Sort by date, not by folder structure Options

[Frecktel]

Hi all,

I've been trying to sort the albums of a specific artist by date, but so far no success.
I'm using Columns UI with NG playlist enabled, and my script is:

CODE

$if(%album artist%,%album artist%,%artist%) [/ %date% / %album% ]

However, it seems that this is only for display and has nothing to do with the actual sorting.
I'm coming to the conclusion that sorting is only defined by alphabetical order of the folder structure, but I would like to avoid putting the date in the album folder name, or worse, in the song title.

Probably an easy question for most of you, but I've been looking around the forum and the wiki, and didn't find anything conclusive.
Am I missing something, or is there a workaround?

Thanks.

This post has been edited by db1989: Jan 10 2012, 20:09

Reason for edit: changing [code] to [codebox] to avoid unnecessary minimal height of latter

[marc2003]

how a playlist is sorted depends entirely on how you populate it. if you add files from windows explorer or drag/drop, then you need to look at file>preferences>shell integration>sort incoming files by

if you use the filters in columns UI, then look at file>preferences>display>columns UI>filter tab>sort incoming files by.

obviously if you use other library viewers, they might also have their own settings.

[Frecktel]

Thank you for your answer.
I should have mentionned that I do not create playlist, I just use the Library Viewer.
Your solution works fine for the filters, however when just browsing the album list (with the active view being the folder structure), the files displayed in the Library Viewer are not sorted by date, even when I set the shell integration to
$if(%album artist%,%album artist%,%artist%) %date% %album% %path_sort%
Any idea where I should set this script to have that sorting behaviour when the Library Viewer is activated?

[db1989]

the files displayed in the Library Viewer

Which library viewer? It is a category, not a monad. Do you mean the Album List?

are not sorted by date, even when I set the shell integration to
$if(%album artist%,%album artist%,%artist%) %date% %album% %path_sort%

They will not be, for shell integration is something different altogether.

[tpijag]

album list views are controlled by the view you have selected. If viewing by folder structure does not give you the look you want, add a new view via preferences.

[db1989]

I should perhaps have specified that the explanation of how to do just that is in my link above, but I hoped that would become clear.

[Frecktel]

Thanks.
I probably haven't given all the informations needed to understand my setup. I am new to customising Foobar, so I'm a bit lost in what settings are relevant, my apologies.
I do use Album List as a library viewer. Well actually, I use Album List Panel which I understand is needed when using columnsUI. My Album List "view" is by directory structure, and I want to keep it that way.
In the Album List Panel preference page, there is an option to "Auto send to playlist" with the default name of that playlist being "Library view". It is this auto-generated playlist that I would like to control the sorting of (by Artist, Date, Album; at the moment it is Artist, Album), keeping the Album List view by directory structure.
Is it possible?
Thanks for your help.

[Frecktel]

Hi all,

After a lot of pocking around, I finally found a solution. Here it is:

Setup:
I use the Album List Panel for CUI, with view set to "directory structure". I have the "Auto send to playlist: Library view" switched on.
Now, as said in this post, this auto generated playlist will inherit the sort options of Album List Panel view - in my case by %path_name%, when I want it to be sorted by %album artist% %date% %album%.

Solution:
Preferences -> Shell Integration -> Sort incoming files by:
Set this value to %album artist% %date% %album% (or whatever you want it to be really)
By itself this does nothing. Now go to:
Preferences -> Media Library -> Album List Panel -> Advanced
And check "Apply core sort settings to added items"

Voila. Hope this helps others. Thanks for your help, and apologies if I wasn't clear from the get go.

PS: In the Album List Panel Wiki, the "Sort incoming files by" field is said to be located in Preferences-> General. Not sure if it was like that in a previous version of Foobar2K, but my version clearly doesn't have a General menu. Maybe someone can update?