.\" generator: doxer.py 0.6
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.TH "BSE" "5" "2011\-04\-08 02:30:18 +0200" "beast\-0.7.3" "BEAST Manual Pages"

.SH
NAME


.PP
BSE \- Better Sound Engine File Format
.SH
SYNOPSIS


.PP
\fIfilename\fP\fB.bse\fP
.SH
DESCRIPTION


.PP
The \fBbse\fP file format is used by the \fIBSE\fP library and dependent programs to save
\fIBSE\fP projects, songs, instruments and sample collections.
The \fIBSE\fP scheme shell bsescm(1) is able to play back \fBbse\fP files directly.
.SH
FORMAT


.PP
\fIBSE\fP files start out with a special magic string "; BseProject\n" and then contain nested 
expressions in scheme syntax using the ASCII charset.
Binary data may be appended to a \fI.bse\fP file if it is seperated from the preceeding
ASCII test by one or more literal NUL characters ('\0').
This mechanism is used to store arbitrary binary data like \fI.WAV\fP or Ogg/Vorbis files
in \fIBSE\fP projects, while keeping the actuall content user editable (text editors that preserve
binary sections have to be used, such as vi(1) or emacs(1)).
.SH
COMPATIBILITY


.PP
The exact format and sets of objects and properties used in a \fBbse\fP file depend highly
on the library version that was used to save the file. Compatibility functions are supplied
by the library itself, so old \fBbse\fP files can be converted when the file is loaded.
To enable this mechanism, all \fBbse\fP files contain a \fB"bse\-version"\fP directive which
indicates the \fBbse\fP file format version of the supplied content.
.SH
SEE ALSO


.PP
beast(1),
bsescm(1),
BSE Object Reference (http://beast.testbit.eu/bse\-objects)