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RIFF Notation

The descriptions of DirectMusic files in the following sections use a subset of the conventional notation for RIFF files. The principal parts of this notation are shown in the following table.

Notation Description
<element> File element labeled "element", or of type element.
[ <element> ] Optional file element.
<element>... One or more copies of the specified element.
[<element>]... Zero or more copies of the specified element.
name, 'name', NAME, or 'NAME' FOURCC identifier of a form type, list type, or chunk.
// Comment Comment.

Labels are used only in the notation, not in the files themselves. The label <cheh-ck> refers to a chunk with a unique FOURCC identifier and format. Wherever a chunk of this kind occurs in the notation, the same label is used.

The data or subelements associated with a label are shown as in the following example:

<cheh-ck> -> cheh( <DMUS_IO_CHORDENTRY> )

This notation indicates that the chunk labeled <cheh-ck> consists of the FOURCC identifier "cheh" followed by a DMUS_IO_CHORDENTRY structure.

Note The data in every chunk is preceded by a DWORD showing the size of the data. This element is not shown in the notation.

The next example shows a list element, consisting of the FOURCC "LIST" followed by the list identifier "cmap" and one or more elements labeled <choe-list>. The <choe-list> element would be expanded elsewhere.

<cmap-list> -> LIST( 'cmap' 
  <choe-list>... )

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