# Advanced filtering
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 11, 2015, 11:43am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590 "2015-02-11T11:43:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2015, 11:43am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/1 "2015-02-11T11:43:25Z")
Hello
I would like to know if there is a way to find files with title tag bearing resemblance to album tag
For example, I would like to find a file with tags like these:
TITLE: **jklmnop qrstuv** 12345
ALBUM: abcde fghi **jklmnop qrstuv** wxyz
So basically I need to tell to the Mp3tag filter, that it needs to search for the same number [specyfic set] of character [including spaces], and to not to take into account whatever is before or after this set [in both title and album tag]. And I don't know what I'm exactly looking for- what I was looking for I will know only, if filter finds it for me [and I make a validations of this search, by reading the results]
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2015, 12:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/2 "2015-02-11T12:21:20Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> ... For example, I would like to find a file with tags like these:
> TITLE: **jklmnop qrstuv** 12345
> ALBUM: abcde fghi **jklmnop qrstuv** wxyz
> ... And I don't know what I'm exactly looking for ...
The Mp3tag filter cannot read your thoughts, so you have to give a concrete order.
Search for both criteria together in one file ...
TITLE HAS "jklmnop qrstuv" AND ALBUM HAS "jklmnop qrstuv"
Search for both criteria in one or more files ... as well as ...
TITLE HAS "jklmnop qrstuv" OR ALBUM HAS "jklmnop qrstuv"
DD.20150211.1425.CET
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2015, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/3 "2015-02-11T12:26:00Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> The Mp3tag filter cannot read your thoughts, so you have to give a concrete order.
>
> Search in one file ...
> TITLE HAS "jklmnop qrstuv" AND ALBUM HAS "jklmnop qrstuv"
>
> Search in different files ...
> TITLE HAS "jklmnop qrstuv" OR ALBUM HAS "jklmnop qrstuv"
>
> DD.20150211.1420.CET
Yes. Or it has to be a constant pattern e.g. "cut away the last number"
$if($strstr($regexp(%title%, \d+,),%album%),1,0) IS 1
---
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/4 "2015-02-11T20:11:06Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> TITLE HAS "jklmnop qrstuv" AND ALBUM HAS "jklmnop qrstuv"
>
> TITLE HAS "jklmnop qrstuv" OR ALBUM HAS "jklmnop qrstuv"
Unfortunately, that is useless for me
I would have to have in my brain all albums and all titles; to the letter. And I'm looking for some errors [in 20 000+ files], which would make it even more challenging
If somehow memorized that, then I wouldn't have to filter- I would simply go to any given file
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> Yes. Or it has to be a constant pattern e.g. "cut away the last number"
> $if($strstr($regexp(%title%, \d+,),%album%),1,0) IS 1
That's what I'm looking for: patterns
The ideal code would work for example like this: find all files with [no less and no more than] 8 exact characters [including spaces and signs like : and -] in both TITLE and ALBUM tag, disregarding eventual capitalization
With a code from descibed above example I could find
TITLE: 01234567 **890: abc** 890- abc 01234567 8 9 0 a b c def
ALBUM: **890: ABC** DEF 789000000000000
In a code like this all I would have to change [to see less or more records] would be the number of signs [without concern for where the resemblance starts / ends or if the set of characters has special signs like ":" or some digits] - is it possible to have such filter?
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2015, 5:43am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/5 "2015-02-12T05:43:00Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> ...- is it possible to have such filter?
No. You either have to have a constant string for comparison or a pattern that has fixed delimiters.
It is not possible to grab e.g. the first 8 characters, scan for the pattern, then starting with the next character.
If you cannot supply a delimiter, then you have to use one of the entities like a word or a character. Anything beyond that is not possible AFIAK.
I still wonder about the purpose.
What's the use of finding by accident all the tracks with "I love you" in title and album?
And even if such a formal way of comparing would be possible, you still would not find all the files that have similarities semantically. A classic is the different approch to use punctuation. So with your idea you will not find the differences.
It is possible to compare the string of a complete ALBUM with parts of a title as this sets the delimiter to the field boundaries.
Of yourse you can set a filter where you set the offset with $mid()
First filtering would be $mid(%title%,1,8)
Second filtering would be $mid(%title%,2,8)
and so on. But you have to set it. There is not automatism.
I still have my problems to understand why such a more or less random comparison should propell the maintenance of a collection.
OK, I would find the title Tusk on the album Tusk (Fleetwood Mac). So? What about the other tracks?
I would find the track "calling all stations" on the album "... calling all stations" - both in the correct spelling. So?
Or there is the album "... Featuring" by Norah Jones - but the "feat." is only part of the real title (and it is shorter than the 8 characters and has a different punctuation). No mistake could be spotted there.
I get the impression that this approach will lead a lot of false hits and leave out just as many real mistakes.
So: what's the point, where is the benefit?
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2015, 8:23am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/6 "2015-02-12T08:23:16Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> ... That's what I'm looking for: patterns
> The ideal code would work for example like this: find all files with [no less and no more than] 8 exact characters [including spaces and signs like : and -] in both TITLE and ALBUM tag, disregarding eventual capitalization
> With a code from descibed above example I could find
> TITLE: 01234567 **890: abc** 890- abc 01234567 8 9 0 a b c def
> ALBUM: **890: ABC** DEF 789000000000000
> In a code like this all I would have to change [to see less or more records] would be the number of signs [without concern for where the resemblance starts / ends or if the set of characters has special signs like ":" or some digits] - is it possible to have such filter?
Hmm, your example strings show and need a case insensitive substring matching.
The Mp3tag Filter operator HAS can do this.
TITLE HAS " **890: abc**" AND ALBUM HAS " **890: abc**"
If you need a pattern matching then use the Mp3tag Filter operator MATCHES with a fitting regular expression.
TITLE MATCHES "890:\sabc" AND ALBUM MATCHES "890:\sabc"
TITLE MATCHES "890: abc" AND ALBUM MATCHES "\d\d\d....."
TITLE MATCHES "....abc" AND ALBUM MATCHES "....abc"
DD.20150212.1100.CET
---
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/7 "2015-02-12T17:18:29Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> It is possible to compare the string of a complete ALBUM with parts of a title as this sets the delimiter to the field boundaries.
>
> Of yourse you can set a filter where you set the offset with $mid()
> First filtering would be $mid(%title%,1,8)
> Second filtering would be $mid(%title%,2,8)
> and so on. But you have to set it. There is not automatism.
This I don't understand
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> I still have my problems to understand why such a more or less random comparison should propell the maintenance of a collection.
> OK, I would find the title Tusk on the album Tusk (Fleetwood Mac). So? What about the other tracks?
> I would find the track "calling all stations" on the album "... calling all stations" - both in the correct spelling. So?
> Or there is the album "... Featuring" by Norah Jones - but the "feat." is only part of the real title (and it is shorter than the 8 characters and has a different punctuation). No mistake could be spotted there.
> I get the impression that this approach will lead a lot of false hits and leave out just as many real mistakes.
> So: what's the point, where is the benefit?
The overall benefit is: having an exact order, once a system [nomenclature] is established- which in turn gives accurate information in 99.99% cases just by looking at titles [assuming, there are no errors]
Example: I have an "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" album, in two versions. In my collection [system] those album are named "Terminator III: Rise Of The Machines Score" and "Terminator III: Rise Of The Machines Score". Let say, I had on those albums tracks named
"The Terminator"
"Terminator 3 Main Title"
"Rise of the Machines End Titles"
In my system, they have to be named
"The Terminator" [no change, don't ask why]
"Terminator III Opening Titles"
"Terminator III Closing Titles"
Changing names of the albums is the easy part. Changing names of titles is more time consuming. And if I forget to do something or make an error at it, then corrections are made only by a chance: if somehow I spot something familiar / suspicious in player [displaying me the tags]
In this example, a common mistake for me is not putting the proper number ["II" instead of "III"]. So if if could make a search for a set of 10 sign in both TITLE and ALBUM, I would find all "terminator"'s [also from other related albums, like "Terminator II: Judgment Day Score"]- and then I would take a look at them and manually check for errors [I would get possibly hundreds of files, but I could validate them in alphabetical order]. And as I don't need to look at for titles things like "John Connor Looks At T-800" or "Shootout Part 2" or "Big Explosion" [because there are no Terminator movies with "T-800", "shooutot" or "explosion" in their titles], such a filter wouldn't show me all those irrelevant cases
So my question now is- can I have a simplified filter working like that: find all files with the same TITLE and ALBUM tags, but only to the [for example] sixth [counting from the beginning] sign of both those tags ?
A filter like that would find me [among others]:
" **Termin** ator III Opening Titles" from album " **Termin** ator III: Rise Of The Machines Score"
" **Termin** ator III Closing Titles" from album " **Termin** ator III: Rise Of The Machines Score"
" **Termin** ator II Opening Titles" from album " **Termin** ator II: Judgment Day Score"
" **The De** vil You Know Opening (Movie Edit)" from album " **The De** vil You Know Score"
" **Dark V** oid Credits" from album **"Dark V** oid Videogame Score"
" **Con Ai** r Overture" from album " **Con Ai** r Score"
" **Reani** mation Opener" from album " **Reani** mation"
etc.
That would find me something like 95% of what I need to check for errors, because almost every track "nomenclatured" by me has on the beginning of its TITLE the name of the ALBUM
And if you ask me, why do I change titles sometimes so profoundly, beyond recognition to someone not familiar with my nomenclature, I will explain:
- those files are for me; most people don't give a flying duck about what or who they are listening to, but I like to educate myself musically
- editors / musicians / online services / record companies do not follow any universal / global rules- so if you put together enough albums / songs, you will get a naming / authorship chaos; a mix is something different than remix, a megamix is something different than mashup, a "versus" put between two artist is just some crappy publicity stunt in reality meaning nothing special [and is to be disregarded], "vs." and "V." can be easily used to distinguish between two different things etc.
- the same track can be named in different manner on different official releases; "titles" becomes "main titles", an "the" is missing or added, "Part 2" becomes "Pt. II" etc.
- by looking at my titles I can tell right away if for example an "intro" of a track is a "intro" from a movie or videogame or maybe and opening of a whole album or just a prelude to a song; official [original] nomenclature in many cases is ambiguous or even misleading / incorrect
- as the times goes by, there are more and more cases of movies and games bearing the same title; and also there are all those sequels and remakes
- if you have enough score albums in your collection, you will get things like titles officially named only "Main Titles" by the hundreds; with a few "Main Titles" by the same composer [from different movies]
- if I ever have to change some "system" word or split some kind of tracks in two subcategories, I will easily find them by putting int filter proper combination of system words
Sometimes "nomenclatured" tracks look odd- but as empirical data shows me, a well designed system like mine just works
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/8 "2015-02-12T17:44:18Z")
If you want to see, if a sub-string is in another string, you can use
"$if($strstr(%album%,$mid(%title%1,8))),yes,no)" IS yes
checks if the first 8 characters of TITLE are in ALBUM somewhere.
This would not yet find the terminator in "Terminator" and "The Terminator". For this, you would have to scroll forward to
"$if($strstr(%album%,$mid(%title%5,8))),yes,no)" IS yes
which cuts 8 characters out of title, starting at character 5.
So, if you want to scan through your collection like this, you are welcome. If you insist on an automatism: hard luck.
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/9 "2015-02-12T19:59:55Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> ... So my question now is- can I have a simplified filter working like that: find all files with the same TITLE and ALBUM tags, but only to the [for example] sixth [counting from the beginning] sign of both those tags ? ...
**Filter examples This works ... case sensitive "$ifgreater($strstr($left(%TITLE%,6),$left(%ALBUM%,6)),0,1,0)" IS 1**
... or ...
"$strstr($left(%TITLE%,6),$left(%ALBUM%,6))" GREATER 0
... or ...
"$strstr($left(%TITLE%,6),$left(%ALBUM%,6))" IS 1 case insensitive "$ifgreater($strstr($lower($left(%TITLE%,6)),$lower($left(%ALBUM%,6))),0,1,0)" IS 1
... or ...
"$strstr($lower($left(%TITLE%,6)),$lower($left(%ALBUM%,6)))" GREATER 0
... or ...
"$strstr($lower($left(%TITLE%,6)),$lower($left(%ALBUM%,6)))" IS 1 This does not work ... "$left(%TITLE%,6)" EQUAL "$left(%ALBUM%,6)" NOT ("$left(%TITLE%,6)" EQUAL "$left(%ALBUM%,6)")
DD.20150212.2208.CET
---
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 9:22am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/10 "2015-02-13T09:22:15Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> case insensitive"$ifgreater($strstr($lower($left(%TITLE%,6)),$lower($left(%ALBUM%,6))),0,1,0)" IS 1
That one gives me the most records; although the difference in numbers, between 4 of your working codes, is minimal. But as I understand, that one disregards [doesn't take into consideration] the eventual capitalization of letters?
And one more related question: is there a way to permanently save a code like that into filter, for later quick usage? Every now and then, I have all those previous codes and words [titles, artists names, years etc.]; and it comes a time when the are just to many and I just have to remove them all from history [I don't want to pick them one by one and left out the good ones, becaause it take too much time / attention and it is easy to make an mistake]. It would come in handy, if there was something like actions groups for filter, which could be created, named and saved. And if it doesn't exist, I'll write about it General Discussion
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 9:38am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/11 "2015-02-13T09:38:50Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> ... I understand, that one disregards [doesn't take into consideration] the eventual capitalization of letters? ...
Yes the function $lower() does it.
> [@zerow](#):
>
> ... And one more related question: is there a way to permanently save a code like that into filter, for later quick usage? ...
Hmm ... how about a simple text file as a sticky note, together with helpful remarks?
DD.20150213.1144.CET
---
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 11:24am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/12 "2015-02-13T11:24:37Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> Yes the function $lower() does it.
>
> Hmm ... how about a simple text file as a sticky note, together with helpful remarks?
>
> DD.20150213.1144.CET
I can also pin to a text file on a Taskbar [in Windows 7]; and that's what I'm already using
But that's a workaround; which generates me additional open window / application; it takes space and / or adds to overload of information on the screen / Taskbar
Something like customizable ready-to-use filters should be implemented in future versions: most likely under that icon on the right side of filter input field
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 1:05pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/13 "2015-02-13T13:05:10Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> I can also pin to a text file on a Taskbar [in Windows 7]; and that's what I'm already using
> But that's a workaround; which generates me additional open window / application; it takes space and / or adds to overload of information on the screen / Taskbar ...
You may add a "Tool" entry in "Mp3tag options" ... for example ...
Name: Open my &Knowledge Base
Path:
Parameter: **'"'$getEnv('USERPROFILE')'\Documents\Mp3tag\MyMp3tagKnowledgeBase.txt"'**
For all selected files: no
Make sure that all filepathnames exist before testing.
DD.20150213.1505.CET
---
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/14 "2015-02-14T17:00:59Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> I can also pin to a text file on a Taskbar [in Windows 7]; and that's what I'm already using
>
> But that's a workaround; which generates me additional open window / application; it takes space and / or adds to overload of information on the screen / Taskbar
>
> Something like customizable ready-to-use filters should be implemented in future versions: most likely under that icon on the right side of filter input field
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> You may add a "Tool" entry in "Mp3tag options" ... for example ...
>
> Name: Open my &Knowledge Base
> Path:
> Parameter: **'"'$getEnv('USERPROFILE')'\Documents\Mp3tag\MyMp3tagKnowledgeBase.txt"'**
> For all selected files: no
>
> Make sure that all filepathnames exist before testing.
>
> DD.20150213.1505.CET
Let's break it down fo the dummies
1] Name
Whatever I want to call it. That I get
2] Path
What executable? That of Mp3tag or just the Notepad EXE?
3] Parameter
What does this "$getEnv" will do? As I understand, I'm suppose to give a path to some existing text file- but what is suppose to happen with that text file and where [how]? Can somehow make a new icon [shortcut] in Mp3tag?
4] For all selected files
What happens with "yes"?
I was wondering what the "Tools" in "Tools" were for; and maybe now I will
The manual [[https://docs.mp3tag.de/menus](https://docs.mp3tag.de/menus)] doesn't give any isnight into what you kindly proposed for me; so someone, please explain further
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/15 "2015-02-14T17:58:24Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> Let's break it down fo the dummies ...
About Mp3tag Tools feature and examples of different tool configurations ... read there ...
[/t/966/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/966/1)
> [@zerow](#):
>
> What does this "$getEnv" will do?
**$getEnv()** is a function call to the Windows operating system, in order to get the current content of a so called "environment variable".
Using a well known "environment variable" has advantages in contrast to hard-coded paths and filenames.
> [@zerow](#):
>
> For all selected files ... What happens with "yes"?
Good question.
Calling an application, which is made for invoking one file only, to be opened for multiple instances, ...
all together at once, for example for ten or hundred or thousands of files, ...
can make the computer system unusable for user intervention.
DD.20150214.1958.CET
---
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2015, 9:40am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/16 "2015-02-18T09:40:37Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> 2] Path
> What executable? That of Mp3tag or just the Notepad EXE?
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> About Mp3tag Tools feature and examples of different tool configurations ... read there ...
> [/t/966/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/966/1)
> DD.20150214.1958.CET
That was very helpful, thank you
The short simplified answer / explanation would be: you can create a list of shortcuts [called "Tools"] to whatever programs you like and open them with parameters; which in return will save you time, bacause the list with Tools [edited in menu Tools] is accessible in the context menu [right click on any file]
So I've created an entry in Tool for notepad.exe with a parameter bearing a path to my already existing TXT file with musical information. I will put now all those filters on top of this file. And that is handy but it is still only a workaround. Becasue even if I use CTRL + 1 for opening the file, I still have to select, copy, [go back to Mp3tag], and paste the code
The filter's list menu [under the icon] should be definable. Now by programmers default I have there a ready to use [paste] \>\> %language% \<\< code, which I can memorize but I know I will never use; and don't have a \>\> "$ifgreater($strstr($lower($left(%TITLE%,6)),$lower($left(%ALBUM%,6))),0,1,0)" IS 1 \<\< which is hard to memorize and even harder to write down without an error, which I will use often. It would be much easier if I could just kick out the first one and add the second to the list
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2015, 10:21am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/17 "2015-02-18T10:21:14Z")
> [@zerow](#):
>
> ... The filter's list ... should be definable. ... It would be much easier if I could just kick out the first one and add the second to the list
Yes, sometimes it would be handy to load a prepared list of filter expressions.
While in the Filter dialog a selected list entry can be removed by pressing [Shift]+[Del] ...
or use the features from the Filter [\>] menu.
DD.20150218.1221.CET
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/advanced-filtering/16590/18 "2026-02-09T12:25:31Z")