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[JustinChase]

I want te export my library to an excel file, do some quick manipulation, then re-import with the changes.

I can't find a way to do this.  I have seen some documentation on how to do it with an MPL file, but i don't think I can do my manipulations quickly (or at all) in an MPL file.

Is there some way?

[IlPadrino]

Not sure what type of manipulations you had in mind, but regular expressions are an easy way to manipulate text files (such as the XML markup in the MPL).  Finding a text editor that does regexes might be tough - the one I use is not free.  You might want to ask Jaguu for some help, as I seem to remember he was quite adept at editing MPLs.

Another option would be to use XSLT to modify the MPL.

[JustinChase]

Is exporting a playlist the best way to make changes to the library fields?

Assuming I can get the data (MPL) through excel with my edits done, and back into an MPL format correctly [big assumption], how do I re-import that file?  Matt said once to drop it on the root Media Library.  What is that, better yet where is that?

Thanks for the help.  I need to try to get all this done by the Monday am.  I need to start converting my entire library to aac to put on the iPod for my round the world trip.  I expect the conversion to take 6-8 days, and I leave in 17 days.  No time for any mistakes, or a big learning curve.

[IlPadrino]

Is exporting a playlist the best way to make changes to the library fields?

Assuming I can get the data (MPL) through excel with my edits done, and back into an MPL format correctly [big assumption], how do I re-import that file?  Matt said once to drop it on the root Media Library.  What is that, better yet where is that?

Thanks for the help.  I need to try to get all this done by the Monday am.  I need to start converting my entire library to aac to put on the iPod for my round the world trip.  I expect the conversion to take 6-8 days, and I leave in 17 days.  No time for any mistakes, or a big learning curve.

A universal answer to the question "what is the best way" is tough to come by.  If you're unable to make the changes from within MC, I think the only solution is to export the playlist (MPL is as good as any format), massage the file (lots of ways to do that:  XSLT, Excel, Access, RegExp editor, etc.), and then reimport the MPL.

But...  to reimport an MPL, the media items can *not* be in the library.  MC looks to see if the filename is listed in the library - if it is, it is not imported.  It's unfortunate that there is no "update" API other than custom-made plugins.  So what you'd need to do is make sure that all the fields are in the MPL, delete the media items, and then import.  Of course, backing up the library would be a good idea.  So then, the answer to how do you import the MPL?  I don't remember the specifics, but can you try playing the MPL or importing it?

This process has been discussed before - maybe a search on INTERACT would help you out with the details.

[Jaguu]

1. Backup your library
2. Create for testing purposes a new library with Library Manager by cloning the old one and deleting its content.
3. Select all tracks and export to an *.mpl file in your home directory.
4. Edit the *.mpl file. Depending on the severity of your changes, you might be able to do it with notepad. If you need complex editing and have to make use of regular expressions, you need a more sophisticated tool. I use SearchReplace from www.funduc.com. You can use a trial version, but it has a steep learning curve. You might try to use WinWord and save as a text file (never done it). Be sure that the file format is UTF-8.
5. Once the editing done, import the *.mpl file by right clicking on the file, select Media Center>Import. In this way you do not have to change your definitions in Import Media Menu. Just be sure that the *.mpl file association is set.

Notes: If you make changes to field names, you must recreate that field in the Media library first (Options>Media Library), otherwise it won't be imported.

Good Luck!