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Topic: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files (Read 3483 times) previous topic - next topic
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Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Using Default User Interface, I have a YEAR column and a DATE column (for month-day) and have entered that data to over 2,000 WAV and mp3 files.  When I tried with some m4a files, I discovered that the files already had YEAR data entered, but it displayed under the DATE column when added to Playlist. I can change the data to month-day, but the Foobar YEAR column will not write data to the file.  So maybe because the original file already has Year it can't take data from a Foobar column called year?

So I experimented. I created a column called ANNO, and the m4a files accepted the data. Which is fine, but I don't want to go back and move the year data to a new Anno column for 2,000 mp3 and WAV files.

So I wonder if I can rename my YEAR column to ANNO, without losing all the data I've entered? (It took a lot of research hours.)  Because I'm nervous, I'm coming here to ask how to do that.  I think I have to make a change in two places: Preferences/Playlist View/Custom Columns  Year   [%YEAR%] and Preferences/Advanced/Display/Properties dialog/Standard Fields Year=YEAR; The question is, which parts are changed to Anno (or ANNO)?

Or is this idea not going to work?
(Screen shot shows folder with m4a files and properties detail showing Year field, plus Foobar playlist view showing same m4a file Year data displaying in Date column in the top section of the playlist.)
Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

Re: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Reply #1 –
foobar2000 doesn't handle date fields as separate year / month-day / time, but instead as a combined ISO date stamp in the "DATE" field.

Re: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Reply #2 –
Yep, I think I said once already to use ISO date standard in one of the previous threads.

There is no need (that I can think of at least) for two separate fields. Just use DATE field with the proper format (YYYY-MM-DD), and then separate columns for year and month pulled from that.

(Perhaps rohbear misunderstood when I said to add a "Year" column to Facets? -I meant a column, not a field)

Quote from: rohbear on
(Screen shot shows folder with m4a files and properties detail showing Year field [...]

I'm afraid not. Importantly in your screenshot, you have the file properties from Windows Explorer - these are NOT accurate to the actual tags and I would not use it for tagging. The "Year" you see there is pulled from the DATE field, and foobar displays as such.

The foobar right-click track > Properties will tell you exactly what the tags are. (Do not trust Microsoft :-\ )

Unfortunately now you have tagged 2000 files that only creates more work. I would suggest using Masstagger to re-tag the DATE field with YYYY-MM-DD ... if that is what you want, it can combine the fields without losing any data. (It would only take a few seconds)

It would also solve M4A files not accepting YEAR field (not sure what that is about?), because there is no need for a separate YEAR.

Cheers

Re: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Reply #3 –
Thank you both for your responses. Well, the reason I created separate columns for YYYY and MM-DD is so that I can sort on month/day, identifying  all albums released in September, or on a specific day of the month, regardless of year.  If there's a way to do that using a single YYYY-MM-DD column, I'm all ears.   :)

Re: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Reply #4 –
Hey there,

Note: You are talking columns, I'm talking fields - important distinction. To be clear, when I refer to "field" I'm talking about the file tags. (If I'm using that wrong I hope someone will chime in; correct terminology?)

So to recap the above, you only need one DATE tag. From that one tag, you can have a column each for year, month, day. A column can show one tag, part of a tag, or many tags.

What date tags have you changed exactly? Can you maybe screenshot the right-click track > Properties within foobar?

For example you have tags -

YEAR = 1986
DATE = 09-26

- correct?

By the way, about the M4A issue, it looks like they use the same internal tag for DATE and YEAR - if you add a YEAR tag it actually changes DATE. (As shown here with the first two rows under "iTunes MP4"). Therefore it seems you cannot have a separate YEAR tag for that file type. (Again if anyone wants to chime in with specifics or corrections; I'm not familiar with metadata technicalities...)

Cheers

Re: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Reply #5 –
I believe I understand the difference between field and column, at least I hope so.  :)  I freely admit to being a near-ignorant user, though. The struggle is real.

What I didn't realize is that a column can show PART of a field/tag. I have no understanding of how that works, but I believe you.

I wish I could talk to someone on the phone or get a tutor, it might shorten this learning curve. LOL

Anyway, here is the requested screenshot. It's from an mp3 file. When I first added this album to Foobar, the Date column in Playlist had 1999 in it. So I changed that to 8-24 and put 1999 in the Year column.

Based on the above and the screenshot, are there two file tags now (Year and Date), or still just one (Date)?
 

Re: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Reply #6 –
Two tags: TYER for 'Date' and TXXX for 'Year'

Re: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Reply #7 –
Quote from: rohbear on
What I didn't realize is that a column can show PART of a field/tag. I have no understanding of how that works
With title formatting functions. (Help menu > Title Formatting Help). A powerful and overly time consuming range of functions to manipulate text strings and numbers. ;D

Quote
Based on the above and the screenshot, are there two file tags now (Year and Date), or still just one (Date)?
Two. And going back to your earlier question -

Quote from: rohbear on
So I wonder if I can rename my YEAR column to ANNO, without losing all the data I've entered?
Or is this idea not going to work?
It would not work without also having to change the tags for the 2000 odd files. This is why I encourage you to use a standardized tag for DATE field instead (YYYY-MM-DD).

I need to take a break offline for a bit so let me wrap this up with a lengthy post of info, but you can go over it at your leasure and decide what to do with it. ;)

For files with (tag/value) -

%DATE%
YYYY-MM-DD

Columns can be (name/pattern) -

Year
[$year(%date%)]

Month
[$month(%date%)]

Day
[$day_of_month(%date%)]

Month-Day
[$month(%date%)-$day_of_month(%date%)]

These column patterns would be identical usage and sorting to what you have now.

If you want to re-tag so that all files use YYYY-MM-DD, that would solve the M4A issue. There is no need to manually edit each file tag, as foobar can batch tag them all at once in a few seconds.

For a quick test to batch re-tag a few tracks to try it out? Here are the steps -

1. Select some tracks where you have added YEAR tag, and right-click > Properties

(Alternative way: In the Album List you can right-click an album name > Properties to quickly select all album tracks)

2. Right-click the DATE field > select 'Format from other fields...'

3. In the pattern box, enter -

Code: [Select]
[%year%-]%date%

4. Check the preview to make sure the dates are in YYYY-MM-DD format

5. If so, click OK, then Apply - foobar will re-tag all the selected files at once.

Finally you can remove the redundant YEAR tag -

6. (Still in Properties) Right-click the YEAR field > Remove > Apply.

Once you have dates in YYYY-MM-DD, edit your playlist column patterns like I listed above, to split display of the DATE into year, month, or whatever.

Then you can tag M4A files the same as any other file type -

%DATE%
YYYY-MM-DD

- and they will display the same.

Hope that helps, :)

Cheers

Re: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Reply #8 –
Quote
Columns can be (name/pattern) -
Year
[$year(%date%)]
Month
[$month(%date%)]
Day
[$day_of_month(%date%)]
Month-Day
[$month(%date%)-$day_of_month(%date%)]
That is priceless knowledge!! Thank you so much.  So are your instructions on how to batch retag. You should be a teacher. Endless thanks and gratitude, Anamorphic.   :)

Re: Updated request on problem with YEAR column in w4a files

Reply #9 –
Quote from: lvqcl on
Two tags: TYER for 'Date' and TXXX for 'Year'
Yeah, ID3v2.3 and older used TYER/TDAT/TIME, 2.4 has TDRC and various other ISO timestamp tags for different purposes.