Fantastic old patch: browse directories using id3 tags

[inrobert]

This is a wonderful patch - http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/task/2289. There is also a wiki page - http://rockbox.haxx.se/twiki/bin/view/Main/UseDisplayName. It all looks very interesting for me but it's closed and it doesn't run on my iRiver H10 20 GB. I tried to patch under Cygwin and VMware but it told me that some HUNKS had failed. This is because it's old and doesn't fit to current rockbox builds, am I right? Maybe somebody knows what to do to make it running... Or maybe there is some other patch with this feature that I couldn't find... If somebody wants to make it I would be very thankful  

[bascule]

That patch significantly pre-dates the Tag Cache functionality and seems to have very similar functionality.

With the ability to write custom menus, I think Tag Cache should be able to do whatever that patch was designed for...

Is there anything the the current Tag Cache functionality doesn't do for you?

[inrobert]

Is there anything the the current Tag Cache functionality doesn't do for you?

As far as I know Tag Cache can't use directories names. My idea of browsing files is the same as I used to use in foobar2000 Album List. I see directories names and in these directories I see file names without extensions or id3 tag information (title - artist) if present. So if Tag Cache could use directory names I think it would be fine. Please tell me if there is some way to get such a view as I have described.

[bascule]

Well, you're correct, Tag Cache can't use directory names at all.

I would say your best workaround solution (other than just using Tag Cache, which is excellent if your files are well tagged) is to use the 'Supported' file view setting which hides extensions for known filetypes and then use MP3Tag to rename your files from their tags in the format you are looking for (title - artist).

[inrobert]

Well, you're correct, Tag Cache can't use directory names at all.

I would say your best workaround solution (other than just using Tag Cache, which is excellent if your files are well tagged) is to use the 'Supported' file view setting which hides extensions for known filetypes and then use MP3Tag to rename your files from their tags in the format you are looking for (title - artist).

Unfortunately, this is not as good as using directories and and tags because you can't have some characters in the file name (for example: " : / \).

[lowlight]

As far as I know Tag Cache can't use directories names. My idea of browsing files is the same as I used to use in foobar2000 Album List. I see directories names and in these directories I see file names without extensions or id3 tag information (title - artist) if present. So if Tag Cache could use directory names I think it would be fine. Please tell me if there is some way to get such a view as I have described.

Not sure I really understand what you want, but you can display the current directory at the top of the file list with this option:
General Settings > File Fiew > Show Path

[bascule]

Unfortunately, this is not as good as using directories and and tags because you can't have some characters in the file name (for example: " ' : / \).

I did say it was a 'workaround' solution

You haven't really explained why you are not keen on using Tag Cache, but that would be much easier than fixing up a two year-old patch to work with the current code. I think you are stuck unless someone fixes the patch.

[bascule]

Not sure I really understand what you want, but you can display the current directory at the top of the file list with this option:
General Settings > File Fiew > Show Path

What inrobert wants is to browse folders using the file tree, but displaying ID3 tag derived track information for the files  

[inrobert]

You haven't really explained why you are not keen on using Tag Cache

Using directories is more flexible and comfortable for me.

I think you are stuck unless someone fixes the patch.

Yeah... Or maybe there will be possibility to use directories in Tag Cache. I can even see such a feature request on Tag Cache wiki site: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/DataBase#Feature_requests. It says "#  Ability to browse by directory in conjunction with tag browsing (to allow standard access to music and playlists). " Maybe this is something I am thinking about. I'm not sure but I think this is quite easy to add a directory tag which could be used in  tagnavi.config.

[bascule]

You haven't really explained why you are not keen on using Tag Cache

Using directories is more flexible and comfortable for me.

OK, well maybe if you explained what your folder structure looks like, we could determine whether or not it could be functionally recreated in Tag Cache.

Most people use a folder structure using roughly the same information as files are tagged with, so if your structure is comprised of any of the following elements or parts of them (i.e., Tag Cache can be set up to browse artists by initial letter then by full name) then your folders could probably be replicated:

title
filename
artist     
album     
genre   
composer 
year 
tracknumber

I appreciate I'm sounding a bit like a Tag Cache fanboy here, but I really think it could do what you want with a bit of work, unless your folder tree is very unusually structured...

[inrobert]

I think my directories names are similar to album artist tag.
For example foobar2000 displays the \Howard Shore\ directory and inside it I can see individual songs (title - artist derived from filename or id3 tags):
Evenstar - Howard Shore featuring Isabel Bayrakdarian
Forth Eorlingas - Howard Shore featuring Ben Del Maestro
Foundations Of Stone - Howard Shore
Gollum's Song - Howard Shore (performed by Emiliana Torrini)
Isengard Unleashed - Howard Shore featuring Elizebeth Fraser & Ben Del Maestro

or \Bryan Adams\
All For Love - Bryan Adams (with Rod Stewart and Sting)
Back To You - Bryan Adams
Can't Stop This Thing We Started - Bryan Adams
Cloud Number Nine - Bryan Adams
Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? - Bryan Adams
Heaven - Bryan Adams
Here I Am - Bryan Adams
I'm Ready - Bryan Adams
On A Day Like Today - Bryan Adams
Please Forgive Me - Bryan Adams
Run To You - Bryan Adams
Summer Of '69 - Bryan Adams
The Best Of Me - Bryan Adams
When You're Gone - Bryan Adams (feat. Mel C)

or \Ian Gillan\
Loving On Borrowed Time - Ian Gillan featuring Steve Morse and Uli Jon Roth
No Laughing In Heaven - Ian Gillan featuring Roger Glover and Ian Paice
Smoke On The Water (promo) - Ian Gillan

or \Myslovitz\
Good Day My Angel - Myslovitz (śpiewa Ian Harris)
Good day my angel - Myslovitz
Kraków - Myslovitz vs. Marek Grechuta & Anawa

or \Yugoton\
Gdy miasto śpi (snem kamiennym) - Yugoton & Kasia Nosowska
Malcziki - Yugoton & Kazik
Rzadko widuję cię z dziewczętami - Yugoton & Kasia Nosowska & Paweł Kukiz
W sercu miasta - Yugoton & Grzegorz Nawrocki

[bascule]

OK, now I understand. Actually what you are doing is not browsing directories at all, it is browsing a 'virtual' folder tree and that is functionally identical to Tag Cache. However, Tag Cache does not support the 'Album Artist' tag (assuming that's how yours are displayed).

So in your example using Tag Cache (also assuming the Artist name you are displaying comes from the Artist tag) then the following would all be separate artists:

Howard Shore
Howard Shore featuring Isabel Bayrakdarian
Howard Shore featuring Ben Del Maestro
Howard Shore (performed by Emiliana Torrini)
Howard Shore featuring Elizebeth Fraser & Ben Del Maestro
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams (with Rod Stewart and Sting)
Bryan Adams (feat. Mel C)

etc...

Without retagging 'Bryan Adams (feat. Mel C)' to plain 'Bryan Adams' you are out of luck with Tag Cache, unless you are willing to try one of the workarounds. It will be worth reading the following threads on the subject if you're still interested...
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=7367.0
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=3192.0

[Rincewind]

That's exactly the point why I don't use TagCache at the moment. Without Album Artist everything is messed up because of Compilations ans stuff like that.
And I don't like converting tags everytime I put music on the player.

[bascule]

Each to their own on this one, I guess

[inrobert]

Can developers say when they are going to add album artist or directory name to the Tag Cache? I was thinking of this kind of workaround that bascule has mentioned in this topic: http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=7367.0 but maybe there's no time to rush, maybe this useful feature will be added soon (please ).