INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: Matt on December 09, 2004, 05:31:54 pm
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Media Center 11.0.148 introduces an expiremental expression evaluator to allow Excel-style formulas to be used in view schemes and searches.
If we continue with this system, it will allow more power and flexibility when designing view schemes. For example, viewing the date imported in any format will be possible. (instead of just "42 days ago") Functions support will allow new things like finding missing files. Calculated fields will be able to be removed, cleaning up the interface in some places.
Anyway, it's just an idea right now, but any feedback is welcome.
Expression Format: EXPRESSION:FORMATTING
Examples:
[Artist]
[Artist] - [Album]
[Date]:Date(Year)
[Date Imported]:Date(MMMM)
FileExists([Filename])
To use an expression in a search, do this: [=EXPRESSION]=
Example to find missing files: [=FileExists([Filename])]=0
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Will this allow you to sort a pane by year without actually having to see the year?
Ive been wanting to do that with my albums. They are all sorted by year as it is. I just hate looking at that year all the time. Id rather just see the album name.
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Oooooh! Very cool!
I can't wait to play with it and find a way to do things I'd been saying "I wish I could...".
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Is this going to allow me to create an average rating for an album? If so what would such an expression look like?
Thanks
Kain
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Sounds really cool!
But I think I'll wait a couple of builds before trying, it seems that there are major issues with the current builds (hotkeys not working, audio settings, right-click menus)...?
But as you all know by now, the date formatting is one I've been asking for since MC7!
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I honestly don't use view schemes and searches too often because I don't care much for the current system. But this idea sounds great to me.
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Sounds great.
Will this mean we can finally use conditional expressions discussed here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=23868.0
and here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=17719.0 ?
I would find this incredibly useful.
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Well ... I've got to say that I love this idea. It is IMHO the most important feature that you could add to MC. However, no giant surprise, but there are definately some performance issues with some of these more advanced searches. I imagine you'll be working on that. My initial attempt was to create a View Scheme using a search that you suggested (to find missing files).
The performance is terrible (if it will be even remotely that slow you will need to warn users and provide some sort of progress feedback). As I said, I know this is an "alpha" feature and I'm not complaining. Just giving feedback! I still think the feature is worth it (even if you need to provide progress feedback).
I created a View Scheme in my Video View Schemes hierarchy. Added Genre, Artist, Album to the View Items (1). Enabled Populate Tree, Honor Parent scheme search (3). And I inserted the Search you gave as an example ([=FileExists([Filename])]=0) in the Search Field (4). It takes about 30 - 45 seconds to respond every time I click on the View Scheme in the Tree View (without even expanding it). Also, it apparently re-runs the search when you right click on it, as this produces about the same response time (before the right-click menu appears).
One other question I have is how you can combine the new search methodology with the "old" system. I ask because the search above provides all removable media, and I would like to filter those out (to display just those that are missing). Now granted, I haven't reviewed any instructions you may have provided (if I need to RTFM just slap me around) but my initial attempts didn't work (they filtered everything). I tried: [=FileExists([Filename])]=0 [Removable]=0. What is the proper way to do this?
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I suppose I should have mentioned it before, but specs for the system I used were:
Athlon XP 2000+
1.5 GB RAM (DDR400 running at 133FSB - Sync with Processor)
ASUS A7N8X Deluxe Board
WD1200JB (Special Edition) - System Volume
3xWD2500SD (Caviar RE) Drives in RAID-5 - Media Volume
Promise S150 SX4 RAID Controller
Windows XP SP2 (w/ all available updates)
So not a "god" machine by any stretch, but not really a slouch either. Also, I assumed that I was not "special", but are other people seeing performance issues with the new searches?
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Very anticipated feature for sure.
I'm also interested in using it to do avg scores.
I'm confident the MC crew will iron out the kinks.
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Are there any other functions than "FileExists" available?
E.g. a "Length", "Value", "Left", "Right", "String" or something else...
Gives this expression evaluator maybe the possibility to compare two different tags, for example if the [Artist] is equal the [Album] tag.
like [=Equal([Artist],[Album])]=1
Or to filter for all albums with a name longer than 10:
like [=length([Album])]>10
Any informations about existing functions/keywords are welcome...
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I can't seem to get [Date Imported]:Date(MMMM) to expand to showing me the years and days. Am I missing something? I tried [Date Imported]:Date(YYYY/MMMM/DD) (and other permutations) to no avail. Is this kind of functionality not implemented yet?
I think that this EXPRESSION parameter has a lot of potential. Thanks for giving it a shot, J River.
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Perhaps could you try :
"[Date Imported]:Date(DD) / [Date Imported]:Date(MMMM) / [Date Imported]:Date(YYYY)" ?
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I don't know this expression feature at all so if I speak out of the blue, please excuse me.
Could it in plave with an "Average" expression like "FileExist"? Then you could finally get an average rating on songs in an album , average Last Played date etc...
/Martin
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So, in how many areas of the program can we use this new functionality?
Is it only enabled in the search? if so, how does that replace calculated fields?
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This is still at the concept stage, so some things won't work yet. (like some date fields)
As for average-style fields, it'd be great. The issue is making it fast enough while staying on top of changes to large libraries. We're still brainstorming...
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Ok, Im TOTALLY lost .. I was trying to create a field for the MONTH from the Date field in a file ...
I believe that this feature can be used to create fields AND to search ... Has anyone successfully created a new field ... and what EXACTLY did you put in to get it to work ..
Also, can you use it to rename files??? (Rename Files from Properties)
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It doesn't seem to find missing files for me.
I created a new view scheme, and added a new field to it, using the expression given as an example. I copied it from the 'wizard' and also from the post above.
I definately have missing files, but the view scheme still shows all my files, including the missing ones.
Please help
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How about some detailed examples people have come up with ...
I've found that the MISSING FILES is not completely reliable ... and I havent found many "powerful" uses for this yet and I want to see what everyone has done with it!
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To use an expression in a search, do this: [=EXPRESSION]=
Example to find missing files: [=FileExists([Filename])]=0
this does not work. I entered it exactly as shown, but it brings upp all my files.
Any ideas how to get to show only mixxing files?
Please.
Thanks
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Just used the example expression [=FileExists([Filename])]=0 to find some missing files.
It took about a minute and a half to find the missing songs in a 40K song list.
It also finds files with [] or () in other fields, song name or album name.
Thanks,
BG
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Example to find missing files: [=FileExists([Filename])]=0
Matt, I just tried this in the search-bar of a Viewscheme, and it didn't seem to work - is that expected?
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Matt, I just tried this in the search-bar of a Viewscheme, and it didn't seem to work - is that expected?
yes, but only because things got tweaked a little bit later on...
try:
[=IsMissing([Filename])]=1
-marko.