# I know nothing about XML. Can I change the sounds in this program I use? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-nothing-about-xml-can-i-change-the-sounds-in-this-program-i-use/685818 "2014-04-10T19:48:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-nothing-about-xml-can-i-change-the-sounds-in-this-program-i-use/685818/1 "2014-04-10T19:48:34Z")
Just because I like to be different, I thought it would be fun to tinker with the sounds on a program I use. I found a folder called “wav” and got all excited. Then I realized that I have no idea what to do from here. Because from there, I get a list of XML docs that I don’t know how to manipulate. This is what I see in one: > [@](#): > > \ > \UklGRtIqAABXQVZFZm10IBAAAAABAAEAIlYAAESsAAACABAAZGF0Ya4qAACVAAgAMf9l/j7+B/7Q/oH/EAQ9CA0GlwTaAyUDTfl08Njz7/WP (and about a million what appear to be random characters after that) So can I mess with this at all, or is it so far beyond something I can even grasp that I should just forget about it and get back to work? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-nothing-about-xml-can-i-change-the-sounds-in-this-program-i-use/685818/2 "2014-04-10T20:12:05Z")
You probably can’t do anything with it. It’s not that it’s beyond something you can grasp; the problem is that those XML files aren’t simply config files pointing to some .wav file on your system (or if they are, it’s obfuscated in a way that doesn’t allow easy editing). If you really want to mess with it, make a copy of the directory and then randomly update some values in the files. I’m guessing the result will be either no sound at all for particular actions or a program crash, but maybe you’ll get lucky. And although it is unlikely to cause actual damage to anything else on the system, it is a possibility. So I don’t recommend doing it, and if you insist anyway, be sure to have a backup/restore point. What program is this? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-nothing-about-xml-can-i-change-the-sounds-in-this-program-i-use/685818/3 "2014-04-10T20:22:42Z")
It looks like the XML contains a base64-encoded version of the sound file (probably in WAV format). That’s a fantastically idiotic use for XML, but then most people who use XML are fantastic idiots. If you really want to try screwing around with this, make a copy of the directory somewhere as a backup, then try to find a utility that will convert binary files to base64, and try replacing the chunk in the XML with that. The worst that will happen is you will launch the missiles. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-nothing-about-xml-can-i-change-the-sounds-in-this-program-i-use/685818/4 "2014-04-11T01:10:24Z")
If it’s ok with you, I’d like to take a look at one of those XML files. Could you email me one? I’ll report back if friedo’s hunch is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-nothing-about-xml-can-i-change-the-sounds-in-this-program-i-use/685818/5 "2014-04-12T01:22:10Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > If it’s ok with you, I’d like to take a look at one of those XML files. Could you email me one? I’ll report back if friedo’s hunch is correct. You don’t have to. Just check out [http://www.base64decode.org/](http://www.base64decode.org/) : > [@Base64](#): > > UklGRtIqAABXQVZFZm10IBAAAAABAAEAIlYAAESsAAACABAAZGF0Ya4qAACVAAgAMf9l/j7+B/7Q/oH/EAQ9CA0GlwTaAyUDTfl08Njz7/WP > [@wave binary](#): > > RIFF_WAVEfmt "VDdata_1e\>a= > %Mt > [@friedo](#): > > It looks like the XML contains a base64-encoded version of the sound file (probably in WAV format). That’s a fantastically idiotic use for XML, but then most people who use XML are fantastic idiots. Tell me about it. 😛 At least the example here uses attributes. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-nothing-about-xml-can-i-change-the-sounds-in-this-program-i-use/685818/6 "2014-04-12T01:51:49Z")
Awesome 🙂