I think that the second option that Jiri briefly described is actually a pretty good one: it eliminates the need for dual/overlapping shuffle/randomize functionalities, and meets the need to show previous/upcoming tracks even when 'shuffle' mode is enabled. Here's the full spec in case you want to comment:
---------------------------------
Current issues:
1) There are multiple means of randomizing the 'Now Playing' list of tracks: shuffle (via player) / randomize (via playlist editor). This is confusing
2) When 'shuffled' or 'randomized', the user should still be able to see what song is about to be played
3) When 'shuffled' or 'randomized', the user should be able to see what songs have been played prior to the current one
Alternate solution:
-When the user clicks 'randomize' in the Now Playing list, it simply randomizes all the songs in the playlist (but keeps the currently playing track as 1)
-When the user clicks 'shuffle' in the player, it causes:
-Songs subsequent to the currently playing song to be randomized
-All songs added subsequently to the Now Playing queue to be randomized within a position subsequent to the currently playing track
-Use the terminology 'Shuffle' in both cases to avoid terminological confusion.
-Upon completion of playing the list of tracks in the Now Playing list, if continuous playback is enabled, the list should continue playing from the beginning _without_ reshuffling the tracks so as to prevent recently heard tracks from being played again.
Note: based on
http://www.songs-db.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=896, it would also be important to persist the Now Playing list, along with the last-played position in the list so that if the user clicks 'Play' after re-opening MM, it simply continues where it left off.
----------------------------
-Rusty
I think that the second option that Jiri briefly described is actually a pretty good one: it eliminates the need for dual/overlapping shuffle/randomize functionalities, and meets the need to show previous/upcoming tracks even when 'shuffle' mode is enabled. Here's the full spec in case you want to comment:
---------------------------------
Current issues:
1) There are multiple means of randomizing the 'Now Playing' list of tracks: shuffle (via player) / randomize (via playlist editor). This is confusing
2) When 'shuffled' or 'randomized', the user should still be able to see what song is about to be played
3) When 'shuffled' or 'randomized', the user should be able to see what songs have been played prior to the current one
Alternate solution:
-When the user clicks 'randomize' in the Now Playing list, it simply randomizes all the songs in the playlist (but keeps the currently playing track as 1)
-When the user clicks 'shuffle' in the player, it causes:
-Songs subsequent to the currently playing song to be randomized
-All songs added subsequently to the Now Playing queue to be randomized within a position subsequent to the currently playing track
-Use the terminology 'Shuffle' in both cases to avoid terminological confusion.
-Upon completion of playing the list of tracks in the Now Playing list, if continuous playback is enabled, the list should continue playing from the beginning _without_ reshuffling the tracks so as to prevent recently heard tracks from being played again.
Note: based on http://www.songs-db.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=896, it would also be important to persist the Now Playing list, along with the last-played position in the list so that if the user clicks 'Play' after re-opening MM, it simply continues where it left off.
----------------------------
-Rusty