INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 19 for Windows => Topic started by: pahunt on May 22, 2014, 04:50:23 pm
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I'm trying to put together a smartlist that will show any media which has a filename that does not match what I expect it to be. This is so that I can catch things that I haven't run the rename tool on, however I am struggling to make it work.
Here's what I've done:
1. Created a new user field called "Correct Filename" that calculates what the correct filename should be.
2. Created a smartlist with the expression with criteria of Filename | is not | [Correct Filename]
However no results are returned. I suspect the issue is that you can't user field names on the right-hand side of an expression but is there some way I can achieve the desired result?
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The easiest method will be to use the IsEqual() function (http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center_expression_language#IsEqual.28.E2.80.A6.29:_Compares_two_values_in_one_of_nine_specified_modes).
IsEqual([Filename], [Correct Filename], 1)
That will output 1 if they match, and 0 if they don't (case insensitive).
If you wrap it in an If() you can output other values instead (if you prefer it to have more nicely formatted output). The related-but-different Search system supports comparison operators (http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Smartlist_and_Search_-_Rules_and_Modifiers#Comparison_Operators), but since Expressions always evaluate as strings, there's no clear way to evaluate equality (or greater than/less than, etc) without using a specific function for the task.
Hence, IsEqual(), IsEmpty(), IsMissing(), IsRange(), etc.
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Of course, that will do the trick nicely. Thanks
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You are correct, that fields won't be evaluated on the RHS of the search query.
You need to use an expression-based search query for this:
Paste this fragment into the Set rules for file display's Import/Export dialog:
[=isequal([Filename], [Correct Filename], 1)]=1
The key construct is this:
[=<expr>]=1
and the <expr> evaluates to 1 for true and anything else otherwise.
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You are correct, that fields won't be evaluated on the RHS of the search query.
Now it dawns on me that this was, of course, correct. The problem is that =value has to be a constant.
But the net effect is the same. You don't need to include the =1 because in a search IsEqual() evaluates to 1 for True anyway. I read the question as related to a displayed calculated field or expression column.
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Well to be clear, the idea I took away from glynor's answer was to create a second calculated field called [Has Correct Filename] that used IsEqual to compare [Filename] with [Correct Filename] and then use that field as the basis for the smartlist with a criteria of [Has Correct Filename] | is | 0.
Thanks for both your help though, I now have exactly what I need.
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Paul, would you mind posting the complete smart list expression for me?
I'd like to see the finished product.
Thanks .. 8)
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The [Correct Filename] user field expression is:
\\GEORGE\Audio\[Media Sub Type]\[Artist]\[Album]\[Name].[File Type]
The [Has Correct Filename] user field expression is:
IsEqual([Filename], [Correct Filename], 1)
The smartlist criteria is:
[Media Type] | is | Audio
[Has Correct Filename] | is | 0
EDIT: I've just noticed that there are some issues with this still, I can see why but I'm not sure how to resolve them. Take the Arctic Monkeys track "R U Mine?" from the album "AM". The [Correct Filename] expression generates:
\\GEORGE\Audio\Music\Arctic Monkeys\AM\R U Mine?.flac
but the actual filename is:
\\GEORGE\Audio\Music\Arctic Monkeys\AM\R U Mine_.flac
Obviously when the rename happens, some magic goes on to convert characters that are invalid in filenames, such as ? to an underscore.
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...
but the actual filename is:
\\GEORGE\Audio\Music\Arctic Monkeys\AM\R U Mine_.flac
Obviously when the rename happens, some magic goes on to convert characters that are invalid filenames, such as ? to and underscore.
By observation, that's an MC naming standard. For a question mark, I've used an upside down character before - ¿ - and that works. Now I just hang with the standard deal.
Thanks for sharing.
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Clean() mode 3 (http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center_expression_language#Clean.28.E2.80.A6.29:_Clean_a_string_to_be_used_for_various_operations).
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Clean() mode 3 (http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center_expression_language#Clean.28.E2.80.A6.29:_Clean_a_string_to_be_used_for_various_operations).
That got me very close but there was still a case that didn't work. For reference, after adding the Clean function my [Correct Filename] function was
\\GEORGE\Audio\[Media Sub Type]\Clean([Artist], 3)\Clean([Album], 3)\Clean([Name], 3).[File Type]
However for the DJ Shadow album "Endtroducing...." I got a [Correct Filename] of
\\GEORGE\Audio\Music\DJ Shadow\Endtroducing....\Best Foot Forward.flac
But the actual filename generated when using the rename tool is this (note the missing dots)
\\GEORGE\Audio\Music\DJ Shadow\Endtroducing\Best Foot Forward.flac
As you can see it is stripping the trailing dots and so I had the same problem with R.E.M. being generated as R.E.M
Therefore I needed to strip the trailing dots from folder names (not the filename though) and fortunately enough the RemoveCharacters() function can do exactly that. So my finished expression is now
\\GEORGE\Audio\[Media Sub Type]\RemoveCharacters(Clean([Artist], 3), ., 2)\RemoveCharacters(Clean([Album], 3), ., 2)\Clean([Name], 3).[File Type]
Thanks for everyone's help :)