I'm using XOOPS 2.0.16. I would like a short audio clip (talking) playing when site opens. Is this possible and if so, how?

Yes its possible. I assume you want this on the homepage?
Edit your index.php and add the code. I would actually recommend putting your audio file into a flash movie and then embedding that on the page. Its more likely the user has flash player than quicktime or windows media player.

Plays 1x on the homepage only per browser session. Otherwise you'll annoy the hell out of people.

EDIT: BTW... Add that to your theme.html right before the tag.

Unless your host serves up your site using a Windows server + IIS, in which case replace:

$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];

with :

$_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'];


AFAIK the former doesn't work with IIS.

I found a php script that would display random image in a folder and would like to convert it to randomly select any file to use in:


here is a script for random image, could someone with the knowledge of php please change it so it would pickup any file type in the folder.

Nobody, I had no luck. I also tried Peekay's idea too and no luck. I put it in my theme/theme.html, where you said. I tried the wav beforehand with wmp and it works. Any more ideas or what I may have done wrong?

It's been a long time since I looked at 'onload' audio. Ewonline is right in that Flash offers the best cross-platform player. The best solution I can see at the moment is XSPF Player

http://musicplayer.sourceforge.net/

It uses Flash, plus an XML playlist to play MP3 file(s). It needs the Flash plugin version 7 or later, which most modern browsers should have (it plays in 'Epiphany' on Linux, so what more could you want!).

You can set it up to play an MP3 automatically on page load.
You can split your audio into several MP3 files and it will play them sequentially.
You can stick it in a XOOPS block.
Users can switch the audio off, or select files if you use the 'extended' version.

In the code below, replace 'example.com' with your website URL.

1) Download the 'slim' version 0.2.3.
2) Rename the folder 'xspf'.
3) Place the xspf folder in your XOOPS root.
4) Add MP3 file(s) to the folder (in this example 'intro1.mp3' and 'intro2.mp3').
5) Create an XSPF format playlist in a plain text editor, e.g.


Save this as 'playlist.xspf' in the xspf folder.

Create a new block in XOOPS (HTML) and add the code:


Remember to make the block visible to the anonymous users group. Omit the 'autoplay' param if you don't want the audio to play when the page loads.

HTH

Tip: watch your 'x', 'f', 'p's and 's's when defining paths. It's a bit of a tongue twister.

This works in IE6 (now). However, Microsoft have done something really bizarre with later Internet Explorer upgrades which may stop any of this working.

Some info here

As a sidenote, like all Flash players this one does not like variable bitrate encoded (VBR) MP3s if they are below 128 kbps. I found it worked if the encoding was 128 or higher, but it appears the recommendation is not to use VBR.

Also, even if you use constant bitrate (CBR) the sample rate MUST be 44.1 or 22.5 khz. Apparently some MP3 encoders create hybrid sample rates. You'll know if it's wrong when your audio vocals sound like the chipmunks!

44100 khz - 128 or 96 kbps
22050 khz - 56 or 48 kbps

Peekay, I had no luck. The only thing that happens is the scrolling text in the newly created block in Xoops. I have no audio. I did the single bit rate at 128 for the mp3.

Sorry, my fault. It appears IE on the PC has a problem with the empty 'image' tag I left in the playlist file. Just remove it (or add an image path). Modified playlist.xspf below (original above modified).



Can you confirm if that works?