Author Topic: Auto-save settings & database option  (Read 18428 times)

redwing

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Would be great if there was an option to auto-save database to prevent losing edits and changes from an unexpected closure of MB for whatever reasons, something like the following mockup:



[edit]

Probably "Auto-save settings and database every xx minutes" option would be more useful (under "General" section instead of "Library" section of preferences). See romney_yw's post from Reply #9.
Last Edit: February 06, 2015, 06:30:51 AM by redwing

psychoadept

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+1, especially the Now Playing queue.
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phred

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Yes, this would be useful.
+1
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Remon1944

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Zak

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+1, especially the Now Playing queue.
Isn't the Now Playing queue just saved as a special playlist in the MusicBee folder?
I'd have thought it would already be saved immediately as changes were made to it.  ???
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psychoadept

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+1, especially the Now Playing queue.
Isn't the Now Playing queue just saved as a special playlist in the MusicBee folder?
I'd have thought it would already be saved immediately as changes were made to it.  ???

If it is, it's not reloaded after a crash.  I always end up where I was the last time MB started.
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c-Row

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+1

Though I would suggest the option to save it to an alternate file instead just in case you accidentally change tags on a huge number of tracks so you'd have a backup. Properly closing MB would save all changes to the real database instead.

redwing

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in case you accidentally change tags on a huge number of tracks so you'd have a backup.

In that case, you will need to run "undo" command right away within the same session. Since the changes would be already saved to files, I doubt there's a remedy once MB is closed down (as it will update database reading modified files at startup).

romney_yw

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I recently had to re-do quite a lot of changes to Configure Toolbar and Playing Track - Displayed Tabs following an unexpected shutdown http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=15019.0 as I was unaware that the changes I made had not been saved immediately.

A flag to show that there are unsaved changes (colour change in the caption bar for example), plus a command to Save Configuration would be very useful. Auto-save along the lines described would perhaps be the safest option, though there is still scope for losing any edits made before the next auto-save runs.

If possible, it might be better to ensure that the configuration files are updated immediately when the "Update" or "Save" button on the relevant dialog is clicked, rather than rely on a subsequent auto-save process. I think most dialogs also have a "Cancel" button so that you can back out without saving changes if you change your mind.

Could we be certain that auto-save won't cause other problems (e.g. if it triggers while in the middle of making further changes elsewhere)?

I imagine that this problem might also apply to data items stored only in the MusicBee database, but I have always assumed that data stored in tags is written to the relevant music file(s) immediately the changes are "saved". That said, I believe there are issues if changes are made to tag data while the file is being played? I think the tags are only updated once playing has stopped - but I might be wrong here?

so a slightly qualified +1 from me  - whatever the final technical solution, I think this issue certainly should be resolved.....

find-the-pig

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I had exactly this problems. Startet clean MC scanned all 40.000 Tracks made some Settings -> It crashed -> had to scan everything again.

+1 Would love this Feature :)
greetz find-the-pig

Zak

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I imagine that this problem might also apply to data items stored only in the MusicBee database, but I have always assumed that data stored in tags is written to the relevant music file(s) immediately the changes are "saved". That said, I believe there are issues if changes are made to tag data while the file is being played? I think the tags are only updated once playing has stopped - but I might be wrong here?
That bit is correct.
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redwing

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I recently had to re-do quite a lot of changes to Configure Toolbar and Playing Track - Displayed Tabs following an unexpected shutdown http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=15019.0 as I was unaware that the changes I made had not been saved immediately.

A flag to show that there are unsaved changes (colour change in the caption bar for example), plus a command to Save Configuration would be very useful. Auto-save along the lines described would perhaps be the safest option, though there is still scope for losing any edits made before the next auto-save runs.

If possible, it might be better to ensure that the configuration files are updated immediately when the "Update" or "Save" button on the relevant dialog is clicked, rather than rely on a subsequent auto-save process. I think most dialogs also have a "Cancel" button so that you can back out without saving changes if you change your mind.

I think currently clicking on save button on any dialogs immediately updates relevant settings files. If you had changed the toolbar button coloring option from preferences, instead of from its context menu, and had clicked on save button, the settings file would have been updated right away. Also I don't see much need for a command to save configurations because currently you can exit and relaunch MB with a hotkey that will update not only settings but also database.
But overall this is a good point. Probably "Auto-save settings and database every xx minutes" option would be more useful (under "General" section instead of "Library" section of preferences). I'll add this to the original post. Thanks!

Zak

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Why aren't changes to the database and settings files written to disk straight away, making an auto-save option unnecessary.  ???

MusicBee just makes incremental changes to a database and some XML files so I'm curious as to the rationale for it to wait until the program closes.
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redwing

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Why aren't changes to the database and settings files written to disk straight away, making an auto-save option unnecessary.  ???

MusicBee just makes incremental changes to a database and some XML files so I'm curious as to the rationale for it to wait until the program closes.

That would waste system resources and annoy the user because MB would then have to keep overwriting setting files and database file with almost every edit and adjustment as it has to know the last used configurations and has to keep database in sync with every tag changes made, which would be dreadful especially to people with a huge collection (a large database file).