Tags used as Sort Order Only ( Feature Request? )

[rjplummer]

(12-07-2013 10:09)simoncn Wrote:  

(11-07-2013 17:34)rjplummer Wrote:  

(11-07-2013 09:30)simoncn Wrote:  

(11-07-2013 06:20)rjplummer Wrote:  But the tagging specs don't allow you to assume anything about the order of multiple tags

I don't think this is correct.

This is, in fact, true.

Can you give a reference to any tagging specs that say this?

ARTISTSORT isn't part of any of the Vorbis Comment Spec, Windows Media spec or the APE spec. As best as I can tell, Apple doesn't specify this for their MP4 metadata.

The ID3 spec is silent on the behavior when multiple values of TSOP or TPE2 are used.

No popular tagging software enforces these constraints.

Quote:

Quote:There don't even need to be the same number of ARTIST and ARTISTSORT tags, e.g., one could take "Love with Arthur Lee" and have ARTIST tags "Love" and "Arthur Lee" and only supply a "Lee, Arthur" ARTISTSORT tag.

If there are two ARTIST values and one ARTISTSORT tag value, it seems reasonable to interpret the sort value as belonging to the main (first) artist, and log a warning so the user can correct this if it was not intended.

This may be reasonable but reasonable isn't a word I'd use to describe the tagging of music purchased from any online source.

But since you're breaking ground here, you might consider supporting multiple ARTISTSORT tags for a single ARTIST tag, e.g., allow ARTIST="Chet Atkins and Les Paul" and ARTISTSORT="Atkins, Chet","Paul Les"

Then your artist listing would be
...
Asleep at the Wheel
Chet Atkins [Chet Atkins solo albums]
Chet Atkins and Les Paul [Chest & Lester]
Emilie Autumn
...
Don Patterson
Chet Atkins and Les Paul [Chest & Lester]
Les Paul [Les Paul solo albums]
...

This wouldn't be desirable in the classical world, e.g., you'd have a separate item for every orchestra a soloist performed with. But in that case you could go with your assumption that ARTISTSORT and ARTIST match.

Quote:

Quote:If this isn't a tag within the file, it's usefulness is quite limited.

This setting would be intended for use by people who have chosen to tag their library in a consistent "last name first" style.

Ah! I think I understand. If this option is checked, I wouldn't have to populate ARTISTSORT for two word human names, e.g., if ARTIST="Atkins, Chet" and the flag was enabled, your server would display "Chet Atkins".

If my understanding is correct I think you could extend this rule to every case where there's exactly one comma and there are exactly one or two words after the comma.
This would work for:

• Walker, Jerry Jeff
• Van Halen, Eddie
• Smith, Huey "Piano"
• Giacobassi (english horn), Julie Ann
  

It would also correctly not reverse:

• Peter, Paul & Mary [3 words after the comma]
• Peter, Paul, and Mary [2 commas]
• Ross, Diana and the Supremes [> 2 words after the comma, need to make this the ARTISTSORT]
• Smith, Huey "Piano" and the Clowns [need to make this the ARTISTSORT]
  

I can't think of an example where the extended rule fails, though I'm sure there's some obscure band with a comma in its name.

This flag should also apply to ALBUMARTIST, ARRANGER, AUTHOR, COMPOSER, CONDUCTOR, LYRICIST, PERFORMER

This is a useful feature, especially since ARTISTSORT is not very useful.

I assume you also have implemented a method for displaying multiple tags, e.g., putting " and " or "&" before the last tag and commas between the others.