's only one wish left: find a way to make Z-Play the default 
association for *.mp3 within setup.cmd... can anyone help???


History
*******

V0.01 first version, never published                       (2000-01-10)
V0.1  second version, beautified code                      (2000-01-12)
V0.9  complete rewrite, no longer needs external dlls      (2000-01-26)
V0.91 bugfix: no longer starts multiple instances of Z!    (2000-01-31)
              when more than five instances of Z-Play
              are started at a time
      new:    setup
V0.92 bugfix: setup.cmd should now work correct (it worked
              with 4OS/2 only, not with cmd...)
              mp3-filenames may now contain spaces (thanks
              to goffena@bellsouth.net)
V0.93 added:  new file associations (*mp3, *mp2, *wav)
              red icon file for playlists
      bugfix: zp.cmd now starts z with absolute path


Files in the archive
********************

z-play.txt        this text
z-play.cmd        the main prog
zp.cmd            plays playlists (associated with *.zpl)
setup.cmd         little setup script, please run before use of Z-Play!
zred.ico          new icon file for playlists

Thanx
*****

My thanx go to dink (http://dink.org/) for his great Z! and for some of 
his other tools too! Keep up that great work!
Thanx to edm2.com for help with Rexx, M. Cowlishaw for Rexx and many
others.

Support www.os2.org!!!

Any typos and strange expressions within this text are done 
intentionelly *bg*


(c) Jan 2000, WinSuxx@gmx.net - http://home.knuut.de/d.schulz/ 
                                (sorry, only german)
