Faster auto-update database!

Big_Berny · Post by **Big_Berny** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:36 am

Hi together,
I have a new idea for the "auto-update"-function. MM takes quite a while to check each file, so it would be a idea to check the size of the main folder first. If the size ist the same like the last time, there's no need to check each file.

Example:
I have all my mp3's in the c:\mymusic\. If the complete size of this folder hasn't changed, no need to check each file!

I know this option will not help in all cases. If you have some mp3 in a folder which has also other files (i.e. .doc-files) and you change this file, MM will mean that there was a changement and will check each audiofile of that folder.
But I think in this case there is no advantage but no disadvantage either! So it's only an impovement!

Greets
Big_Berny

Octopod · Post by **Octopod** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:14 am

But this way modifying tags using another application may be ignored by MM on startup.

Music~~Junkie · Post by **Music~~Junkie** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:15 am

I Think That's A Good Idea... As Long As You Give An ON/OFF Option Because, What About A Change Of A Tag from An External Program, That Would Not Effect Size? (If You Even Use Any Other Program)

Post by **Lowlander** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:29 am

I think with most users this wouldn't be helpful, as most will scan when there are changes anyway.

You might want to work on a different folder structure. I use a seperate folder where I add my newly ripped CD's, LP's and downloads. I just have MM scan this folder when I know there are new songs. This takes about nothing as it's a very small folder in comparison with the whole library.

Big_Berny · Post by **Big_Berny** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:11 am

Yes, an ON/OFF-Option would be helpful!

Does a change of of the tags not affect filesize?

Another additional idea would be, that there would be a button which rescans the database if you click on it!

Berny

Post by **Lowlander** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:53 pm

I believe that the filesize does change if the number of characters in the file change. This change is in bytes, so windows won't show that to you as it shows in kb (1000 bytes).

Big_Berny · Post by **Big_Berny** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:27 am

Lowlander wrote:I believe that the filesize does change if the number of characters in the file change.

So in most cases it will work and if not you can click on the "update database"-button!

Lowlander wrote:This change is in bytes, so windows won't show that to you as it shows in kb (1000 bytes).

Are you shure? When I click on my mymusic-folder it shows: "10.9 GB (11'790'790'011 Bytes)"! That are Bytes!

King_of_Universe

Big_Berny · Post by **Big_Berny** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:32 am

I have to add somethin to the last post:
1. I'm Big_Berny and not King_of_Universe here in this forum!

2. Specially if you change the tag of more than one file the probability is very high that it will change the size...

Big_Berny

Post by **Lowlander** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:58 am

Windows doesn't show things in bytes (at least as far as I can see) unless you check the properties. So on the eye it doesn't seem filesizes change when it changes a couple bytes (unless it rounds now to 1kb more or less).

Anyway can you give some system and OS specifics? I don't think MM takes that much time, especially when comparing it with other programs.

I have noticed that MM races by tracks allready in the DB (if you don't look for tag changes in them) and takes longer on new tracks. In any case I would advice you to use a seperate folder for new files and only scan that folder into the DB. Then with the DB you can move the files to their proper folder structures.
And when ripping music MM should pick up the songs when ripping to a library location.

Another option is the filemonitor. But only have it run when MM is running (disable startup scan). But MM would need to be running when you are adding songs to your computer. (Gold version only).

Big_Berny · Post by **Big_Berny** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:27 pm

Thanx for you suggestions, but anyway I think that my idea would useful!

Lowlander wrote:Windows doesn't show things in bytes (at least as far as I can see) unless you check the properties. So on the eye it doesn't seem filesizes change when it changes a couple bytes (unless it rounds now to 1kb more or less).

Well, I don0t have the specifications, but the fact that windows shows the byte-size under "properties" shows, that Windows doesn't think in kilobytes, isn't it?

Big_Berny

Post by **Lowlander** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:12 pm

I meant it differently. It seems to the user when checking a certain file that the size hasn't changed. Of course windows itself works in bits, so it would see the size change.

My point is that just one tag change could lead to a different music folder size causing MM to scan all anyway under the proposed solution.
As such using a seperate folder for new files would help you a lot more. This probably helps even more if you have an older machine.

Big_Berny · Post by **Big_Berny** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 5:11 am

Lowlander wrote:My point is that just one tag change could lead to a different music folder size causing MM to scan all anyway under the proposed solution.

Well that's the idea! I want MM to check the folder if there is a changement also if it's only one bit! It's only a additional improvement: It sould only check the changement of each file if the folder has changed!

Big_Berny

Post by **Lowlander** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 11:15 am

MM does this per file. Go to the options and to library node. Here you'll see options to update track info from tags when adding to library and only for files with changed timestamp or size.

I believe that those options should do what you are looking for.

Big_Berny · Post by **Big_Berny** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 12:22 pm

I think you don't understand why I would like this option! Sorry about that, but my english isn't as great, I'll try to explain better:

I have all my music-files in the folder c:\mymusic\.
If i rip one of my CD's (I don't use MM to do that) I save these files in this folder too. (Structure is c:\mymusic\artist\album\song.mp3)
Now I would like that MM automatically recognizes when I add new files, but I don't want MM to be open all the time. So I use the auto-update on startup option, which works great!
But I don't add new files so often that MM has to check all files at startup. So I think that it wold be very useful if it first checks the size of the whole folder, and IF there is a changement between this and the last startup it should check each file (like it does everytime now!).

It's only an improvement.

Do you understand me?
Big_Berny

Post by **Lowlander** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:06 pm

Ok.

Allthough I remain at my point of view that this has limited usability due to the likeliness of the total size to change.

Maybe you should for now disable scan on start of program and scan manually. Or have MM open when ripping.

We'll see what the programmers think.