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Topic: Undo tagging operations (Read 8532 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #25
And for the record :
I said [context / now playing], not just [context]. Which in turn would mean regardless of what is focused, the shortcut would apply to the currently playing track only. Which according to your description of 'tagging files when they are being played' would be perfect.
... no, it wouldn't. Quite often I want to tag a file just by selecting it and pressing a hotkey, without it being played.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #26
I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up enough. I would love this feature too even if that means a component based method of doing-so. I'm with wcs13 when dealing with many tracks it's impossible to not make a mistake. Whether the mistake was you thought the select-all or CTRL-A function for the current playlist is the album list you wanted to re-edit or it was your 50,000 track library and all of them now have the same Artist Name = YIKES!

I don't know what's the reason to not have foobar2000 not have a function to undo tag changes especially with a great history support for that matter, too. Again, Foobar2000 needs this safety function feature and not more anymore aesthetic ones.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #27
I don't know what's the reason to not have foobar2000 not have a function to undo tag.

That's easy, most people don't have issues with the problem you're describing and/or have preventive measures in place to help with such problems (backups). This seems to be a niche fringe request imho and considering the response in this thread you shouldn't expect anyone to jump in and make something and dedicate their time to it.


Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #29
Sure Porcus, that would be a nice workaround... in the meantime, while hoping for a real solution. :)

Just imagine Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and about 90+% of current software, without an "undo" function.
Thank God the developers of all those apps didn't think that "undo" would be a "niche fringe request" !
They didn't poll their user base asking if that would be useful. They just assumed it would be.
And actually I'm pretty sure that half of the planet was impressed the day the "undo" function was invented.

You know, nowadays there are "good developing practices". Like having a clear and efficient code, etc..
I'm pretty sure that having an "undo" function is one of those "good developing practices". Something that users simply "expect" to find in any half-good software. And fb2k is more than just a "half-good" software. It's a damn good piece of software !
Except for that "undo" function.

But don't trust me : I'm not a developer, which means that I know absolutely nothing about anything in the world. ;p

I'm just a guy who likes to think that he sometimes has good ideas, is all.
But funny thing, I've rarely seen one of my arguably good ideas be adopted by a developer in rational terms.
More often, I've seen them be discarded by developers in irrational terms.

Like "if it doesn't exist, it's because people use software in a different way".
Sure, people walked before the wheel was invented. People used boats before planes were invented. But was that a reason NOT to invent wheels and planes ?

Or like (and this is the best irrational argument ever) "why don't you do it yourself ?"
Well, maybe because it's actually NOT my job to be a developer ? What if I was, say, a nuclear physicist working @ LHC ? Why wouldn't you come and try to do MY job for a change ?

Truth be said, those things have more to do with some developers' EGO than with rationality and pragmatism. I've seen a lot of devs develop stuff because it helped themselves, rather than developing stuff because it would help a lot of other people. I'm not saying all devs are alike. I'm just saying some of them are. And that is a hard truth.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #30
Just imagine Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and about 90+% of current software, without an "undo" function.
They are applications used to create. Then you need undo, and you want multiple undo levels (and you want multiple clipboard elements ... damn Microsoft).

For a DAW, (multiple) undo would be essential. A media player has a different scope. In fb2k you can surely undo before saving, but that is all.

That said, I would have welcomed an undo for not only tagging, but for moving files.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #31
Or like (and this is the best irrational argument ever) "why don't you do it yourself ?"
Well, maybe because it's actually NOT my job to be a developer ?
Job? Shouldn't job be paid? If job is not paid you can't call it "job".

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #32
Just a question. But have you ever had any of your suggestions being taken on by someone here resulting in a working component? You said you've rarely seen one of your ideas be adopted so that would insinuate at least one.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #33
I've seen a lot of devs develop stuff because it helped themselves, rather than developing stuff because it would help a lot of other people. I'm not saying all devs are alike. I'm just saying some of them are. And that is a hard truth.
It's not a hard truth, it's how this world works. People should take care of themselves and not expect others to do something for them for free.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #34
Truth be said, those things have more to do with some developers' EGO than with rationality and pragmatism. I've seen a lot of devs develop stuff because it helped themselves, rather than developing stuff because it would help a lot of other people. I'm not saying all devs are alike. I'm just saying some of them are. And that is a hard truth.

It's no one's job to do anything for foobar2000.  (But I'm thankful when they choose to.)  That's just why I, as a dev, don't want to get paid directly for dev work.  Then I don't owe anyone anything and I can work on the things that seem most useful to me based on reports from the field and not based on demands from people that act like they feel entitled.  When you are doing something because you want to, you make a lot more progress and do a better job than doing things because someone demands it.  As a dev I want to make the users of my software/hardware happy, but when people act like they feel entitled I ignore them: life is too short to deal with jerks.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #35
Guys, please. Let's leave "how to deal with jerks philisophy discussion" and other off-topics.

Once I also started thread requesting exactly this option - additional "undo-redo" level when editing tags. I am also sometimes annoyed, that after multiple edits on multiple tracks selection, one wrong edit causes that I have to cancel everything and start over. I suggested that instead Ctrl-Z and Ctrl-Y keys there could be Undo and Redo buttons added in Properties Window - in case usage of shortcuts would somehow interfere with contents of current operation stack, so there could be separate one, controlled only with buttons and independent of the existing one.
I would consider this as just feature proposal for another major release of foobar - like 1.5 or something.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #36
Far what it's worth, I also think an "Undo" button for tagging operations would be a useful feature.  I can think of a few times that it would have saved me a lot of time and trouble.   Not a "make or break" issue obviously, but I'd give the suggestion a +1.

And no, it's not something I could or would try to do myself.


Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #38
I'm glad people seem to agree that the suggested idea is indeed a GOOD idea. That is the only thing that should matter.

They are applications used to create
To create AND to modify. You modify texts, images, sheets, etc.. And for that you need "undo" too.
In foobar you can also create (custom tags for instance). And you can modify (move files, modify tags...). So you need "undo" too.

have you ever had any of your suggestions being taken on by someone here [...]
As a matter of fact, YES :
  • Some of my suggestions over the last 10-12 years have made their way into foobar itself. Feel free to find them, I don't keep track of them. Back in time there was a topic listing feature requests, but that was a long time ago.
  • Some other feature requests have made their way into several existing components (last one was into Waveform Minibar I think).
  • My last feature request was about one month ago (for a %codec_video% tag with relevant info for video files, since the current %codec% tag doesn't work in that case). Peter answered me that it was noted and could make its way into one of the next releases.
You're welcome.

I have ideas, then I suggest them. I don't care about people liking me or not. I'm naive enough to think that if my ideas are good enough, they will make their way into foobar or its components, regardless of the guy who suggested them in the first place.

People should take care of themselves and not expect others to do something for them for free.
I'm not "expecting" something. I am just "requesting" something (like in "Feature Request" ;) ), in case some nice guy would be willing to do it, that's all. When I talked about "jobs", it was only to emphasize that developing is NOT my job. Which doesn't imply that every dev out there should be forced to do it or something. It simply meant that I definitely can't/won't do it.
Actually the only thing I "expect" is for people to be smart enough NOT to answer me "why don't you do it yourself". You may like an idea or not, but at least don't be stupid to the point of telling "why don't you do it yourself" to the guy who asked. If the guy who asked could/would do it himself, he wouldn't have created a topic, would he ?

Now let's try to get back on topic, and hope that some fb2k dev considers this feature "useful". Which it is, apparently.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #39
As a matter of fact, YES :
  • Some of my suggestions over the last 10-12 years have made their way into foobar itself. Feel free to find them, I don't keep track of them. Back in time there was a topic listing feature requests, but that was a long time ago.
  • Some other feature requests have made their way into several existing components (last one was into Waveform Minibar I think).
  • My last feature request was about one month ago (for a %codec_video% tag with relevant info for video files, since the current %codec% tag doesn't work in that case). Peter answered me that it was noted and could make its way into one of the next releases.
You're welcome.

Amazing, so it seems you're the preeminent "suggester" then? It's a good thing developers have you to have a job so you won't have to do it because it's not your job. But you're right, back on topic so a friendly dev can help so you can have this very useful feature you want.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #40
@jazzthieve , you really have a way of making completely useless comments. Keep going.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #41
Thanks, depends on the person I'm talking to. But remember, let's keep it on topic.  8)

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #42
Just a question. But have you ever had any of your suggestions being taken on by someone here resulting in a working component? You said you've rarely seen one of your ideas be adopted so that would insinuate at least one.

Amazing, so it seems you're the preeminent "suggester" then?

But remember, let's keep it on topic.  8)

Isn't this ... "enough"?
It was a honest request from the OP.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #43
You misspelled "demand".
Nuff said indeed.

Re: Undo tagging operations

Reply #44
What about trying the following:
- Use either the external tags component (in 0.9 version) or the M-TAGS component.
- Use Windows' file versioning / file history on those external tags files.

Dirty job if you just changed thousands, but ...

They both seem to have the same purpose and the only difference is extension/format of output file(s). For instance, foo_external_tags is about 4-lines of code vs. foo_tags which is similar to html where a new line is another tag for each track all separated by braces. AFIK, none of them are generated automatically. Here's how you try them out by generating the respective component's output file:

GENERATE AN "EXTERNAL TAG" OUTPUT (how to use foo_external_tags)
Code: [Select]
Selection of file(s) -> Context Menu Right-Click -> Tagging -> External Tags -> OK
GENERATE AN
"M-TAG" OUTPUT (how to use foo_tags)
Code: [Select]
Selection of file(s) -> Context Menu Right-Click -> Tagging -> Created m-TAGS file (to dir) -> OK

From my initial test run I prefer the efficiency of M-tags because it looks like it's meant to be a single file for your whole entire library while External Tags is the same directory for each individual track as the track name using it's extension (which can get messy real quick). Because none of them are generated automatically it's hard to know for sure if it's helpful and if i'm going to keep a backup of my generated output files for tags from either of the two components I think it's best to use M-Tags; aka, foo_tags for that matter. I think where M-Tags will fall short is when you change a filename but it's still in the same directory but unable to fetch any data because of the now ignored filename due to it changing. While External Tags; aka, foo_external_tags outputs to the same directory as the track so maybe you can tediously choose the file you want to copy tags from in the worst case scenario.

My thoughts are still baffled on how to maintain between the two tag-backup components in cases of changing directory of file and/or changing name of file. Then when the worst has happened where you need to rely on these backups it's a very tedious process of manually doing so as per track!

I would love to know if I'm not understanding this correctly  :o