Rockbox General > Rockbox General Discussion

why do people use tags ??

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AlexP:
I use a file tree and not database as I have artist\album structure, and normally listen to full albums.

However if you want to do something like listen to all music from one genre, or every track released in 1995, database is much easier.

I don't like databases, and a major consideration when I bought my H140 (before rockbox ran on it) was that I could use a file tree.  For that reason I would never buy a non-rockboxable iPod.  However, despite the fact it would do my head in if I HAD to use the database, I don't and I appreciate why other people like it.

racekites:

--- Quote from: soap on August 19, 2007, 12:50:03 PM ---People use tags because a directory structure, no matter how complex, is not a database.
Please tell me how I can keep track of:
(easy ones)
  .
  .
  .
and on and on and on...
in a directory structure without hitting a pathname limit.

--- End quote ---


but why would anyone want to ??

certian tags, i can see the sense of, artist/album/year/trackNumber/trackName...

however the additional effort that appears to be required to have access to the remaining meta tags outweighs the the usefulness of them.

I come from a DataManagement background in the oil industry, so understand the need for accurate and descriptive metadata.

I guess what i'm saying if I download an audiobook from the net, filenames have to be unique, and common sense says files are in sequence. The effort required to enable me to play this from start to finish, in the correct sequence, on a rockbox enabled (or a player that does a file structure) takes as long as it does to copy it to the player...

To play the same audiobook (10 disks, ~ 20 tracks/disk), front start to finish, in the correct sequence on a player that only works on tags takes an order of magnitude more effort....

The need for metadata is not in question however should it really be needed to enable me to play a track on a mp3 player ??

Its just taken me 30 minutes of editting to enable an audiobook that plays perfectly in rockbox to play the same on a Phillips 30G goGear...

A file tree is so much easier, faster, easier to understand, to organise so why are they almost extinct in the mp3 player world... ??

A

AlexP:
So how would you do it through filetree if you want both to be able to play complete albums, and play all songs from a particular genre?

Edit: Without setting up loads of playlists that would need updating every time you added new music?  Remember, I'm a file tree person, but there are some things I can't see how to easily do with a file tree.  I don't do them, so fine, but if you want to?

Llorean:
Here's the deal:

1) Filetrees are in no way extinct in the player world. I think we can all agree *requiring* database use is silly, but allowing it adds for those who want it. It's an extra layer of hassle if it's the only way to access your player, and you have direct needs.

2) Rockbox exists, in part, as a way of bringing filetree browsing to those players that don't support it.

3) This forum is about Rockbox, so the discussion of "Why is filetree browsing nearly extinct" is irrelevant: We don't make policy for manufacturers, nor do we particularly care what policy they follow with their own firmware, so long as we can find a way to replace it.

soap:

--- Quote from: racekites on August 19, 2007, 02:07:48 PM ---Its just taken me 30 minutes of editting to enable an audiobook that plays perfectly in rockbox to play the same on a Phillips 30G goGear...

A file tree is so much easier, faster, easier to understand, to organise so why are they almost extinct in the mp3 player world... ??

--- End quote ---
Any good tagger will fill in tags for you based upon filenames and paths.  If your directory structure is consistent, it won't take your computer but a couple of minutes to tag all your files.

A file tree is not faster, more understandable, or easier to organize when you are doing anything but the most basic of manipulation.  Relational databases are needed to do any complex query, and are helpful for even simple queries.

A file tree method of organization can best be viewed as a risky hierarchical database, where there is only one path to find any given item, and all information (metadata) about said item is dependent on its placement in the tree.

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