Playlist column headings

[pkastl]

PLEASE allow editing of playlist column names similar to the media library.

[DrO]

m3u8 playlists (as used in the playlist view in the library tree) only contain a title and a time so what is shown is all that can be set.

if you need things to be more like the library views then you would be better off making specific smart views which will allow you to do what you're trying to do (or use the library in general as that is what it is intended for doing just this).

-daz

[Abscissa]

I know some people hate replies to old threads, but I just came across this thread (while trying to find a way to edit ratings in a playlist - as part of a method to transfer song ratings from one computer to another for *any* type of music file), and I have to point something out:

DrO is incorrect here. Yes, the playlist files might only contain title and time (AND filepath), but that doesn't matter: The filepath can be used internally to cross-reference all the information in the library. If the code for the library doesn't have a way to lookup song information by filepath and only by some other identifier (although my understanding is that the filepath *is* what winamp uses to identify songs), then this can easily be solved by using a basic hashtable to lookup the proper identifier from the song's filepath.

In other words, the limited information in an m3u8 is NOT a technical roadblock for allowing access to other metadata from a playlist view.

[DrO]

no, i was correct based on how the playlist views in Winamp are implemented which does just use the title stored in the playlist it is showing.

that does not mean that by using ATF (which will generally query from the library if available) can get more information which is primarily based around the filepath (hence why people get crabby when things get lost when they move files).


however just because information can be pulled from the library (or the file itself) does not properly resolve what was being asked for since the playlist view is not coded to show information in a multi-column view as was asked for.

hence my suggestion at the time of using a smartivew which is able to do what is asked for in being able to show different columns of data which is what is clearly stated in the OP's post, so i'm not quite sure how you've managed to go off on a tangent from that to how information is looked up in the db.

-daz

[Abscissa]

The OP was clearly asking for a new feature: To have columns in the Playlists views work like in the Local Media views. You implied that ability couldn't be added ("m3u8 playlists...only contain a title and a time so what is shown is all that can be set") I pointed out that it *can* be added.

(Unless I misunderstood and you really just meant "Winamp doesn't have that feature ATM". But since the OP already made that perfectly clear (by requesting it), I assume that's not what you meant.)

Keep in mind, it's very unclear (and unhelpful) from a user experience viewpoint that the playlists aren't connected the library. It certainly looks as if they are, and it is in most other music players (or at least behaves as if it is), and the separatetion doesn't really add any value. So naturally, people such as the OP and myself, get frustrated at the limitations that creates, and more frustrated by the only response being "You can't do it. Just work around it."

"however just because information can be pulled from the library (or the file itself) does not properly resolve what was being asked for since the playlist view is not coded to show information in a multi-column view as was asked for."

It most certainly resolves it because the OP is requesting a feature that *is* implementable. So it's not implemented right now? Irrelevant, the OP already knows perfectly well it isn't implemented, that's why he asked for it. We can talk all we want about how the playlist is *currently* implemented, but that still doesn't change my (relevant) point that it *can* in fact be implemented...as the OP is requesting. I don't understand why you're putting so much emphasis on the current implementation. Is there a long-standing code freeze preventing such changes?

[DrO]

Originally Posted by Abscissa

The OP was clearly asking for a new feature: To have columns in the Playlists views work like in the Local Media views. You implied that ability couldn't be added ("m3u8 playlists...only contain a title and a time so what is shown is all that can be set") I pointed out that it *can* be added.

i was trying to explain how things are since that is all that is available and is how it has been since the feature was implemented by the original dev team. of course it could be changed but that involves someone from the dev team doing it and as Android is the current focus then that's not going to happen currently.

Originally Posted by Abscissa

Keep in mind, it's very unclear (and unhelpful) from a user experience viewpoint that the playlists aren't connected the library. It certainly looks as if they are, and it is in most other music players (or at least behaves as if it is), and the separatetion doesn't really add any value. So naturally, people such as the OP and myself, get frustrated at the limitations that creates, and more frustrated by the only response being "You can't do it. Just work around it."

that is why i tried to give the best alternative with how Winamp is coded with it features as yes it could be coded to be different but if there's no one tasked to do it then it's no point to anyone to say 'yes' when it's not likely to happen anytime soon.

i don't know why the feature was coded as it was, but that's how it was done and yes it probably should be re-done in the manner asked for along with the 100s of other things and i'd even like to do it myself (as i have the means and access) but time is the biggest issue (like how i've had to stop developing my plug-ins which often stemmed from wishlist requests like this sort of one - so i do understand the importance and need to satisfy what that community wants even if i don't have the time to do it now).

Originally Posted by Abscissa

I don't understand why you're putting so much emphasis on the current implementation. Is there a long-standing code freeze preventing such changes?

because that's all there is and will likely be as i've tried to explain in my comments to other parts of your post. i don't like the fact that there's lots of wishes and requests made which probably would make much sense to implement just like this one so that playlists maybe are more like a smartview but if there's not the resources (or ok from management) to do it then there's not point in coming out with "yes it'll be done" when it just gets people's hopes up to only then get annoyed and pissed off when it doesn't happen. hence trying to give the best alternative but clearly i screwed up on that.

-daz

[Abscissa]

I see. Fair enough

[DrO]

also the request has been noted in the wishlist sticky thread (which i've just checked) for a few years (pre-dating this thread anyway) as per

Columns for Artist, Album, Title, etc, like in Local Media views

which is about the best recognition that it's vaguely known about but obviously anything on the wishlist is never guaranteed to be implemented, however great or useful it may be (and there's even a similar request for ml_history in there which i hadn't seen before).

-daz