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[c1c9k72]

Is it possible for v10, or is it in the works for v11, to refine the Smartlist creation system in the future ?  I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but I've never liked the single-line system employed by JRiver.  I find it very difficult to edit, and would much rather see something along the lines of the iTunes interface, where the elements of the smartlist are given individual lines whose order determines which are dealt with first.

[pipsqueak]

i dont use itunes, but i dont see what the point of "individual lines whose order determines which are dealt with first" is. Given that the terms are essentially 'AND' terms (by default) the order doesnt matter

[Doof]

Download iTunes and check out it's "smartlist" interface. Then you'll understand.

[pipsqueak]

okay, done that...its certainly more user friendly

[c1c9k72]

i dont use itunes, but i dont see what the point of "individual lines whose order determines which are dealt with first" is. Given that the terms are essentially 'AND' terms (by default) the order doesnt matter

Yes, perhaps I didn't really state my problems with the Smartlist system properly.  It's not the order I'm concerned with.  It's the individual lines allowing for easier editing.

[Bendra]

I have said the same thing repeatedly.  I tweak my smartlists almost daily.  We who came to MC9 because iTunes couldn't begin to match the level of control for a playlist are delighted with the funcionality if not the format in which it is presented.  Maybe your presentation of the problem will result in some attention.  It isn't an impossible or overly difficult task.  

[Matt]

MC 11 has improved smartlist formatting.

[Bendra]

I'm going to MC11 eventually, when I think it's ready for me, so can you tell me how it's improved, and whether it meets the needs you read about here?

[tomgrossi]

Is there somewhere that people can upload their smartlist forumlas?  I'd be interested in possibly using some of the more general ones people have created.

[lee269]

Do I hear the word 'wizard'?

I dont know whats new in MC11, but I do think there is, and has been for a few previous versions to MC10, a case for providing an easier alternative for smartlist creation. Problem is that its difficult to imagine an easy, flexible and powerful interface solution. Maybe iTunes is it, I dont know - but I think MC has more power than that app - can the iTunes 'solution' be conceivably revised to incorporate any extra MC features?

tomgrossi: no place that I know of, but there is (or was) as 'Share your favourite smartlists' thread on the board - perhaps try a search.

[Doof]

I don't see any reason why not. I think the biggest thing that iTunes does over MC, is that MC has seperate "wizards" for each kind of smartlist rule. iTunes puts all of that into one consistent interface.

Basically each rule consists of 3 parts. Field, operator, value. That's it. For instance:

Genre = Metal, Artist = Megadeth, Rating >= 3

So what iTunes does is just give you a dropdown box of available fields. Once you pick that it updates a second dropdown box with operators that make sense. Then the third box is for the values. Now here is where MC has iTunes beat. In iTunes, you need to type in your desired values. I think a solution where you have a text box that allows you to type in your values could be nice, but then stick a "..." button next to it that brings up the checkboxed interface we're used to seeing so that you can pick your values out of a list.

Then at that point, there's a button for Add Rule. You click that and another line of dropdown boxes appears for you to fill out.

Each row of dropdown boxes also has a limits row, where you can choose to limit to a certain number of songs, or songs by an artist, etc. It's all in plain english so it's really easy to understand what's going on. That's the beauty of it. Although I think that iTunes only allows one limit per rule, so there'd need to be some way to figure that out.

[lee269]

Well Doof, that all sounds groovy.

From what youve described it seems that the iTunes method would at least provide a way for people to get into smartlist creation in an easier manner, if its combined into a single dialog box/interface item. Sorry Im too lazy to check out the opposition because I really dont need any more clutter on my PC, but you described it well.

Im no MC smartlist expert, but I imagine that some of the more complex modifiers like limit, or the order thing, or combining OR and AND, bracketing them to get more complex queries etc, might be more difficult to fit into this model. But thats not necessarily required I think. I just think it needs to be easier to come to MC cold and figure out how to search for stuff. MC is hiding its power behind a steep learning curve. I really feel this would be a key improvement, but I dont profess to have a ready made solution (Im sure Jim & co love this kind of post).

[Bendra]

Let me stress that it's not merely the creation of a smartlist, but the ability to view the entire set of rules in a playlist and easy modification of any of those rules while inside of that view.  I don't suffer until I want to go back and see what rules I put into a smartlist and maybe change them.

[dcwebman]

Is there somewhere that people can upload their smartlist forumlas?  I'd be interested in possibly using some of the more general ones people have created.

It would be very handy if there was someplace that listed people's smartlists. That way we don't have to recreate one or use one that we never thought of before.
Jeff