# media formats
        mf = {"mp3":"audio/mp3", "ogg":"audio/ogg", "aac":"audio/aac"}
        
        
        # web
        @staticmethod
        def browser(url):
            __print__( dbg.CONF, conf.browser )
            action.run(conf.browser + " " + action.quote(url))


            
        # os shell cmd escaping
        @staticmethod
        def quote(s):
            if conf.windows:
                return str(s)   # should actually be "\\\"%s\\\"" % s
            else:
                return "%r" % str(s)


        # calls player for stream url and format
        @staticmethod
        def play(url, audioformat="audio/mp3", listformat="text/x-href"):
            if (url):
                url = action.url(url, listformat)
            if (audioformat):
                if audioformat == "audio/mpeg":
                    audioformat = "audio/mp3"  # internally we use the more user-friendly moniker
                cmd = conf.play.get(audioformat, conf.play.get("*/*", "vlc %u"))
                __print__( dbg.PROC,"play", url, cmd )
            try:
                action.run( action.interpol(cmd, url) )
            except:
                pass

        
        # exec wrapper
        @staticmethod
        def run(cmd):
            if conf.windows:
                os.system("start \"%s\"")
            else:
                os.system(cmd + " &")


        # streamripper
        @staticmethod
        def record(url, audioformat="audio/mp3", listformat="text/x-href", append="", row={}):
            __print__( dbg.PROC, "record", url )
            cmd = conf.record.get(audioformat, conf.record.get("*/*", None))
            try: action.run( action.interpol(cmd, url, row) + append )
            except: pass


        # save as .m3u
        @staticmethod

            return url

            
        # download a .pls resource and extract urls
        @staticmethod
        def pls(url):
            text = http.get(url)
            __print__( dbg.DATA, "pls_text=", text )
            return re.findall("\s*File\d*\s*=\s*(\w+://[^\s]+)", text, re.I)
            # currently misses out on the titles            
            
        # get a single direct ICY stream url (extract either from PLS or M3U)
        @staticmethod
        def srv(url):
            return action.extract_urls(url)[0]

            # use shoutcast unique stream id if available
            stream_id = re.search("http://.+?/.*?(\d+)", pls, re.M)
            stream_id = stream_id and stream_id.group(1) or "XXXXXX"
            try:
                channelname = main.current_channel
            except:
                channelname = "unknown"
            return (str(conf.tmp) + os.sep + "streamtuner2."+channelname+"."+stream_id+".m3u", len(stream_id) > 3 and stream_id != "XXXXXX")
        
        # check if there are any urls in a given file
        @staticmethod
        def has_urls(tmp_fn):
            if os.path.exists(tmp_fn):
                return open(tmp_fn, "r").read().find("http://") > 0
            
        
        # create a local .m3u file from it
        @staticmethod
        def m3u(pls):
        
            # temp filename
            (tmp_fn, unique) = action.tmp_fn(pls)
            # does it already exist?
            if tmp_fn and unique and conf.reuse_m3u and action.has_urls(tmp_fn):
                return tmp_fn

            # download PLS
            __print__( dbg.DATA, "pls=",pls )
            url_list = action.extract_urls(pls)
            __print__( dbg.DATA, "urls=", url_list )

            # output URL list to temporary .m3u file
            if (len(url_list)):
                #tmp_fn = 
                f = open(tmp_fn, "w")
                f.write("#M3U\n")
                f.write("\n".join(url_list) + "\n")
                f.close()
                # return path/name of temporary file
                return tmp_fn
            else:
                __print__( dbg.ERR, "error, there were no URLs in ", pls )
                raise "Empty PLS"

        # open help browser                
        @staticmethod
        def help(*args):
        
            action.run("yelp /usr/share/doc/streamtuner2/help/")
            #or action.browser("/usr/share/doc/streamtuner2/")

#class action