# Actions \> Editing the format string

**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/actions-editing-the-format-string/44365
**Category:** Fixed Bugs
**Tags:** bug-fixed
**Created:** [January 29, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/actions-editing-the-format-string/44365 "2019-01-29T16:39:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![vilsen](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e95f7d/32.png) [@vilsen](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/vilsen)
#### Post date: [January 29, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/actions-editing-the-format-string/44365/1 "2019-01-29T16:39:01Z")

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(Noticed in v2.91d, also reproduced in v2.93)

When editing a format string, in rare cases you are not given the actual string to start with, but an old string from the string history. I noticed this when I accidentally used uppercase, but I'm not sure if this issue is limited to uppercase/lowercase.

To reproduce, do the following

1. Open Action groups, make an Action \> Format value and type Field: ARTIST / Format string: Ringo STARR. Click all OK's.

2. Open the Action again and edit from Ringo STARR to Ringo Starr. Click all OK's.

3. Open and edit again and you'll see the discrepancy between Starr and STARR

I also tried to reproduce by misspelling Paul McCartney to Paul McCartnay, but everything was well, so maybe the bug is caused by uppercase/lowercase? It seems that variations of uppercase/lowercase are not saved in the string history.

Also, I wonder - does the edit string come from the history? Shouldn't it come from the saved Action? I mean, you normally have much more complex format strings than in my example above, and any history error would not be so easy to notice.

![format%20string](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/3/3f72fc617adbe621165a9dfa9d7fdecb9c484841.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [January 29, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/actions-editing-the-format-string/44365/5 "2019-01-29T21:39:07Z")

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Thanks for reporting! I guess I've found the issue and will fix it to the next release.

And you've guessed correctly: it's related to uppercase/lowercase and happens only to those strings.

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### Author: ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2019, 9:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/actions-editing-the-format-string/44365/6 "2019-02-08T09:27:14Z")

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I've fixed this with [Mp3tag v2.93a](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/455). Thanks again for reporting!

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### Author: ![vilsen](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e95f7d/32.png) [@vilsen](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/vilsen)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2019, 10:42am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/actions-editing-the-format-string/44365/7 "2019-02-10T10:42:16Z")

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Thanks for the fix! I've tested and it's probably working as intended now. However, there's still a little trap:

After the fix, both Ringo Starr and Ringo STARR can appear simultaneously in the history. But if you delete Ringo Starr and miss to delete Ringo STARR, the latter will still be the proposed string when you edit. I think this is unfortunate, as running an Action can affect so much of your music library.

To avoid this I suggest an option to disable the history. Or perhaps a possibility to edit and _lock_ the history to only keep valid strings and get rid of faulty strings and "testing junk strings" that have a tendency to build up.

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### Author: ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2019, 10:54am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/actions-editing-the-format-string/44365/8 "2019-02-10T10:54:05Z")

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Thanks for confirming the fix!

> [@vilsen](#):
>
> But if you delete Ringo Starr and miss to delete Ringo STARR, the latter will still be the proposed string when you edit. I think this is unfortunate, as running an Action can affect so much of your music library.

I currently don't want to increase complexity by adding even more options. You can disable auto-completion at "Options \> General" which should do the trick.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![vilsen](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e95f7d/32.png) [@vilsen](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/vilsen)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2019, 11:00am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/actions-editing-the-format-string/44365/9 "2019-02-10T11:00:33Z")

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> [@Florian](#):
>
> You can disable auto-completion at "Options \> General" which should do the trick.

Yes, but I do like the auto-completion at other places. Choices... 😉

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### Author: ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2019, 11:00am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/actions-editing-the-format-string/44365/10 "2019-03-12T11:00:34Z")

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