Author Topic: Add the .ext field to the Set Displayed Columns list  (Read 1639 times)

nu417bee

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I'd like to store audio files with a variety of file formats under the same artist-album structure and then use the column browser to isolate only those files with a particular format. This would be a big help for fine tuning the tags in the library and seeing at a glance whether songs have been converted into specific formats. I use WAVs for making CDs, WMAs for use in my vehicle sound systems, MP3s for other things etc

psychoadept

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Hi, welcome to the forum!

I thought this was already available, but if not try the Kind field instead. If you want to get really fancy, you could use highlighting rules (tags 2 preferences) to make different formats show up in different colors in the UI
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sveakul

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Yes, this is already available:  Right-click panel header-->Set Displayed Fields, then look at "Other Fields" on the left;  ".Ext" is the second choice of the lot.  Just drag it over to "Selected fields" on the right.

nu417bee

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As a newbie, I stumble over the nomenclature. Sorry. Let me illustrate my issue.


When I click the Configure Layout icon next to the search box with the column browser showing under the MUSIC tab, a drop down menu appears that contains a Column Browser option. Taking that option, another menu opens to the right with Horizontal and Hide Panel as the top and bottom entries, respectively.  If I click Horizontal, a 3-column panel appears above the multi-column browser panel below.  If I click Hide Panel, this 3-column panel disappears. Returning to selecting Horizontal in this menu, the 3-column panel reappears. This is the panel that I wish to customize by adding the ".ext" field. When I right-click on the row that shows the 3 fields that I can select and sort by, a menu containing a Set Displayed Columns appears. Selecting this option, I am presented with Common Fields and Other Fields on the left side and Selected Fields on the right side. There is no ".ext" field among the Common Fields and Other Fields for me to move to the Selected Fields option. So I cannot get the .ext" field as one of my 3 fields that I can select and sort by. As I indicated in my original post, this is something I would very much like to do.

Can anyone describe the steps I can take to achieve this?
Thank you for your help.

hiccup

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For tags that are (currently) not available for the column browser you can become a little bit creative:

Create a virtual tag that retrieves the value that you want, and then select that virtual tag to display in the column browser.
In your case: create a virtual tag with the formula $RSplit(<URL>,.,1) and give it a name of your choosing (e.g. "Type")
Then select that tag name for a column in the column browser.

nu417bee

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Thank you hiccup! Never thought I'd be programming in Musicbee when I barely know how to use it, but I basically understand what you're saying and it's "game on".

nu417bee

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I have no idea what the parameters of that formula represent, but IT WORKED! Thanks again.

hiccup

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I have no idea what the parameters of that formula represent, but IT WORKED! Thanks again.

It's not that complicated when you get accustomed with these formulas a bit.

$RSplit(<URL>,.,1)

This formula will look for the first dot starting from the right (the 'R' in Split) in the whole filename (the <URL>), and then split and display everything on the right side of that dot.

So the url: blablabla.mp3 will end up as: mp3
If you would change the 1 to 2, you get: blablabla

If you are triggered to explore what you can do with virtual formulas this is a good start:
https://musicbee.fandom.com/wiki/Functions

Have fun!