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[blgentry]

I recently noticed that when I added an item to a list field, the edit style changed.  Specifics:

With 50 or less items (total across all files) in a list, when you click the box in the Tag Action Window to edit the list field, you get a list of everything.  The checked list items are at the top and the rest are in alphabetical order.  All items have check boxes next to their names.  See first screen shot.

When you add a 51rst item the edit style changes.  Now when you go to edit the list, it only shows you values that are already selected.  See second screen shot.  You can't select new values by clicking check boxes.  Instead you have to go down to the pull down box at the bottom and click it to see the other list items.  See third screen shot.

This makes selecting new items (that aren't already selected) very slow.  You have to pull down the list, scroll to find what you want, then click, which puts the item "in the box".  Now you have to press enter to select that item.  The box empties and you have to start again:   Pull down the list, scroll, select, enter.  Try doing this to select 5 existing key words for a new file you are importing.  It's not terrible, but it's nearly 10 times as slow compared to simply scrolling the list and putting a check next to the items you want to select.

Note that this limitation of 50 is NOT for a single item.  This is 50 total list items in this field for all files.

I'm sure there's some reason this limitation is here, but it seems arbitrary.  I could easily scroll a list of 200 or more items very, very quickly and find what I wanted.  500 items probably wouldn't be a big deal either.  I would love to see this limitation removed, or dramatically increased.

Thanks for reading.

Brian.

[marko]

and... while you're there in that third screenshot, how crazy do things get if you put your mouse in that foremost list of items and use the scroll wheel?

[blgentry]

^ Using the scroll wheel in the checked list, or the unchecked list doesn't seem to do anything unexpected.  I saw your report in the other thread, but I didn't pay super specific attention to the conditions required to produce it.  I think I've done what's necessary, but I'm not sure.

Brian.

[Matt]

We're tracking this one in the beta board.  I think there will be some sort of fix in the first MC22 builds.

[MusicHawk]

I have a very difficult time tagging with MC 21 or its recent ancestors, for this same reason. What slows me down are the limited lists, variable ways to work with them, and the persistent requirement to Search when I already know exactly what I want, I just need scroll or even better jump to it, and Select. And to keep working in the same list, multiple values, until I'm finished with that field.

Maybe my library is unusual, but it is the reason I adopted MC/MJ many years ago. I use many custom fields. Many of my fields have many, many values. Many of my fields are list/multi-value type. That's what works for me, to do radio-station type tagging of almost 70 thousand tracks. But it's just so clumsy and slow in today's MC.

Therefore, along with the newest MC (21 now, but already paid for MC22), I also run MC15.0.122. This was the last version that provided direct, keyboard efficient, lightning-fast Jump among values and Select via-checkbox tagging.

This was how MC had worked for many years. But the very next MC15 build removed this mode, replacing it with the current Search mode. At that time I suggested (begged) that the Search mode be an additional method, not a total replacement of the Select mode. Ideally, they would both be available, perhaps as a global user option, or a live choice (such as, press F2 to tag via Select, Ctrl+F2 to tag via Search).

I'm not being stubborn. Every time a new MC build arrives, in my music library I re-try tagging, get frustrated with all the Search and extra steps, and switch back to MC15.0.122.

But, I have a bit more success with Search when tagging my photos library, because it is much simpler. Just the date-time, Caption, Keywords, and no custom fields. So it has its place, and I value (and keep paying for) other MC improvements. (Though even tagging photos would be easier in an MC with Select mode.)

Again, please bring back the method used in early MC15 and prior versions.

[Matt]

Please test MC22, and then if you still think there's a problem, start a thread on the MC22 board.

Thanks.

[AndrewFG]

In my opinion it is well fixed in MC22

[MusicHawk]

Matt, see my continuation of this topic in MC22 board.

Summary: More checkboxes by default makes it 50% improved, but it still lacks the ability to jump around the list via keyboard, which was standard in MC15 and previous, and is still standard in an MC22 View.