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[jgreen]

I'm using MC now for managing my digital books.  My collection includes both permanent books and temporary library books.This adds up to a large and "dynamic" library, but with MC I'm able to cut down the clutter and manage them effectively.  Keyword seach seems to be the most important took for browsing through the library, both using the "keyword" field and the "description" field.  With these and other custom fields I can find any book in my library, no matter how obscure.

What I can't do as easily, is find the book I was reading yesterday.

"Recently Played" smartlist would be the obvious tool to find something that you just looked at, but MC doesn't currelty count plays for documents, or plays for sending to external programs.  With my digital books I am always using MC to launch the books in an external reader, so I'm doubly out of luck.

Is there any method that would count when a document is played, or sent to an external player?  In both cases a book is not "played" like a movie or audio track, all the way through, so I don't think it would be the same sort of event that a "play" is.  But being able to search by when you last looked at a document would be an important tool for finding the darn thing, IMO.

FWIW, when I send docs to external player, it is to Acrobat for PDF files, OO for doc files, and Calibre e-viewer for everything else.  The calibre suite, although well-intentioned, is a mess, I'm sorry. 

[rick.ca]

This doesn't change your need for such a feature, but may help in other respects...

If I were using MC to manage a reading library, I would want to a maintain manually-set [Date Read] field—the date I finished reading the item. That date would be important to me, and might be different than an automatic [Last Played]-like field. That could be a later date I referred to an item previously read. If my library were huge, I would use [Date Read] to flag (e.g., "9999") the items currently being read (or, analogous to a physical library, "removed from the shelf"). An appropriately configured view would then allow me to select items read, currently being read or not read (as well as by whatever other attributes I cared to record).

[jgreen]

I agree, Rick.  I have several manually-set fields, including "Pages Read".  Only problm with those is I'm so lazy and/or forgetful that I more often than not neglect to update them.

Back to MC's strength, it is fairly easy to find any book in my collection, no matter how obscure or neglected.  It's just galling that it isn't any easier to find the book that you just set down an hour ago.  Yes, I can search by title and get it, but why can't I just click on the top item in "Recently Played".

Added to that, reading a book is a multi-stage process, so you know ahead of time you're going to want to find that file again (easily), only there's nothing you can do about that. 

Or is there?  Some sort of "Being Read" bin?

[rick.ca]

I have several manually-set fields, including "Pages Read".  Only problm with those is I'm so lazy and/or forgetful that I more often than not neglect to update them.

"Pages Read"?! Maybe all you need are fewer fields.

Or is there?  Some sort of "Being Read" bin?

Isn't that what I described? If you decide to read something, tag [Date Read]=[9999]. When you're finished, tag it with the date. In a view, you could have an expression or search list Category with values of 'Pending', 'Being Read' and 'Read' (or whatever you wanted to call them).

[Lasse_Lus]

nice suggestion jgreen, totally agree

[jgreen]

You're right, Rick, of course.  I was still focused on getting some sort of calculated input involved, but a manual playlist serving as a "bin" solves almost all the issues, and would be necessary even if I had the calulated field.

I created a manual playlist called "reading".  The name is vague because I plan on using it for books I'm in process on, and also for books I want to keep in mind on a wish list.  I briefly considered several bins dedicated to current, future, etc, but right now simpler seems better. 

So when I start reading something, I only have to remember to right click/send to . . . .      Similarly, when I'm browsing my stash, I can send an interesting title to the same list as a note to myself.  Every now and then I can prune the list, keeping it usefully small.  I have already removed my "Wish List"  custom field, which was more complex and basically useless anyway.

So thank you, Rick; and thank you Lasse for chiming in.  Yes, I still would like to see some calculated method for registering instances of viewing a document file.  This would be a great search tool, as well as opening up vast opportunites for new feature requests!

[lise]

I use docs extensively, and I can't do without a "flag" field that I've created. It is used for all my docs including recipes, woodworking projects I'm working on, most anything, really. It includes values like "made", "to do", ".Today", etc. You could easily add "Read", "Reading now", Read Soon", etc. A View scheme that displays the Flag category with book thumnails would quickly do what you need.

[Lasse_Lus]

..displays the Flag category with book thumnails would quickly do what you need.

tagging manually is one thing, automatic tagging is another, playing a "document" or a video, is there a difference ? i say nope..getting the last played field updated is a part of MC, but "data files" is left out..

[Matt]

Is there any method that would count when a document is played

In a coming build:
Changed: Playing a data file will increment the playback statistics 'Last Played', and 'Number Plays'.

As payback, I'm counting on you for a handful of spit-take-worthy jokes on Interact over the next few weeks.

[Lasse_Lus]

cool 

[jgreen]

Thanks Matt!!

The Elves are whispering that the JRiver Crew is pretty swamped right now, so I'll certainly usnderstand as you guys triage your priorities.

Matt, as you've proven time and again, the cream will rise.