LOF Files - Audacity Development Manual

# LOF Files

From Audacity Development Manual

A LOF file is a plain text file ending with the extension ".lof" that contains a list of audio files to import into an Audacity project window. It can optionally contain commands to create new project windows.

### Syntax

There are only two commands "file" and "window", each with associated options:

- file: (required) specifies the full path to the file which then imports as a new track in the current window (the path must always be in double quotes)
  - offset: an optional parameter to the file command, specifying the start time of the audio file in seconds
- window: (optional) creates a new Audacity project window for a subsequent file in the list (the first file always creates a new window unless the existing project is empty)
  - offset: an optional parameter to the window command, specifying the left-most time displayed in the window
  - duration: an optional parameter to the window command, specifying how much time should be displayed in the window
- #: (optional) can be used anywhere on a line to precede a comment - everything after # on that line is ignored by the importer.

Tips:

- Each command must be placed on a separate line.
- Files are imported in the order shown in the LOF file.
- If the file to be imported is in the same folder as the LOF file, you need only give the file name inside double quotes.

### Example

Given an empty project window, the following LOF file located at C:\Desktop imports the audio file "sample1.wav" from the Desktop into that window, followed by "sample2.wav" and "sample3.wav" from other locations underneath. Then a new project window is created and the audio file "sample4.wav" from the Desktop is imported into it.

    # everything following the hash character is ignored
    window # an initial window command is implicit and optional
    file "sample1.wav"                   # sample1.wav is displayed
    file "C:\Ken\sample2.wav" offset 5   # sample2.wav is displayed with a 5s offset
    file "C:\Dave\sample3.wav"           # sample3.wav is displayed with no offset
    window offset 5 duration 10          # open a new window, then zoom to display
    # 10 seconds of sample4.wav from 5 seconds to 15 seconds, offsetting it by 2.5 seconds
    file "sample4.wav" offset 2.5

The file names shown are for a Windows system, but the same syntax applies on Macintosh and Linux with the obvious change to a suitable file path.