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Author Topic: Expression help please  (Read 882 times)

Gl3nn

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Expression help please
« on: December 12, 2019, 06:15:50 pm »

I'd like to create an column expression in the Drives/Devices/Explorer view which somehow tells me that a file is NOT in my library.  I looked in the wiki and could find nothing but 'ismissing' but that's not what I want.

Can anyone help?
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RoderickGI

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Re: Expression help please
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2019, 08:46:15 pm »

Difficult.

I just toggle the "Show only files in Library" checkbox to check what is in the Library or not.

You see, when you use the "Drive & Devices > Explorer" function, and don't check the "Show only files in Library" checkbox, MC temporarily imports ALL files into a database in MC. I believe that is the "Explorer" database. Files that are in your Library are in the Main database.

On top of that, you can't edit the Explorer View, so you can't set rules for display to exclude files that are in the Main database. The best you could do would be to create an expression that sets a value and then sort by that column.

So what you need is an expression, that in English, says;

If the file is in the Explorer database, but not in the Main database, set this column to Yes (or something like that).

I can't find or think of any way to do that.


The closest I can come to what you want is to add a column with the expression:

filekey()

Put that next to the [filename] or [filename (name)] column, and move the [File Type] column next to them. Then sort in descending order on your new column. Files at the top with high filekey() values will probably be files that have been added to the Explorer database just for this session of the Explorer View. You should notice a definite delineation in the File Key numbering between files in the Main and Explorer databases. You will also notice that most files that are not in the Library are non-media files, such as logs, jpgs (Cover Art), text files, and so on.

See the attached image for what that looks like.

Using the modified View you can then scroll through the high value File Key files and look for files that should be in the Main Library, but are not.
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What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

blgentry

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Re: Expression help please
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2019, 07:43:47 am »

Why are you seeking this information?  Do you have files in random folders and drives all over your system?

If so, I would recommend you use the Rename, Move, and Copy Files tool to move them all into a coherent structure.  I have 3 or 4 top level structures where I keep everything.  Nothing is "mixed in" with these folders, so everything is nice and neat.

This was actually a wonderful side benefit of learning how to use MC:  I "found" all my media and was able to organize it really nicely on disk for the first time ever!  I highly encourage you to learn about the RM&C tool and to take charge of your media.

Using a Panes view that shows drives and folders and then has more Panes so you can filter things is really, really useful for learning about your media collection.  I recommend a Pane for Drives and Folders, a Pane for file type, bit rate (if necessary), channels (if necessary), and anything else that you might use to make decisions on whether or not to keep something, and where to put it.  This might include top level Genre, or something like that.

Use the Force Glenn!

:)

Brian.
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Gl3nn

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Re: Expression help please
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2019, 12:38:20 pm »

Thanks for your replies, I really appreciate the guidance and advice.

The music collection I have goes back a long way - maybe 25 years - and has traveled across a few states, multiple computers, and even more hard drives.  I feel it's pretty well organized but, when I began ripping I chose in some instances not to import log files and extra scans of the media that came with the albums, thinking it would be too cluttered.  They just sit in the folders where the imported stuff is.

Recently, I've also discovered by accident that some of the mp3 and flac files also weren't in MC (not sure what happened) so I'd just like a way to look at a list by file extension of those files which are missing.  The collection is about 1.5tb so it's too big to check each folder (genre/artist/album organized).

I really thought a 180° flip from 'only files in library' would be easy.  Shows what I know!
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