--- /dev/null
+text "
+para_afh, the audio format handler tool, is a stand-alone program
+contained in the paraslash package for analyzing and streaming audio
+files. It can be used to
+
+ - print tech info about the given audio file to stdout.
+ In particular, the 'chunk table' of the audio file, an array
+ of offsets within the audio file, may be printed. This table
+ can be used by other programs unaware of the particular audio
+ format to stream the audio file.
+
+ - write selected parts of the given audio file in complete
+ chunks without decoding. Thus para_afh can be used to 'cut'
+ an audio file.
+
+ - write selected parts of the given audio files 'just in time'
+ to sdout. This may be useful for third-party software that
+ is capable of reading from stdin.
+"
+
+option "loglevel" l
+#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+"set loglevel (0-6)"
+int typestr="level"
+default="4"
+optional
+
+defgroup "mode"
+#--------------
+groupdesc="
+ There are two modes of operation: Info mode and stream mode,
+ one of which must be selected by the corresponding option.
+ See below.
+"
+required
+
+groupoption "info" i
+#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+"select info mode"
+group="mode"
+details="
+ In this mode, the program prints technical information about
+ the given audio file to stdout.
+"
+
+groupoption "stream" s
+#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+"select stream mode"
+group="mode"
+details="
+ If this mode is selected, the selected parts of the content
+ of the audio file are written to stdout. Only complete chunks
+ with respect of the underlying audio format are written.
+ For example, only complete frames in case of mp3 files.
+"
+
+section "Options for info mode"
+#==============================
+
+option "chunk_table" c
+#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+"print also the chunk table"
+flag off
+dependon="info"
+
+section "Options for stream mode"
+#================================
+
+
+option "begin_chunk" b
+#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+"skip a number of chunks"
+int typestr="chunk_num"
+default="0"
+dependon="stream"
+optional
+details="
+ The chunk_num argument must be between -num_chunks and
+ num_chunks - 1 inclusively where num_chunks is the total number
+ of chunks which is printed when using the --info option. If
+ chunk_num is negative, the given number of chunks are counted
+ backwards from the end of the file. For example --begin_chunk
+ -100 instructs para_afh to start output at chunk num_chunks
+ - 100. This is mainly useful for cutting off the end of an
+ audio file.
+"
+
+option "end_chunk" e
+#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+"only write up to chunk chunk_num"
+int typestr="chunk_num"
+dependon="stream"
+optional
+details="
+ For the chunk_num argument the same rules as for --begin_chunk
+ apply. The default is to write up to the last chunk.
+"
+
+option "just_in_time" j
+#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+"use timed writes"
+flag off
+dependon="stream"
+details="
+ Write the specified chunks of data 'just in time', i.e. the
+ write of each chunk is delayed until the time it is needed
+ by the decoder/player in order to guarantee an uninterupted
+ audio stream.
+"
+
+option "no_header" H
+#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+"do not write an audio file header"
+flag off
+dependon="stream"
+details="
+ If an audio format needs information about the audio file
+ in a format-specific header in order to be understood by
+ the decoding software, a suitable header is automatically
+ send. This option changes the default behaviour, i.e. no
+ header is written.
+"