Programatically play a wave file in Linux
 

Does Linux have a programming API to play a particularly named .wav file ? I know I can call one of the exec functions to run 'aplay somewave.wav', but is there a fairly common library and API which can easily do this also so I do not have to start another process ?

in that case you need to start a "music server" or something like that, which will play the wav file for you. But that means you need a process running and listening continuously. mpd is one of them.
(so you will need to start a process anyway)

on the matter of 'process'. Whenever someone does something, anything it goes through a process in order to accomplish the task.

Process: a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.

In the case of Linux/GNU the process gets an ID to keep track of each process that is taking place within itself. Hence the PID.

It's inevitable.

I was using the term "process" in the specific sense of invoking a program to play the .wav file.

It sounds like what you are saying is that there exists no operating system call that will play a .wav file, or any sound file for that matter. If that is indeed the case then I must invoke another program to do it.

it still falls under process. to invoke something to run something else, or itself, still falls under 'a process'. No matter how one slices or dices it, it requires a process. the invoking a program it gets a PID. write something using common library and API still gets a PID.

Maybe look at examples from alsa-project

http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc.../examples.html
(/test/pcm.c & /test/pcm_min.c)

gstreamer?

@OP what proggraming language are you using?

I think you missed a very important point: there is always an app/process behind every API.