In another blog I stated how and why I changed from cascading style sheets (CSS) to old fashioned html tables. A change I made because my CSS weren't rendering the same way on all the different browsers that are out there. I wrote in an earlier blog about how I used Javascript to dynamically create my homepage so it would show up in Firefox (FF) looking like it does in Internet Explorer (IE). The reason for testing in JavaScript instead of just using IE tags is that it then becomes possible to test for a third browser; e.g., Chrome. Now that Chrome is here, I had to decide if I really wanted to create a third set of CSS, and maybe a fourth in the future, and then a fifth, etc. The answer is, no; I just want one set of html statements, and hence the change to html tables.
Most browser support Windows Media Player (WMP), but FF doesn't. So I decided to make Realplayer my audio player for non IE browsers. This way I can use IE tags to test if we're running IE or a non IE browser; more simple code. Realplayer is very simple to run from your browser, just install Realplayer on your PC and it takes care of the rest. The only problem is Realplayer on Windows 7. On Windows 7 you need to install a plugin, except Mozilla no longer makes one for Realplayer (or WMP, for that matter). Fortunately, Realplayer comes with a dll file that you can move into the Mozilla Firefox plugin folder too stream mp3 files on FF (FF supports html5 <audio> tags, but it won't play mp3 files). Here's the algorithm for Windows 7:
(1) Install Realplayer (I went to http://realplayer.com but it redirected me: I was still able to download the player at that site)
(2) In Windows Explorer goto system drive:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\ and look for a Plugins folder. If you don't see the Plugins folder, create one.
(3) In Windows Explorer goto system drive:\Program Files (x86)\Real\Realplayer\Netscape6
a. copy the nppl3260.dll file to the folder you
(probably) just created in step (2).
Start up Firefox and goto my website, http://community-info.org and you'll hear streaming audio; my intro monologue, followed by hours of streaming music. If you have a website and want to setup your audio players like I have, just goto my home page and view the source code (giving me an excuse to include a link in my program list, too).