'''[http://sqlitestudio.pl/tclmixer/%|%TclMixer]''', by [Googie],  provides [http://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_mixer/%|%SDL_mixer] ([SDL]) bindings for Tcl.  It can allows to play multiple sounds simultaneously using a built-in software mixer.



** Attributes **


   website:   http://sqlitestudio.pl/tclmixer/

   license:   [LGPL] (same as SDL)

   latest release:   1.2.3



** Androwish Fork **

The [Androwish] project contains a fork of Tclmixer-1.2.3.  In particular, it
improves on the callback handling.  This fork is probably what you want to use.



** Description **

TclMixer supports following sound formats: WAV/RIFF, MP3, OGG, MID (midi), MOD (including standart MOD modules, but also S3M, IT, XM).

There are basic effects implemented, which would be very useful, such as individual sound volume level, 3D sound source positioning, stereo balance, fading in/out and sound source distance. All these goodies closed in well known, simple Tcl syntax.

To make this extension work, end-user has to got installed SDL [http://www.libsdl.org] (in version 1.2.x) and SDL_mixer [http://www.libsdl.org/projects/sdl_mixer/] (in version 1.2.x), which are quiet famous and presents on most Unix desktop machines (in future tclmixer.so could be linked statically with these libraries to takes dependencies off).

Generaly, it's low-latency alternative for [Snack] package. It's excellent for a game sound system, but not only.

[PYK] 2015-10-13:  Although `test/test.tcl` file in the latest release is is
outdated and no longer works because `tclmixer::setCallback` doesn't exist,
Tclmixer itself is functional.  See examples below that do work.



** News **

   2005-03-28:   There is also Windows binary package available at extension homepage!

    :   [In-Hak Min] TclMixer 1.2.3 Win32 binary : http://tcltk.co.kr/?q=node/1318 

    :   [Googie] 2009-05-01 Can I put this win32 binary at TclMixer homepage?

    :   [In-Hak Min] Of course. ^_^




** Examples **

Get some supported sound file. If it's some effect (gun shot, or explosion or sth) load it as short sound (which gives very low latency):

======
#!/usr/bin/env wish
package require TclMixer
set snd [tclmixer::sound file.<mp3|wav|ogg>]
tclmixer::play $snd
======

if file is big (usually some music), then load it as long sound, to prevent loading it into memory:

======
#!/usr/bin/env wish
package require TclMixer
set music [tclmixer::music file.<mp3|wav|ogg|mid|mod>]
tclmixer::play $music
======

There is 'wish' used, not 'tclsh', becouse we need some event loop,
since SDL_mixer hasn't its own. If you want to use 'tclsh', you need to create some event loop, to let SDL_mixer play whole sound. You can use CALLBACK mechanism:

======
#!/usr/bin/env tclsh
package require TclMixer
set done 0
proc musicFinished {} {
    variable done
    set done 1
}

# Arrange for [musicFinished] to be called when he music is done
tclmixer::mixConfig -music [namespace current]::musicFinished

set music [tclmixer::music file.<mp3|wav|ogg|mid|mod>]
tclmixer::play $music
while {!$done} {
    after 500
}
======

[PYK] 2015-10-13:  `[vwait]` can not be used in the case, because the
callblacks registered via `tclmixer::mixConfig` are called in a thread created
by [SDL], but access the Tcl interpreter in the other thread, which is a
generally a no-no.  However, the convention illustrated above should work as
long as nothing else sets the semaphore variable 

[chw] 2015-10-13: Maybe the tclmixer in AndroWish is of help here (see http://www.androwish.org/index.html/dir?ci=f34be1dc90d3e7f7&name=jni/tclmixer).
It should fix many threading issues and hopefully still compile on non Androids, too.

[PYK] 2015-10-13:

I spent quite a while today studying this code to acquaint myself with the
`Tcl_Async*` functions.  I haven't seen any other information anywhere about
the application of these functions to enable callback capabilities between Tcl
threads and threads managed by another library.  Thank you!


In the original Tclmixer-1.2.3, an alternative to using the callbacks is to
poll using `tclmixer::musicType`, which returns `NONE` when there is no music
playing or paused:

======
#!/usr/bin/tclsh

package require TclMixer

proc playing semaphore {
    if {[tclmixer::musicType] eq {NONE}} {
        puts [list {Done playing audio}]
        set $semaphore 1
    } else {
        after 500 [list after idle [info level 0]]
    }

}

set music  [tclmixer::music test.mod]
tclmixer::play $music

variable forever
after idle [list [namespace which playing] [namespace which -variable forever]]
vwait forever
======

However, using the original Tclmixer-1.2.3, simultaneous playback on multiple
channels isn't working in my environment.  I'm going to try the Androwish
Tclmixer now.

[PYK] 2015-10-13:  I wasn't able to get the Androwish version of Tclmixer to
produce sound under Cygwin.  It Probably has something to do with SDL being
configured to use NAS (Network Audio Server), and NAS not being correctly
configured.  I'll have to come back to it some other time.


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