playtest.1

speech signal process tools

.\" @(#)playtest.1	1.1 10/22/86
.TH PLAYTEST 1\-SPS 10/22/86
.ds ]W "\fI\s+4\ze\h'0.05'e\s-4\v'-0.4m'\fP\(*p\v'0.4m'\ Entropic Processing, Inc.
.SH "NAME"
playtest - step through an "A-B" listening test 
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
.B playtest
[
.B \-n
] [
.I playfile
]
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
.I Playtest 
provides a convenient means of stepping through a series of 
.I play
(1\-SPS) commands for "A-B" comparisons, and for recording the
listener's preferences.  
.I Playtest 
reads 
.I playfile
(or standard input, if 
.I playfile
is missing), which should consist of a series 
of commands to the 
.I play
(1\-SPS) program, one command per line.  Each command to 
.I play
should present a single "A-B" comparison.  Suitable input 
files can be generated with 
.I randplay
(1\-SPS).  
.PP
After running 
the first command from 
.I playfile,
.I playtest
pauses for input from the user.  The following commands are then 
accepted (<CR> refers to the "return" key):
.RS 5
.nf

<CR>		present the next comparison
r<CR>		repeat current comparison
s<CR>		run \fIsdcomp\fP (1\-SPS) on the current comparison
c<CR>		continue playing comparisons without stopping
q<CR>		quit
.fi
.RE 
.PP
After you input a <CR> ("present the next comparison"), 
.I playtest
will prompt you for your preference ("A", "B", or "N" \- "N" meaning 
no preference) unless the \fB\-n\fP option is used.  Prior to exiting, 
.I playtest
writes a scoring file (containing your preferences) in the current 
directory and also in /usr/epi/test.  The filename will consist of 
the user's name followed by a time stamp.  
.PP
Although 
.I playtest
is intended for use on scripts containing 
.I play
commands, it will run any commands contained in 
.I playfile.  
Hence, other uses for 
.I playtest
may arise.  
.SH OPTIONS
.PP
The following options are supported:
.TP
.B \-n
Indicates that the test is not to be scored.  In this case, the user
is not prompted for preferences and the score file is not created.  
.SH "SPS PARAMETERS"
.PP
The SPS parameter file is not read by 
.I playtest.  
.SH SPS HEADERS
.PP
.I Playtest
does not read any SPS files.  
.SH "FUTURE CHANGES"
.PP
.I Playtest 
may be modified so that special commands in the input file can be
used to do such things as print messages to the listener, 
determine the maximum number of repetitions and calls to 
.I sdcomp
that will be permitted for any one comparison, etc.  Such commands would
be embedded in lines that begin with "#", so that the input file can
still be used as a shell script.  Alternative approaches include using 
command line options or providing a special file of commands to 
.I playtest.  
.PP
Additional options to provide more control may be added.  
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.PP
play(1\-SPS), sdcomp(1-SPS), randplay(1\-SPS)
.SH "BUGS"
.PP
None known.
.SH "AUTHOR"
.PP
Manual page by John Shore, program by Alan Parker