How to add or remove a tag from multiple files, leaving the other tags intact.

[hiccup]

@hiccup, maybe it's worth to update the preset's installation instruction, considering that there are "import"/"export" buttons in ASR window already for a long time?

done

[boroda]

how to install the preset:

• open AT&RT's 'Advanced Search & Replace' panel
• click the 'Import…' button and navigate to the downloaded preset
• click 'Save All & Close'
• close/restart MusicBee

minor correction: italicized steps are not actually required to use imported presets (saving presets can be done at any time, or not done at all. mb restart is not required in any case).

[hiccup]

minor correction: italicized steps are not actually required to use imported presets (saving presets can be done at any time, or not done at all.

After importing a preset, the plugin will require some acknowledging of 'saving'.
My intuitive preference would be to save the change immediately after importing a preset.
Same as MusicBee has 'Apply' buttons where you can save changes and leave a panel open.
But with AT&RT the 'Apply' button is greyed out in this case.
Perhaps it should be available after importing a preset?

(the 'restart MB' part was removed)

[boroda]

hmm, "apply" (and "preview") button is enabled if some preset is selected. "apply" becomes enabled for me after i select imported preset.

isn't it the case for you?

[hiccup]

hmm, "apply" (and "preview") button is enabled if some preset is selected. "apply" becomes enabled for me after i select imported preset.

I think it functions awkward.
When you have imported a preset, a warning triangle shows that you have unsaved changes.
Your impulse would be to then simply press 'save' or 'apply'.
But those are not available.
I see that after you then select the presets panel, the 'apply' button does become available, but when you click it it will say 'no files selected'.

There is a lot of "computer says no" going on here ;-)

[boroda]

When you have imported a preset, a warning triangle shows that you have unsaved changes.
Your impulse would be to then simply press 'save' or 'apply'.

yes, "unsaved" mark means that if you simply close ASR window (by clicking "cross" title bar button or "close" button), and answer "don't save changes" in the following dialog, then you will lose all changes (including new imported presets). but you still can use changed or new/imported presets without saving them (until you close ASR window). i don't see what is "awkward" here.

"apply" and "preview" buttons have nothing to do with saving presets. don't confuse applying preset ("saving" preset results) and saving new/changed preset definitions.

But those are not available.

which ones? "save & close" button is always enabled. "apply" and "preview" buttons are only enabled if some preset is selected (otherwise it's not clear, which preset must be applied). again, "availability" of "preview"/"apply" buttons has nothing to do with any preset creation/deletion/importing/installing/etc. the only requirement is that some preset must be selected.

I see that after you then select the presets panel, the 'apply' button does become available, but when you click it it will say 'no files selected'.

hmm, should ASR just guess, which tracks it must apply preset to, if no tracks are selected?

There is a lot of "computer says no" going on here ;-)

hiccup, i very respect you, but i really don't catch your point. would you like the ASR guess for you what do you want to do in all these cases?

[hiccup]

which ones? "save & close" button is always enabled. "apply" and "preview" buttons are only enabled if some preset is selected (otherwise it's not clear, which preset must be applied)

My whole point here is simply about the process of importing a preset, and making (being) sure that AT&RT has saved that new entry.

In MusicBee, when you have changed a setting, you can always press 'Apply', and you can be confident the new setting was stored. (the panel still opened to do other things)
When you have entered a new virtual tag, you can simply press 'Save', and you can be confident it has been stored.

With AT&RT there is an (in my opinion) unintuitive mix between when an how 'things' are saved.
The 'save' and 'apply' buttons are intertwined and dependent on if there have been possible changes to files.

The howto of this specific tips&tricks thread would be much more simpler if it could just say:
- press 'Import' to find and import the new preset.
- press 'save' so it is stored in AT&RT

Everybody would understand that. And to me it just seems the logical way.
Your explanation of how this all currently works is far more complicated and will not be clear to new users.

(it also makes me insecure, which is probably the reason why I still often decide to restart MB after having made any changes to AT&RT. Just to be sure)

[boroda]

In MusicBee, when you have changed a setting, you can always press 'Apply', and you can be confident the new setting was stored. (the panel still opened to do other things)
When you have entered a new virtual tag, you can simply press 'Save', and you can be confident it has been stored.

ok. i can change the wording of "apply" button name to, say, "proceed". it won't be better, but it will be consistent with mb native term conventions.

With AT&RT there is an (in my opinion) unintuitive mix between when an how 'things' are saved.
The 'save' and 'apply' buttons are intertwined and dependent on if there have been possible changes to files.

no, "save" saves all new/changed preset definitions to settings file, "apply" applies current (saved or not) preset to tracks. i can add tool tips to "save all & close" and "apply" buttons, if this is unintuitive (though, i'm surprised of this).

The howto of this specific tips&tricks thread would be much more simpler if it could just say:
- press 'Import' to find and import the new preset.
- press 'save' so it is stored in AT&RT

and this is completely correct description in case a user is not going to apply imported presets immediately. just, it's not worth to write that clicking "save & close" button (closing ASR!) is required. earlier, ASR had the button "save all" along with "save all & close", i had to remove this button due to a lack of space in the ASR window. maybe I did it for nothing.

(it also makes me insecure, which is probably the reason why I still often decide to restart MB after having made any changes to AT&RT. Just to be sure)

you are wrong in this statement because saving presets from ASR (and without restarting the mb/plugin) immediately writes the latest preset definitions to files. it has no disadvantages compared to restarting mb/plugin.

-----------------

p.s. it's wrong topic to discuss such aspects of ASR implementation. i think you now understand how ASR works with respect to importing presets. and of course, it's up to you if it's worth updating the first post again or not.

[hiccup]

i think you now understand how ASR works with respect to importing presets. and of course, it's up to you if it's worth updating the first post again or not.

I think I understood before, but I just didn't agree on how it works ;-)

I'm gonna leave it at this.
Users will have to learn and understand that the plugin does things like this a bit differently from MusicBee itself.
Not a big problem.

PS
If anyone would like to continue this matter, as suggested by boroda: please do so on the Additional Tagging & Reporting Tools board.

[dannylee11]

Can you explain what this error message is?  I've been trying to add a new genre tag to the existing ones, on multiple songs at a time, but keep running into this error:

MusicBee v3.3.7491.38139P  (Win10.0), 12 Oct 2023 19:23:

System.ArgumentException: Illegal characters in path.
   at System.Security.Permissions.FileIOPermission.EmulateFileIOPermissionChecks(String fullPath)
   at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost)
   at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share)
   at MusicBeePlugin.AdvancedSearchAndReplaceCommand.Preset.savePreset(String pathName)
   at MusicBeePlugin.AdvancedSearchAndReplaceCommand.saveSettings()
   at MusicBeePlugin.AdvancedSearchAndReplaceCommand.buttonSaveClose_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

[phred]

Can you explain what this error message is?

The error is being thrown by the Additional Tagging and Reporting Plugin's Advanced Search and Replace module. More than likely because you're using a newer version of the plugin which requires the latest v3.5 of MB and you're using a very old version. Since you're using the Portable version, download and install the latest 3.5 patch (see my signature below) and you should be all set. If not, post the issue on the thread for the plugin. This section is really only for Tips & Tricks (no questions please.)

[dannylee11]

Can you explain what this error message is?

The error is being thrown by the Additional Tagging and Reporting Plugin's Advanced Search and Replace module. More than likely because you're using a newer version of the plugin which requires the latest v3.5 of MB and you're using a very old version. Since you're using the Portable version, download and install the latest 3.5 patch (see my signature below) and you should be all set. If not, post the issue on the thread for the plugin. This section is really only for Tips & Tricks (no questions please.)

This worked!  Thank you so much for the time you put into this, this helps me more than you can even know!  I'll save year's worth of time and effort with this. 

[phred]

This worked!  Thank you so much for the time you put into this, this helps me more than you can even know!  I'll save year's worth of time and effort with this.

Glad to hear that.

It's always a good idea to keep MB updated as Steven is frequently issuing bug fixes and improvements. And since it's so easy to update the Portable version, there's no reason not too.

Go enjoy the year's worth of time you just gained.   :-)

[hiccup]

Thank you so much for the time you put into this, this helps me more than you can even know!  I'll save year's worth of time and effort with this.

Glad to hear that.
Go enjoy the year's worth of time you just gained.   :-)

I wouldn't be too surprised if that part of the quote was intended to refer to the creation/creator of this Tip & Trick   ;-)

[phred]

I wouldn't be too surprised if that part of the quote was intended to refer to the creation/creator of this Tip & Trick   ;-)

I like to think it was directed at the entire MB community.  :-)