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[amdismal]

One thing that really bothered me when starting off with MC was how it was pretty free and easy writing to my tags.  I use other servers/players, and having MC do its own thing was deeply irritating to me.  However, I do realise that others want it to be a one-stop shop for full library management etc.

It therefore strikes me that the preferred behaviour would be to have install options as follows:

• Manage my library - MC acts like iTunes in that it controls the library and it can do what it likes to any files
• Only allow MC to make changes that I explicitly make - so tagging would be OK if I did it manually, but no automatic changes would be made
• MC is not allowed to make any changes to my files

The killer for me is that it's not clear what goes on, so MC had changed some of my files without me realising that would happen, which was a really bad start to using it.  I got over it, because the UI is *way* better than anything else for my purposes, but others could easily fail to get over this kind of issue.

[MrC]

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=77015.msg521652#msg521652

[kstuart]

To summarize Mr C's link, as of July 19th of 2012, it was changed so that by default, MC does not write to tags by itself.

[glynor]

To summarize Mr C's link, as of July 19th of 2012, it was changed so that by default, MC does not write to tags by itself.

... during Auto Import.

If you use the default options, it will still apply tags to the files when you manually tag files.  This is easily disabled, I just wanted to note the detail.

[kstuart]

... during Auto Import.

If you use the default options, it will still apply tags to the files when you manually tag files.  This is easily disabled, I just wanted to note the detail.

Am I correct that you are referring to:

Tools->Options->General->Importing & Tagging->Update Tags When File Info Changes

?

[glynor]

Am I correct that you are referring to:

Tools->Options->General->Importing & Tagging->Update Tags When File Info Changes

No.  Maybe I understood bad, because delicious whiskey.

Tools > Options > Library & Folders > Configure Auto Import:
Write file tags when analyzing audio, getting cover art, etc.

As of MC 18.0.12 (a long while ago) it has defaulted off.  Auto-Import does NOT write file tags, unless you tell it to.  Manually changing tags does (the option you specified), but Auto-Import does not.

The option you mentioned, disables all tag writing entirely (regardless of manual/not).

[MrC]

No.  Maybe I understood bad, because delicious whiskey.

That's funny.  My wife just said "Maybe I'll have some alcohol.", and literally, at that second, I read this.

[glynor]

That's funny.  My wife just said "Maybe I'll have some alcohol.", and literally, at that second, I read this.

That's a fantastic idea.  Tell her I'll join her.

[MrC]

She has selected Spring Mountain, Elivette 2005.

[glynor]

She has selected Spring Mountain, Elivette 2005.

Well played, MrsC.  Well played.

[kstuart]

Glynor - I don't think you read the quote from yourself that I was replying to, it was not the Automatic part, it was your statement that:

"If you use the default options, it will still apply tags to the files when you manually tag files.  This is easily disabled, I just wanted to note the detail."

When you say easily disabled, am I correct that you are referring to:

Tools->Options->General->Importing & Tagging->Update Tags When File Info Changes

[glynor]

Glynor - I don't think you read the quote from yourself that I was replying to, it was not the Automatic part, it was your statement that:

"If you use the default options, it will still apply tags to the files when you manually tag files.  This is easily disabled, I just wanted to note the detail."

When you say easily disabled, am I correct that you are referring to:

Tools->Options->General->Importing & Tagging->Update Tags When File Info Changes

Yeah, that's why I changed it to say because whiskey.  I read your post poorly, because whiskey.

You are correct.

That option, when turned off, disables all tag writing to files in MC entirely (even manual ones using Library Tools > Update File (From Library)).  It is a global on/off switch for tag writing.

[kstuart]

Yeah, that's why I changed it to say because whiskey.  I read your post poorly, because whiskey.

You are correct.

That option, when turned off, disables all tag writing to files in MC entirely (even manual ones using Library Tools > Update File (From Library)).  It is a global on/off switch for tag writing.

And that option is turned on by default on a new install, correct ?

[rjm]

 It is a global on/off switch for tag writing.

And can be added as a toolbar button for easy access. I shut it off when tagging family photos because I don't like MC touching my photos.

[glynor]

And that option is turned on by default on a new install, correct ?

That option is enabled by default.  Correct.

However, Auto-Import does not obey that option alone.  It also looks at the option I listed above.  Both need to be True for Auto-Import to write tags to files at import-time.  The Auto-Import specific option defaults False:

Tools > Options > Library & Folders > Configure Auto Import:
Write file tags when analyzing audio, getting cover art, etc.

So, with a new, fresh install of MC18, this is the default behavior:

Only allow MC to make changes that I explicitly make - so tagging would be OK if I did it manually, but no automatic changes would be made

[glynor]

So, to be absolutely, 100% clear:

The OP was wrong (or mis-informed and basing his conclusions on the behavior of MC17).  MC18 already has the exact behavior he was looking for (or mostly, and certainly the relevant options).  It defaults to his "middle choice" (which he said was acceptable), and provides options needed to enable both other choices.

To enable this "mode":

Manage my library - MC acts like iTunes in that it controls the library and it can do what it likes to any files

Options > General > Importing & Tagging > Update Tags When File Info Changes: True
Options > Library & Folders > Configure Auto Import > Write file tags when analyzing audio, getting cover art, etc: True

Only allow MC to make changes that I explicitly make - so tagging would be OK if I did it manually, but no automatic changes would be made

Default behavior.
Options > General > Importing & Tagging > Update Tags When File Info Changes: True
Options > Library & Folders > Configure Auto Import > Write file tags when analyzing audio, getting cover art, etc: False

MC is not allowed to make any changes to my files

Options > General > Importing & Tagging > Update Tags When File Info Changes: False
Options > Library & Folders > Configure Auto Import > Write file tags when analyzing audio, getting cover art, etc: Is Ignored

Lastly...

One other small note I should mention:  Using the Tag On Import rules in Auto-Import counts as manually tagging files.  With the default settings, this means if you define any Tag On Import rules, those changes will get written out to the files.  That makes sense, though, as those are manually, explicitly defined.

The one thing I haven't tested is to see if only those Tag On Import changes get written to files, or if it flushes the current database state to the tags.  I'd guess, based on the Automation interface behavior, that it is the latter (that if you write any tags via Tag On Import, that it "triggers" the Auto-Import specific option to be essentially ignored for "matching" files).  Like I said, I'm not sure (and I don't really care, personally, as I enable both options and want MC to fully manage my in-file tags -- it does a good job).

But, that caution would apply.  If you don't want any "automated" tagging at all no matter what, you're probably best avoiding the Tag On Import rules (or test it beforehand, at least).  If you're that kind of person, though, you'd probably avoid using that feature anyway, so I think this is no big deal whatsoever.