A revamp of the search tool?

[jistme]

Currently the 'search' option in MusicBee has two methods to use it.
Either you can type a string in the search field and MB will do an instant search (depending on currently ticked fields), or you can use custom search.

To be honest, both are not very satisfying or practical to me.

The first option has the major disadvantage that it's a little cumbersome to use if your 'search behavior' varies.
If e.g. the last time you searched for a track from a certain artist, and the next time for a soloist performing a movement from a certain composer, it takes many mouse clicks since the drop down menu will disappear every time you clicked something to make an adjustment, and you'll have to open the search menu again, and find and click the next field, etc. etc.
Also you'll almost always have to check the correct settings the next time doing a search.

The custom search is very extensive and advanced, but is also very specific in remembering exactly the last search settings including the input fields. Maybe I'm missing something, but how common would it be to search for exactly the same a next time?

My request is to have some revamp of the search tool.
Two things I personally would like a lot would be:

1. A pop-up search window with a complete overview of searchable fields, with none, or as less as possible scrolling or submenus, where you can 'check' and 'uncheck' the required fields. This window also shouldn't close immediately after each and every search selection made, but only after pressing the 'Search' button. (and probably a 'Cancel' button)

2. The possibility to create some custom searches for different purposes.
    E.g. sometimes you'll want to search for a track by a certain artist or album artist, other times for a performer (custom tag) doing a work (custom tag) from a certain composer.
It would be very nice to have some presets with the required tags already ticked, but leaving the input field open for new input.    

Thoughts, suggestions, better ideas?

[Zak]

#1: Isn't that what right-clicking on the Magnifying glass button already does? 

[jistme]

#1: Isn't that what right-clicking on the Magnifying glass button already does?  

I'll make the wording of that line a little clearer, so the intention is understood without having closely read the introduction to my wish ;-)

[greenday1987]

Maybe do a mockup so we can get a clear idea of what you want?

[Zak]

Not my thread, but maybe something like the Tagging Filters, so it's always there at the top of the screen if you want it.

eg

[jistme]

Maybe do a mockup so we can get a clear idea of what you want?

Sure,

I'm thinking about something like this:





Since you'll often know two attributes of what you are searching for (e.g. song and artist), I think it would be nice two have two separate entry fields.
The check boxes left and right determine in what fields the two separate entries will search.

So the first example would be used when searching for "Sympathy for the Devil" by "The Rolling Stones"
the second when searching for "Andreas Scholl" performing "Stabat Mater"

And just a few presets added to save the fields to select from, and an 'advanced' button to bring you to the existing advanced custom search with regex/contains/doesn't contain/ends with, etc. etc.

 
 

[lnminente]

What about merging track browser and the search bar? I think track browser has a lot of potential and is the area which can be most improved now in MB.
By the way the actual search box is still not working for me: http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=8049.msg46610

[Zak]

Maybe do a mockup so we can get a clear idea of what you want?

Sure,

I'm thinking about something like this:

As is, your mockup actually makes it more difficult than the custom search that already exists.

For the first example:



would give the same results.

[jistme]

We may differ on 'difficult' and 'user friendly'.

Suppose you have tuned custom search to your liking, e.g. changing 'is' to 'contains' for most cases, and adding fields you might regularly use.

When you then have something like this:

Then searching for 'devil' & 'stones' will get you 0 results.

You'll first have to remove the fields you don't want searched, and then hit 'search' again. Then it will be found.
Have fun doing this every time for a new search...

There are 'remembered' custom searches, but showing them up like this is not very user friendly in my opinion:


I am not saying my initial mock-up is the perfect 'solution to all', but there are some ideas in it that would really be helpful and solve some problems with the current search capabilities of MB.

Maybe the solution is not simply adding 'my' search panel to the current options, but maybe streamlining and improving the current custom search is a better way to go.
Anyway, I feel it can and should be improved.

 

[Zak]

If the bug that lnminente linked to earlier was fixed, finding "Sympathy for the Devil" by "The Rolling Stones" would only require typing "sym dev stones" into a single text box (assuming it was set to search at least Title and Artist). In this case, separately specifying that Title should contain "sym" and Title should contain "dev" and Artist should contain "Stones" is overkill.

I don't keep nor tag classical music, so I'm not well versed in the intricacies of tagging tracks with composer, conductor, soloist etc, but I don't see that it really changes how a search works. It's still just searching for values in tags. For your second example, if you were to type "scholl stabat" into the same search box I've described above I imagine you'd get the same result as if you'd specified Soloist should contain "scholl" and Work should contain "stabat" (again assuming you were searching those fields).

Providing for custom-named searches would simplify this further for searches that are performed often.

A little more obscure, but the above could also be implemented with a SQL/Winampy style query string such as "title has sym and title has dev and artist has stones". More typing, but still more efficient than the type-click-click-click-type-click-click-click-type-click-click-click required with lots of drop-down menus and checkboxes. Much easier to store as a preset too.

[jistme]

separately specifying that Title should contain "sym" and Title should contain "dev" and Artist should contain "Stones" is overkill.

No it wouldn't be. 'sym' would also give symphony, symbiosis etc. etc.
How about searching for a certain track from the band called 'The The'.
My suggestion would make it easy to define what fields are searched with what terms.
Classical is indeed another challenge, but I can understand if you are not too concerned about that.

While I truly appreciate you giving this thought and taking the time and effort to reply, you are mainly advocating that the way it is currently implemented is working to your satisfaction. Noticed as such.

[Zak]

separately specifying that Title should contain "sym" and Title should contain "dev" and Artist should contain "Stones" is overkill.

No it wouldn't be. 'sym' would also give symphony, symbiosis etc. etc.

By itself "sym" would include symphonies and wouldn't be very useful. That's why you specify all three terms to quickly narrow it down to the one track. The search requires all three terms to be found, not any one of them.

How about searching for a certain track from the band called 'The The'.
My suggestion would make it easy to define what fields are searched with what terms.

Generally, something like this would be implemented by supporting search phrases surrounded by quotes: "The The"

Besides, it's already possible to search for tracks where the artist is "The The". We're getting side-tracked from your original request which is to make it easier to repeat the task without resetting options each time.

While I truly appreciate you giving this thought and taking the time and effort to reply, you are mainly advocating that the way it is currently implemented is working to your satisfaction. Noticed as such.

I'm really not, which is why I made a mockup of how I had interpreted your initial request and have since suggested alternative searching methods after your mockup made it clear mine wasn't sufficiently precise enough. If I'm advocating anything, it's that a revamped search tool that does everything you have asked for doesn't need to be overtly complicated.

FWIW, I've tagged every track to within an inch of its life, so the track browser is where it's at for me - I rarely use the search feature at all. 

[jistme]

I rarely use the search feature at all.  

Let's continue with suggestions on improving 'search', or just silence me to death or hit me with a few "-1"'s and I'll shut-up ;-)

[ma_t14]

Here is my take on this.

First, I would prefer the drop-down to stay open indefinitely as long as the search box is active. Why would you want to open the dropdown, select fields, close it (and repeat) each time? It seems kinda counter intuitive.

Second, I strongly believe that if Steven implements "cross-field" search for selected fields (not only for the "all fields" option), as Inminente suggested, most of your problems will be solved. While it might sound as a good idea in theory, to be able to save search presets, cross-field search would be much quicker in practice. From your example, you would just write the name of the performer and the name of the composer and you would probably find what you want very quickly. Ideally it should act as a filter  (AND statement), and leave the "OR" statement for the custom search. Filtering in my opinion would be more useful for quick searches.

Finally, the ability to completely or partially customize the order of the fields in the dropdown to suit your needs (e.g. put your most used fields first or somewhere where they are always visible) would be very helpful as well.

Nevertheless, I understand that having presets would be useful to some people..

[lnminente]

I really like and miss how the search box works in WMP. Here a help page: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/How-do-I-perform-advanced-searches-in-Windows-Media-Player.

One of my first wishes here was copying some ideas from it: http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=4968.0

( BTW, the bug i mentioned still persist for me. I'm using the version 2.1.4756 )