IBM Bamba for Java

The IBM Bamba for Java applet can be placed in an HTML page using the following syntax. All the attributes (code, codebase...) immediately following the opening APPLET tag shown below in the figure are needed. Of the params use of either "src" or "liveport" is mandatory and "cabbase" is needed, all others are optional and their default values are explained below.

<APPLET code = "BambaPlayer.class" codebase = "/JavaBamba" archive = "BambaPlayer.zip" width = 250 height = 50 > <param name="src" value="sample.iba"> <param name="liveport" value="7001"> <param name="cabbase" value="BambaPlayer.cab"> <param name="autostart" value="false"> <param name="showcontrols" value="true"> <param name="bkcolor" value="c0c0c0"> <param name="border" value="frame"> <param name="colornw" value="404040"> <param name="colorse" value="FFFFFF"> <param name="endtoURL" value="LoadThisPageWhenClipEnds.htm"> <param name="endtoTarget" value="PageLoadsToThisTarget"> <param name="endtoPlay" value="StartThisOneWhenClipEnds"> </APPLET>

The following sections now describe in further detail the elements of the syntax

Applet attribute values

These are the attributes of the applet tag interpreted by the browser itself.

Code

Mandatory

This refers to the main IBM Bamba for Java player class. It should not be altered. The same player code can handle either .iba audio clips or .iba video/audio clips.

Codebase

Highly recommended

This refers to server location in which the IBM Bamba for Java player code is installed. In the above syntax it is assumed that the player is installed in the JavaBamba subdirectory - directly off the root directory on the server. When the installation procedure was followed the JavaBamba directory tree was created. If you placed the JavaBamba inside another directory, e.g. in an applets subdirectory then modify the codebase accordingly. The .. is permitted in the codebase e.g. ../applets/JavaBamba

The clients browser will re-use the code from the same codebase when traversing pages. So after downloading the applet code, from the first page encountered, having all the IBM for Java applets refer to the same codebase will mean that the downloaded cached code will be used for all subsequent pages coded that way. This makes for a much happier client whose browser doesn't need to continually re-download the code.

Note that the codebase can be a fully qualified URL. This is useful for live streaming as it allows the applet to be served from the same place as the live feed but keep the main HTML pages on a centralized web server elsewhere.

Archive

Highly recommended

Some browsers, Netscape Navigator 3.0 and above in particular, can download the applet code when stored in a zip. This means only one HTTP Get versus several Gets for the individual classes. The ZIP contains the same code and will be used instead of these individual class files for those browsers that recognize it. See also cabbase param for Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Width and height

Mandatory

This is the width and height of the space given to the applet by the browser. For audio only clips width=250 height=50 is a reasonable size to choose that is enough space for the controls and status. The slide-bar will shrink/expand to fit the available width - provided it's not too small of course.

For video clips the space required by the video itself needs to be taken into consideration. The video will be positioned above the controls and centered in the area. It will always be displayed in its original size, e.g. a 160x120 clip will need 160x120 for its display. An additional 5 pixel border space is needed if a frame is used -see border param. So for 160x120 it needs 170x130 with the border. Extra space surrounding the video is drawn in the background param color. So as an example, for a video whose size is 176x144 (QCIF) a width=250 and height=240 gives space for the controls plus a background colored region outside of the video frame. Some experiments with the sizes however will soon lead you to the most visually pleasing aspect ratios for your clips.

Name

Required to identify the applet when you use the endtoPlay parameter and want to have this applet started when another finishes.

Align, Alt, HSpace, VSpace etc

Other attributes of the applet tag may be specified as required. Refer to an HTML reference for the meaning of these and any others which are supported.

Applet param values

These are elements of the applet tag interpreted by the applet code - with the exception of the cabbase param for Microsoft Internet Explorer.

src

Mandatory for stored clips (see also liveport param below)

This is the URL for the .iba clip. It is either a full URL e.g. http://videos/animals/groundhog.iba or URL relative to the DOCBASE for the HTML pages. You may like to keep the clips together or place them in the directory with the html page.

liveport

Mandatory for live streaming (see also src param above)

This is the port on the server that is providing the live feed. You should not use this together with the src param since the player will work either as a live streaming player or to play stored clips.

Please note, unlike the Bamba plug-in, no IP address can be provided for the live stream. The live feed MUST be from the same server that provides this applet. The Java security model prevents an applet from accessing another server unless the applet is signed using a certificate - the Bamba For Java applet is not signed and MUST abide by the security rules imposed by the browsers and Java VM.

Note however that the IP address is derived from the codebase and the applet (and live feed) can therefore be on a different machine than the HTML page is served from (within which the applet tag is authored).

cabbase

Highly recommended

Like the archive value cabbase refers to a file in which all the class files are store. In the case of the CAB (CABinet) file this is used by Microsoft Internet Explorer. For further information see the Archive tag above.

autostart

Optional - defaults to "false".

May be set to "false" or "true". This parameter determines whether the clip will start playing automatically or wait for the user to press the play button.

Note: for versions of Bamba For Java prior to 0.98, that did not support the endtoPlay param, if showcontrols was set to false then autostart was always treated as though it was set true - otherwise the user would have had no other way of starting the clip. Since clips can now start one another, using the endtoPlay, autostart is no longer forced true.

showcontrols

Optional - defaults to "true".

May be set to "false" or "true". When set "true" (default) controls for pause, play, rewind, seek etc are displayed along with status information. For video we have allowed the controls to be disabled in order that the applet can be placed seamlessly inside other graphics etc for specialized visual effects. The clip will start playing automatically, see autostart above, if controls are disabled.

bkcolor

Optional - defaults to light gray.

Changes the background color for the applet. The value should be a 6 digit hex code for the colors in the form RRGGBB. By default the color is light gray i.e. a value "c0c0c0"

border

Optional - defaults to "frame".

For a video clip this allows the author to choose whether or not there is any border surrounding the video clip.

• A value of "none" disables any border.
• The value "frame" (default) draws a 5 pixel border around the video whose top (north) and left (west) edges are drawn in the colornw color and bottom (south) and right (east) edges are drawn in the colorse color. By default these colors give a sunken frame effect. By reversing the colors, i.e. lighter on the nw and darker on the se a raised button effect is achieved. With both colors the same a flat border effect is gained.
• The value "shadow" draws a 5 pixel shadow in the colorse color both below and to the right of the video.

colornw

Optional - defaults to dark gray.

Color for video nw border in RRGGBB form. See border param above.

colorse

Optional - defaults to white.

Color for video nw border in RRGGBB form. See border param above.

endtoURL

Optional

This optional parameter specifies an HTML page which will be loaded into the browser when the clip reaches the end and finishes playing. Typically the new page would include another Bamba For Java clip which would load the next page and so on. This permits the creation of say an online presentation where each page is automatically flipped to the next page when the accompanying audio (or video) clip is complete.

By making the last page reload the first page it would be possible to create a carousel effect where a set of pages are continually played over and over in the same sequence.

endtoTarget

Optional

To be used in conjunction with endtoURL. This parameter can be used as an option, in addition to endtoURL, to specify the name of the target frame or window into which the page should be loaded. If omitted the default browser target is used. This is identical to specifying a link in HTML where a page can be specified (href=) and a target named too; for further information on targets consult an HTML reference under the <a> tag that is used to create links.

endtoPlay

Optional

This optional parameter specifies another Bamba For Java applet (clip) that should be started when this applet (clip) reaches the end and finishes playing. The parameter specifies the applet by name and requires that the name attribute be used on the APPLET tag e.g. name="ClipOne".

An applet can only be started if it is in the Ready state - this is the state that the applet enters after it is loaded before it plays. Once playing has started the applet will never re-enter the Ready state and hence this parameter can be used to sequence through the clips on a page once only. Access to be able to start another applet (clip) falls into the area of inter-applet communication - which varies by browser - its best to keep to applets within the same page and not use frames if you want the best chance of working in the most environments.

One of the applets on the page would most likely be authored with autostart set to true so that it started when the page was loaded and became the first applet to play in the sequence and would trigger the next to start when it ended.

Examples

• A video clip with controls that the user must click on the play button to start. It will be presented on a light-gray background (defaulted) with a frame border around the video (defaulted).

  <APPLET
    code     = "BambaPlayer.class"
    codebase = "/Applets/JavaBamba"
    archive  = "BambaPlayer.zip"
    width    = 250
    height   = 240  >
   <param name="src"          value="videosample.iba">
   <param name="cabbase"      value="BambaPlayer.cab">
  </APPLET>
  

• A video clip with NO controls that starts playing automatically. It will be presented on a pure red background with the effect of a raised frame around the video making it look like a large button.

  <APPLET
    code     = "BambaPlayer.class"
    codebase = "/Applets/JavaBamba"
    archive  = "BambaPlayer.zip"
    width    = 250
    height   = 200  >
   <param name="src"          value="videosample.iba">
   <param name="cabbase"      value="BambaPlayer.cab">
   <param name="autostart"    value="true">
   <param name="showcontrols" value="false">
   <param name="bkcolor"      value="FF0000">
   <param name="border"       value="frame">
   <param name="colornw"      value="F0F0F0">
   <param name="colorse"      value="202020">
  </APPLET>
  

• An audio clip with controls that the user must click on the play button to start. It will be presented on a pure green background.

  <APPLET
    code     = "BambaPlayer.class"
    codebase = "/Applets/JavaBamba"
    archive  = "BambaPlayer.zip"
    width    = 250
    height   =  50  >
   <param name="src"          value="audiosample.iba">
   <param name="cabbase"      value="BambaPlayer.cab">
   <param name="bkcolor"      value="00FF00">
  </APPLET>
  

• An live audio feed example (red background this time).

  <APPLET
    code     = "BambaPlayer.class"
    codebase = "/Applets/JavaBamba"
    archive  = "BambaPlayer.zip"
    width    = 250
    height   =  50  >
   <param name="liveport"     value="7001">
   <param name="cabbase"      value="BambaPlayer.cab">
   <param name="bkcolor"      value="FF0000">
  </APPLET>
  

• A live audio feed but from another machine

  <APPLET
    code     = "BambaPlayer.class"
    codebase = "http://myliveserver.somewhere-else.com/Applets/JavaBamba"
    archive  = "BambaPlayer.zip"
    width    = 250
    height   =  50  >
   <param name="liveport"     value="7001">
   <param name="cabbase"      value="BambaPlayer.cab">
   <param name="bkcolor"      value="FF0000">
  </APPLET>
  

• An audio clip that autostarts, with controls, and that loads another page into the browser when it ends.

  <APPLET
    code     = "BambaPlayer.class"
    codebase = "/Applets/JavaBamba"
    archive  = "BambaPlayer.zip"
    width    = 250
    height   =  50  >
   <param name="src"          value="audiopage1.iba">
   <param name="cabbase"      value="BambaPlayer.cab">
   <param name="autostart"    value="true">
   <param name="endtoURL"     value="presentation_page2.html">
  </APPLET>
  

• Two Bamba clips on a page. The first clip autostarts and when it finishes it starts the second clip. Note that I have chosen to name both applets although arguably only the second applet name is actually required. (If I had chosen to do so I could have used the endtoURL on the second clip to load up a new page once that had ended).

  <body>
  <html>
  
    <APPLET
      code     = "BambaPlayer.class"
      codebase = "/Applets/JavaBamba"
      archive  = "BambaPlayer.zip"
      name     = "FirstClip"
      width    = 250
      height   =  50  >
     <param name="src"          value="bambaclip1.iba">
     <param name="cabbase"      value="BambaPlayer.cab">
     <param name="autostart"    value="true">
     <param name="endtoPlay"    value="SecondClip">
    </APPLET>
  
    <APPLET
      code     = "BambaPlayer.class"
      codebase = "/Applets/JavaBamba"
      archive  = "BambaPlayer.zip"
      name     = "SecondClip"
      width    = 250
      height   =  50  >
     <param name="src"          value="bambaclip2.iba">
     <param name="cabbase"      value="BambaPlayer.cab">
    </APPLET>
  
  </body>
  </html>