smfsh(1) SMF shell

SYNOPSIS

smfsh [ -V ] [ file ]

OPTIONS

-V
Print libsmf version and exit.
file
Load the file.

DESCRIPTION

smfsh, an "SMF shell", is an interactive, command-driven frontend to libsmf, useful for modifying MIDI files by hand. It started its life as a debugging aid for libsmf.

There are four groups of commands: SMF level, track level, event level, and others.

SMF LEVEL COMMANDS

SMF level commands display or change properties of smf (i.e. the MIDI file) as a whole.

save file
Save a file. If the file name is not given, the last file name is used.

Note that this will not ask for confirmation.

load file
Load a file. If the file name is not given, the last file name is used.

Instead of using "load", you can pass the file name on the command line.

ppqn new-ppqn
Show (if used without parameter) or change PPQN (Pulses Per Quarter Note, aka Division).
format new-format
Show (if used without parameter) or change format.
tempo
Show tempo map. Tempo map is computed automatically from the SMF contents - to modify a tempo, just add a Tempo Change event using "add" command.
length
Show total length of the song. Just like the tempo map, file length is computed from the SMF contents.

TRACK LEVEL COMMANDS

Track level commands display or change properties of tracks. SMF may contain one or more tracks.

tracks
Show the list of tracks in the SMF.
track track-number
Show details of a track (if called without parameter), or select track with a given number - for example in order to display ("events") the events it contains.
trackadd
Create new track.
trackrm track-number
Remove the track. If the track number is not given, this will remove the track currently selected.

EVENT LEVEL COMMANDS

Event level commands display or change properties of events. Events are grouped into tracks. Track may contain any number of events, including zero.

events
Show the list of events in the current track.
event event-number
Show information about a current event (if used without parameter) or select the event.
add time-in-seconds midi-message-as-hex
Add new event to the currently selected track.
rm event-number
Remove the event. If the event number is not given, this will remove the event currently selected.

OTHER COMMANDS

There are three commands in the "other" category - "help", "version", and "exit". Their meaning should be self expanatory.