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[jctcom]

Hey all. 

I use the "Panes" view most of the time.  In the Panes view above each album it shows "Album" by "Artist".   I have created an "AlbumSubtitle" field and I would like it to show "Album {AlbumSubtitle}" by Artist".

But I cannot find any way to customize that part of the view.

Any help much appreciated.

Carl.

[MrC]

The header you see above each grouped item in the File List is controlled by the item chosen in Group By.  The default Album header is really an internally generated header that produces "Abum by Artist      Date", where Artist may be Various Artists, and Date is right-justified.

If you change the Group By selection to your field, your value will show in the header.

[jctcom]

Ok so it sounds like these options are fixed to the specific items under the "Group By" selections.

So there is no way to get what I am looking for.  I.E. to add my {AlbumSubtitle} field if it exists for a particular album?

Carl

[MrC]

Sure you can.  If your calculated field is:

   [Album]Delimit[[AlbumSubtitle],},{) by [Artist]

Then the AlbumSubtitle portion is output only when it exists, so this would be fine to use as a header.

[jctcom]

Sorry.  I am missing something.  I understand the expression for the calculated view.

I don't know where to put it though to affect the header over each album?

Carl.

[MrC]

Any Field can be used as a Group By.  Just select it from Group By > More (sort groups a-z).

[jctcom]

Ok so I create a new calculated field with the above expression and then use that as the "Group By" option?  Rather than trying to select two separate fields for the group by?

Carl.

[MrC]

Exactly.

[jctcom]

Ok I have done that.

When I use it as the "Group By" field though I lose the "Date" in the upper right corner? and also the sorting by that "Date".  Probably there is something I need to add to the expression to make that date show up again?  I did try customizing the "Sort By" option in the Customize View but when I put Date in there it still does not seem to sort properly.  I think it is trying to sort within the groups instead of sorting the groups themselves?

Sorry this part of the customizing seems to be eluding me.  lol

Carl.

[MrC]

You can add Date to your expression, but it won't be right-justified.

Sort at the Group By level is the group by value (hence, the words under Group By "More (sort groups ...)"

So this sorting is essentially alphabetic.

[jctcom]

Unfortunately I think we are getting away from what I am looking for.

I don't want to change the normal sorting and grouping  (I.E. Sort by Artist, then by Date, Group by Album) with the date in the upper right.

the only think I want to do is add my "AlbumSubtitle" field to the header for each album (That has an albumsubtitle).

Carl

[MrC]

If you want to use the stock Group By setting named Album, which shows  "[Album] by [Artist]     [date]", but sorts by Artist, Album, Year, then your only option is to change the Album title to be what you want.

[jctcom]

I guess I wouldn't mind losing the date in the upper right.  But for some reason I can't get the groups to sort properly?

I have put in sort by Date in the custom's view.  But it still seems to be sorting by the customized "Groupby" field instead?  Is there a way to change the sorting so that the groups are sorted the way they are with the standard grouping options?

Carl.

[jctcom]

Ok.  I think I got what I need.

I added the "Year" to the expression at the front.  Now all sorts properly and I get the info I wanted in the header.

Thanks again for your help.

Carl.

[MrC]

Great.  You understand now that Group sort is done alphabetically.

I have a little trick for you.

Try this to replace your [Date] or [Year] value in your expression:

   <font color="eeeeee" size="3">[Date]<//font>

and add your [Date] or [Year] at the end if you want.

[jctcom]

That seems to hide the date (Blend the colour with the background?)

Also if I put it at the end then it does not sort properly again.

Carl.

[MrC]

Right.  The idea I was trying to explain was to use the semi-hidden date as the primary sort, and then you can add the date elsewhere.

You can expand on that idea, by placing the first letter or two of the artist name, hidden, up front, so the sort is by artist, even though really you see Album first.

[jctcom]

Oh I See.

Thank you.  I don't have a problem with the date showing up on the left side (Though I prefer it right justified as in the normal view). 

But I can see how this expression can be very useful for other things in the future.

Carl.