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Topic: Multiple libraries? (Read 5503 times) previous topic - next topic
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Multiple libraries?

Let's say I want to have one library with all my flac files and another library with all my mp3 files, how would I go about doing that? I assume I would go to Media Library under preferences and add both folders in the Music Folder section, but how can I make the libraries separate without having duplicate tracks?

Multiple libraries?

Reply #1
short answer is you can't. the foobar library doesn't compare files and they are all treated equally. the only way you could filter out duplicates is either by folder structure or by tagging the files.

my preferred method is not keep lossy copies of lossless files in my library. i mean, what is the point? if you want to keep them handy to put on portable devices/whatever, then store them outside your main music folder.

Multiple libraries?

Reply #2
The Library is just the folder watching service that is handled by the foobar2000 core. It watches the folders you designate for changes and updates its database as needed. Because if this, "Multiple libraries" is something of a nonsensical term. Whether there is one or more physical database file stored on your disk is really of no consequence to you.

You can, however, use library viewers that split that one library into large sections based on the criteria you select.
e.g.
  • Try adding %codec%| to the beginning of the string of your favorite albums list view. 
  • Try using the filters that come with the foo_facets component in versions 1.0 and later. Notably, you can use lossless or lossy filters that are there by default.
elevatorladylevitateme

Multiple libraries?

Reply #3
While I agree it seems a bit nonsensical to have different libraries for different file types, I'd like to be able to have switch between two different libraries, one for music and the other for audiobooks and other non-music. If everything is thrown together, one would need to spend a lot more time for tagging and subsequent search string composition for each library query.

Multiple libraries?

Reply #4
one would need to spend a lot more time for tagging and subsequent search string composition for each library query.
Not sure what you mean by search string composition but, if you keep your stuff in different folders, I think you could easily make autoplaylists based on File Path to filter your library (no tagging involved). Or am I missing something?

Alessandro

Multiple libraries?

Reply #5
you could easily make autoplaylists based on File Path to filter your library (no tagging involved).


I consider myself an advanced foobar user, but not a pro. Never heard of that file path filter before, so "easily" is not the adjective I would use. Glad to know there seems to be some solution, at least. An autoplaylist for all audiobooks doesn't seem that desireable, though, since it would just serve the purpose of having a searchable list, i.e. a ... library.

Multiple libraries?

Reply #6
I'm not a pro either, but here's a quick pointer.

HTH.

Alessandro

 

Multiple libraries?

Reply #7
Not sure what you mean by search string composition but, if you keep your stuff in different folders, I think you could easily make autoplaylists based on File Path to filter your library (no tagging involved). Or am I missing something?
Probably yes! The point is that at every place (where you are managin your library: library viewer and its views, autoplaylists, ...) you will have to consider the mixture of your library. While foobar2000 is unbeatable in regard of creating views, it still is weak when it commes to managing the different parts of the library and subsets of each part. At least the latest versions of facets are providing some improvements: as shakey snake said, there you have in the global prefrences a list where you can define some filters.

Edit
For the user it is of none importance to have multiple libraries in a technical sense (multiple database files loaded by user), so the term could be irritating

Multiple libraries?

Reply #8
at every place <snip> you will have to consider the mixture of your library.
I still fail to see how having multiple libraries (however it is implemented) can fix that: you will have to specify in every place which library to use. Unless you are suggesting that one has to choose a specific library at startup.

Perhaps my usage pattern is just too basic or my collection too limited...

Alessandro

Multiple libraries?

Reply #9
This is an interesting topic, as I have a similar need to filter what portions of my library to show (depending on my location, in my case).  I use CUI, so facets filtering is not available to me as I understand that facets is DUI-only.  I also strongly prefer the library filter view as opposed to using the album list panel.  But if I could set a custom flag via a menu item, and then add a $if to check on the status of that flag in the CUI library filter setup, then I think could achieve the same library filter result.  But I can't seem to find an existing menu command, or find a way to add a custom command to the menu, so that I could set a custom flag for this filter.

For example, when I can can't access my NAS library files I'd only want my library viewer to show my locally stored library files.  I could create a custom tag to differentiate local versus NAS files, but instead of going into preferences and manually setting the filter when I move around, I'd like a way to set that filter value from something reachable via the menu pulldown.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Multiple libraries?

Reply #10
for the first filter

Code: [Select]
$left(%path%,3)


then it would look something like

Code: [Select]
C:\
E:\

Multiple libraries?

Reply #11
I still fail to see how having multiple libraries (however it is implemented) can fix that: you will have to specify in every place which library to use. Unless you are suggesting that one has to choose a specific library at startup.

Well, each player that offers multiple libraries has its own implementation: i am not sure but i think media monkey has in technical terms just one library but offers to define on a central place different types of your library (audiobooks, music, classical and so on). That part of the one and only library is thenn added as node to the browser including all views (by artist, by year, ...).

No doubt that this style is not possible in foobar2000 because foobar2000 is modular and offers several library viewers but i see no difficultries how that could be realized in another way: i imagine that some master filters could be added centrally so that all possible library viewers could access that. Just how it could look like: some master filters are defined centrally in library preferences and from a library viewer inside one tab i assign one of that master filter to that ui-element: so we could have one tab for audiobooks, one tab for music, one tab for podcasts, one tab for download folder, one tab for speeches and so on.

The fact is that this is not impossible in foobar2000 - it just doesn't seem important for Peter, for third-party developers and for a huge part of the userbase. mobyduck, it is just about storage of filters and applying them. And that point is very weak in foobar2000!

Multiple libraries?

Reply #12
The lossless library I'm talking about wouldn't be for playback. It would be for archival purposes and if I need to convert for portable players, etc.

Multiple libraries?

Reply #13
Just how it could look like: some master filters are defined centrally in library preferences and from a library viewer inside one tab i assign one of that master filter to that ui-element: so we could have one tab for audiobooks, one tab for music, one tab for podcasts, one tab for download folder, one tab for speeches and so on.

Can anyone explain to me what "tabs" he's talking about and, say, how they would be functionally different than nodes in the album list such as is already possible?

I mean, if you guys need some help with your titleformat kung-fu, just ask.
elevatorladylevitateme

Multiple libraries?

Reply #14
If you don't mind me, myself and i can explain the fundemental difference. You probably wanted to say that it is very easy to create a view that splits up the library in different nodes - and yes: you are right! So it is very easy to show audiobooks, the normal music, speeches and so on - the very stupid aspect of that is that the different parts are the view itself rather than having different filters combined with different views. So what would happen if you like to browse your music or your speeches or your audiobooks with different views - each view a proper one for what you like to browse? Oh, hundreds of views in a messy list ? No, i don't like

What did i mean with "tab"? It's so damn easy: an album list ui-element f.e. that only has - let's say - the audiobook as content and all the views inside this ui-element are special views for browsing audiobooks in a proper way. No more, no less! Edit: In simple words: each tab has a different content and each tab also offer different views than the other ones. It is self-evident that each part of the library not only needs different views but also more than just one.

On one side it is ok not to need enhanced methods of library management from those a couple seems to be a matter of course in other programs* and to be totally satisfied with that what foobar2000 offers - but before refusing something you better should know about what people are talking and what they mean. I am not angry about useless advices, so why you have to make fun of me without knowing what the point is?

*Generally in other players you have a converse weakness. no freedom to create detailed views like you can do in foobar2000 - just some basics like genre/artist/album or artist/album. I can remember the long lasting discussion on winamp forums during the years where you only had the one and only view artist/album. Now that winap offers more views all the people who argued against more views are praising winamp for the better browsing. They probably never took a look what foobar2000 is able to create when it comes to view creation


EDIT
Here a screenshot that shows what i consider as good priciple for library management:


rather than an endless list with complex kung-fu views!