[REQ] Reports - Album List

[Roxie2401]

Hi - Is there a way to generate a report that just lists the Albums in the database?

When I try File>Reports>File List and just include "Album" ---- its doing what I suspect, listing the Album name as many times as there are tracks, i.e., "Album Name" 10 times, if there are 10 tracks.

All I really want is a list of the Album Names without any other details, but only list the Album name once per album.

Am I missing something?

Thanks

[Roxie2401]

What does [REQ] mean?

Was this changed to a new feature request or is there an existing way to generated just a list of the Albums and I missed it?

[Erwin Hanzl]

REQUIRED = was recognized by an administrator for a meaningful need.

[Lowlander]

Request, but as it's an Addon request it may take an Addon developer to create this at some point instead.

[Erwin Hanzl]

@Lowlander

Wouldn't it be easy to add an option to group by album???

[Roxie2401]

Just to make sure we are on the same page, what is happening now if only "Album" is selected in the Report File List (Example: albums "Star Dust" and "Moonstruck", the report looks like this when Star Dust has 6 tracks and Moonstruck has 5 tracks:

Star Dust
Star Dust
Star Dust
Star Dust
Star Dust
Star Dust
Moonstruck
Moonstruck
Moonstruck
Moonstruck
Moonstruck

All I really want is a list of the Albums:

Star Dust
Moonstruck.

If I had included "Album" and "Title" then the file list would be correct in showing the Album name six times with six titles (tracks) and Moonstruck five times with five titles (tracks).

Not a big deal, just a small enhancement to generated a list of all albums in the database - just a surprise that when only Album is entered it generated a really long list with all the Album names for as many titles each.

Thanks

[Erwin Hanzl]

The result with the grouping function would look like the "Album" node, for example.
The programmers could read the album names straight away from the "Albums" -table in the MM5.DB.

[Roxie2401]

That's interesting.

I would have thought by just selecting "Album" in the File>Reports>File List it would have just giving one instance but I can understand that it is "Selecting Column" and since the column contains all the album names for as many titles, you can't get just one entry per album ----- its currently giving just what is in the "selected column."

Maybe the developers can group like you showed in order to generate an Album report.

I did export to excel and then clean it up by listing unique ( in column A1 set the formula =B1=B2, where column A is empty and column B contains the "Album report" from MM and copy that to the end of the list and get a True/False list, then delete all the True entries, leaving just the single, now unique Album names). But for a very long library list, sort of a sledge hammer approach.

[Erwin Hanzl]

Another possibility in EXCEL:
Use "Subtotals" under "DATA" menu

Weitere Möglichkeit in EXCEL:
Verwenden Sie "Teilergebnisse" unter Menü "DATEN

[Roxie2401]

Hi - thanks for the Excel suggestion about Subtotals. It worked but a little strange to clean up the list with "count" added to the Album name, etc..

While I was looking at the Data tab, wouldn't "Remove Duplicates" in the Data Tools work even better? Seems to give a clean, usable list........

[Erwin Hanzl]

That's how it is with Excel.
There are many ways to reach your goal.
Just test and use the best for yourself.

[Roxie2401]

That's how it is with Excel.
There are many ways to reach your goal.
Just test and use the best for yourself.

I agree.
The issue with Excel is where I have the same album name but have the Vinyl, CD and/or Reel-to-Reel versions --- removing duplicates would not give an accurate list of the library.

I still hope MM will add a grouping (or something similar). That would give a accurate list of all Albums right from the source with no external "manipulation."

[Roxie2401]

Erwin,

You have been very helpful.

If you don't mind --- when I look at the File>Reports>File Lists> what is the purpose of adding "Grouping" as a selected column? And how would that be used to generate an Album list?

Thanks

[Erwin Hanzl]

Hello Roxie,
now generally speaking:
Groupings summarize the same entries in the same tag.
You can also find groupings in nodes in your collection: Genre, Classifications, Title, ....

Albums are grouped by the tags: "Album" and "Album artist(s)"
These groupings are entered in the MM5.DB in the corresponding tables and updated again and again in the event of changes.

And how would that be used to generate an Album list?

A check box would be used for this in the same line.

The result would look something like this.