Creating a Ram File

A Ram file lists the location of your clip or SMIL file. You then link your Web page to the Ram file. When visitors click this link, their RealPlayers launch and play the clip or clips listed in the Ram file or SMIL file.

Ram File Refers to Clips or SMIL File

To create a Ram file:

Open any editor or word processor that can save files as plain text. On the top line, enter the full URL of the SMIL file or the media clip. Specify the HTTP protocol and the Web server name, along with the SMIL file or media clip. Here is an example of a link to a single clip:
```
http://www.company.com/media/video1.rm
```
This example shows a link to a SMIL file:
```
http://www.company.com/media/myclips.smil
```
To deliver a few clips or SMIL files in sequence, list the URLs in their playback order. You might list three clips, two SMIL files, a clip and then a SMIL file, or any other combination. For example:
```
http://www.company.com/media/video1.rm
http://www.company.com/media/video2.rm
http://www.company.com/media/morevids.smil
```
Note
Keep in mind that each clip needs to be specified in either a SMIL file or the Ram file, but not both.
Add comments to the Ram file (optional).
You can add a comment to a Ram file by using a pound sign ("#") as the first character on a line. The following example shows two lines commented out of a Ram file:
```
# Two videos and a SMIL presentation
# streamed from my Web server.
http://www.company.com/media/video1.rm
http://www.company.com/media/video2.rm
http://www.company.com/media/morevids.smil
```
Save the Ram file as plain text with a .ram extension, such as myclips.ram.
Move the Ram file, as well as your clips or SMIL file, to your Web server by your standard method, such as FTP. Contact your Web server administrator if you need help doing this.
Link your Web page to the Ram file with an HTML hyperlink such as this:
```
<a href="http://www.company.com/media/myclips.ram">click for video</a>
```
Be sure to tell your Web page visitors that they need RealPlayer G2 or higher to play your clips. You can also include a RealPlayer download link button so that visitors can get RealPlayer from RealNetworks. You can read RealNetworks' trademark policy and get RealSystem G2 logos from http://www.realnetworks.com/company/guide/index.html.

	Note
Keep in mind that each clip needs to be specified in either a SMIL file or the Ram file, but not both.

How RealPlayer Interacts with a Web Server

The following figure illustrates the process of requesting a presentation from a Web server. This shows how all the pieces (Ram file, SMIL file, and clips) fit together to deliver your clips from the Web server to RealPlayer G2.

Requesting Clips from a Web Server

When the user clicks the link to the Ram file in your Web page, the user's browser requests the Ram file from the Web server.
The Web server downloads the Ram file to the browser.
The Ram file extension (.ram) causes the Web browser to launch RealPlayer as a helper application.
RealPlayer receives the Ram file and requests the contents of the Ram file from the Web server. This may be a SMIL file, a single clip, or a sequential group of clips.
If you're using a SMIL file that lists clips for different bandwidths, RealPlayer evaluates the choices and determines which clip to receive. It then requests and plays back that clip from the Web server.