MediaMonkey iTunes plugin (d_itunes4.dll)

[Firetribe]

everything working as intended, I'm syncing between MM and iTunes and an iPod. Everything fine

[Belgrath]

I have a question: how are timestamps for files affected when using this plugin?

Here's the reason I ask: I synchronize my music to my home server as a form of backup, but it seems like a LOT of files that I haven't (purposefully) touched in a long time are being written to the server because their timestamps are different. I think that the files that have changed timestamps are the ones that I sync to iTunes, but I haven't been dilligent about verifying that.

Thanks!

Wargazm,

I went through the same experiments a few months ago when I switched to using Mark's plugin full time so maybe I can save you some time. iTunes will update the modified date on any mp3 that you sync using the plugin to the current date/time, but only the first time it is synced and imported into the iTunes library. Once it's part of the iTunes library, syncing back and forth between MM and iTunes won't change the modified date even if you make tag or art changes in MM. I tried setting the files to read-only, etc. to prevent iTunes from changing the dates upon import, but I couldn't get it to work. I found the easiest way is to make a backup of your entire music library, sync your tracks using the plugin (iTunes will mess up all the modified dates), now overwrite any file that iTunes changed with the backup copies that have the correct, original date. Now all your files will be in the iTunes library and they will all have the correct, original modified dates and you can sync back and forth as much as you want.

It takes some patience and you have to be very careful that you keep your backup untouched, but you really only need to do this once. Once all your files are in the iTunes library, you don't need to do this again unless you somehow lose the iTunes library. Also remember that anytime you add a file to the plugin's autosync list that isn't already in iTunes, iTunes will change the date since it's the first import so make a backup before you do the sync so you can overwrite it later. I'd recommend only doing tag changes in MM though since you can set it to not change the timestamps when doing tag changes. If you make changes to the files while in iTunes, it will most likely change the timestamp.

Basically just always keep a backup copy with the correct timestamp that you can use to overwrite and NEVER make changes to the files while in iTunes and you should be good.

-Hope that helps
-Ben

I have noticed this timestamp change as well, and I was wondering why my tunes were changing. Thanks for the info Ben. Here's a tool that can make this backup a snap, and extremely fast.

Beyond Compare.

The steps are pretty much the same as you described in having a backup copy, however, there is a feature in this tool called 'Touch' which will allow you to sync the timestamps of files between your working copy and your backup. So instead of having to copy the entire file over a sync of timestamps occur. And doing this 'touch' is blistering fast by comparison.

There's probably other tools out there that can achieve the same time, this just happens to be the one that I use for other sync'ing purposes as well....

hope it helps

[Belgrath]

Anyone try this plugin with iTunes 10 yet?

[nynaevelan]

Read the posts a few before this one...

[Firetribe]

I can only confirm, it's working as intended, at least for me.

[nynaevelan]

Not sure if this is an issue with the plugin or Itunes 10 but when syncing to iTunes my Last Played in iTunes is updated with the time behind 4 hours, is anyone else seeing this??

[markstuartwalker]

iTunes 10. No problems. They are still using version 1.13 of the COM type library.

[nynaevelan]

Do you know if there is a timezone setting in iTunes? Because my timezone is correct in MM, bios and Windows. It is only iTunes which has the wrong time.

[markstuartwalker]

There isn't. The only regional aspect I know of is the the web uses a different language depending on you locale.

[nynaevelan]

hmmmm, I am at a loss why the time difference, but no worries iTunes is not my main library so it is not critical that the times match. To tell the truth I am not sure if this started with 10 or if it has always been like this, I never really paid that much attention to it.

[markstuartwalker]

@Nyn

The plugin makes no conversions of time - it makes the assumption that iTunes and MM are in the same timezone. These are internally represented as numbers. Both iTunes or MM may make regionalisation decisions about what these numbers mean and how they are presented.

I'm in GMT which has zero offset so I won't see any differences. What timezone are you in ... relative to GMT? What last played dates are showing in iTunes? Are they 4 hours out too?

[nynaevelan]

Mark:

I am in Eastern US which is GMT - 4 hours and in ITunes both the date added and Last Played Times are 4 hours behind what MM and my internal clock states. But no worries I am not concerned with it since I never sync from iTunes back to MM. It is the counts that are important to me, as long as they are right I am ok.

[Bex]

Mark,

If you are using SQLite to get current time. I.e. something like DateTime('now'), then you need to add "localtime" to the function, like this: DateTime('now', 'localtime'). I missed that in one of my scripts...

[markstuartwalker]

Mark,

If you are using SQLite to get current time. I.e. something like DateTime('now'), then you need to add "localtime" to the function, like this: DateTime('now', 'localtime'). I missed that in one of my scripts...

I don't think that this applies in my case. I do access the database for reading and writing dates. I also access the date and time attributes of MM and iTunes COM objects. Any timezone offset is only for when there is the need to present the information on the GUI, this should be handled by MM and iTunes. By the sounds of things iTunes doesn't do this but MM does.

I use the following to prepare the string for the database write

Code: Select all

function datetime0():tdatetime;
begin
  Result:=EncodeDate(1899,12,30);
  //'40259.647802662'
end;

function MMdateToFloatStr(d:Tdatetime):WideString;
var
  diff:Tdatetime;
begin
    diff:=d-datetime0;
    Result:=QuotedStr(MMInterf.Localize(floatToStr(double(diff))));
end;

[Bex]

Yes, It is clear that is not applicable for you.