[REQ] custom fields have restrictions that reduce usefulness [#18111]

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Barry4679
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[REQ] custom fields have restrictions that reduce usefulness [#18111]

Post by Barry4679 »

During the Alpha I requested that you add some Custom columns with numeric affinity to the MM database.
You addressed this request by fixing the sorting issue for the Custom columns ... ie. 1,8,9,10 instead of 1,10,8,9 as it was in MM4.

That resolves much of the issue, but there is still a significant issue for customers with the Gold edition of MM.
If I create a custom collection using a Custom field as criteria, I am restricted to just the text operators (equals, starts with, etc), and I have none of the numeric operators (>, <, between, etc).

Could this be improved? This restriction puts a serious limitation on the usefulness of the custom columns.

This limitation also affects the Advanced Search|Filter (funnel), and AutoPlaylists ... it would be nice if these were fixed also, but the limitation for Collections is the killer IMO.
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BMF
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Re: custom fields have restrictions that reduce usefulness

Post by BMF »

Hi there staff,

I support Barry's request and like to bring your eyes to usual fields too. Example .... Grouping. I use this field for classical music to group the movements to a composition like concertos or symphonies. If a composer was so busy to compose more than 9 of a certain work genre the grouping field brings up the dilemma Barry spoke about :).

Easy example: Mahler wrote 10 Symphonies. Sorting by grouping the result will be

Sinfonie Nr. 1
Sinfonie Nr. 10
Sinfonie Nr. 2
Sinfonie Nr. 3 and so on

And now imagine Haydn with over 100 Symphonies ;-).

I am not sure about it, but maybe you can give the single user the freedom of how to sort a special field?

Greetings
BMF
nothing but a bmf ....
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Barry4679
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[REQ] Smart Playlist & Collection criteria Filter for Custom columns

Post by Barry4679 »

MM5 has 10 Customx columns for customer assigned purposes. We got new columns with MM5, but a significant restriction remains, which limits the usefulness of these columns,

The underlying MM database will accept any data type into these columns, eg. text, a number, or a date

The MM5 facility for defining a filter for a Custom Collection, or an Auto Playlist, will only treat these columns as text column.

The implication of this is:
  • Custom1 = 8 is valid
  • Custom1 < 8 is invalid
  • Custom1 between (1/01/2021,Present) is invalid
This very much limits the Use Cases for the Custom columns.

Could the Filtering mechanism for the Custom columns be enhanced?
Or could a series of numeric and date Custom Columns also be offered?

nb. this request is worth supporting also.
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Barry4679
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Re: custom fields have restrictions that reduce usefulness

Post by Barry4679 »

Ludek wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 6:47 am Tracking as https://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=18111
Thank you for elevating both requests.
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Andre_H
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Re: [REQ] custom fields have restrictions that reduce usefulness [#18111]

Post by Andre_H »

Supplementary suggestion: Perhaps the date type date would also make sense here in addition to number.
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