# Conditional Export
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734
**Category:** Export
**Created:** [April 12, 2007, 9:19am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734 "2007-04-12T09:19:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JFord](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JFord)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 9:19am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/1 "2007-04-12T09:19:41Z")
I can't determine why there aren't more questions like mine, but I hope it's not because I am a total bonehead.
I want to create a simple flat text export that exports different information based on what's in the tag.
After struggling I managed to create an export consisting of a unique list of Artist-Album combinations.
My latest quest is to export the comment tag only when it contains certain information, if it doesn't contain the specific text then I want to export blanks. I don't know where in the comment field my search target may appear.
If this is a stupid question then a pointer to "Scripting for Dummies" would be helpful.
---
### Author:  [@milka](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/milka)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/2 "2007-04-12T19:51:59Z")
You should write some concrete examples.
Why don't you attach your export file ("unique list of Artist-Album combinations") that you made?
Maybe I can help.
~ milka
---
### Author:  [@JFord](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JFord)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/3 "2007-04-13T18:23:23Z")
Milka -
Thanks so much for your offer.
Here is the script that exports a unique list of Artist-Album (if there is %Album% to export). Is there a better way to do this?
$filename(txt)$loop(%artist%)$loop(%album%)$if($Eql(%album%,),,%artist%-%album%$char(13)$char(10))$loopend()$loopend()
I would like to write a different script that exports Artist-Title, but only if the Comment field contains the characters "R5". I can't determine any way to do that.
---
### Author:  [@nickless](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/nickless)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/4 "2007-04-14T21:46:00Z")
> [@JFord](#):
>
> Here is the script that exports a unique list of Artist-Album
AFAIK a unique list do not have equal lines, so it sould be something like this: $filename(test.txt)$loop(%album%-%artist%,1)$if($neql(%album%,),%artist%-%album%
```
,)$loopend()
```
And the artist-title export:
```
$loop(%artist%-%title%)$if($eql($strstr(%comment%,R5),0),,%artist%-%title%
)$loopend()
```
Regards
nickless
---
### Author:  [@milka](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/milka)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2007, 9:49am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/5 "2007-04-15T09:49:07Z")
I had some work to do, but nickless have done it. I test it and it's working nice.
~ milka
---
### Author:  [@JFord](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JFord)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2007, 12:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/6 "2007-04-15T12:00:08Z")
This is brilliant! You two are wonderful!
The examples have taught me several basic tricks and approaches I was missing. Character-based languages (APL, RegEx, etc.) require true subtlety to master.
---
### Author:  [@JFord](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JFord)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/7 "2007-04-21T17:06:52Z")
I have finally gotten back to this task. In my testing the artist-title export does not work. The $strstr(%comment%,R5) function returns true when it finds just the letter R, it does not require finding the string "R5".
Can anyone confirm or deny this for me?
---
### Author:  [@milka](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/milka)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/8 "2007-04-24T04:55:30Z")
Maybe is some kind of a bug. Can I see your comment tag content?
---
### Author:  [@JFord](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JFord)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/9 "2007-04-24T18:50:43Z")
OK, I guess I am a complete bonehead. I went back to retest the code to provide my results and everything works as I was hoping.
I apologize for the fire drill.
---
### Author:  [@supertagger](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/supertagger)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2007, 6:31am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/10 "2007-09-27T06:31:02Z")
I would like to revive this thread with the following question:
The mentioned conditional export is static - could someone help me generate a conditional export that is based on the date?
My files have a special tag that designates the day I tagged them in the format YYYY-MM-DD. Now, if I run my export in September 2007 (using %\_date% mp3tag generates M/DD/YYYY) I would like to only show those files that I tagged in September 2007, i.e. in which the special tag says 2007-09-XX. I would like this to work not only in that particular month but in any month.
In programming-lingo I would want:
Export files in which specialtag's first 7 digits (e.g.2007-09) equal current month.
Is there a way to do this? I am kind of a greenhorn with scripting and unfortunately stuck... .
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks! 🙂
---
### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2007, 10:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/11 "2007-09-27T10:33:16Z")
```
$if($eql($replace($left(%your field%,7),-0,-),$regexp(%_date%,^(\d\d?)/\d\d?/(\d\d\d\d)$,$2-$1)),Yes,No)
```
In the Yes part goes the stuff you want to output if the condintion is fulfilled and No part stays empty.
---
### Author:  [@supertagger](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/supertagger)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2007, 10:44am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/conditional-export/4734/12 "2007-09-27T10:44:31Z")
Oh wow, thank you Dano, I will try this out right away!
Do you by any chance also know how I can limit the number of loops when I sort inversely using the $sub(%fieldofinterest%,10000000) method? MP3TAG always crashes when I put it this way:
$loop($sub(%fieldofinterest%),10000000000),50) \<--instead of limiting it to 50 loops it just keeps on going OR crashes ... .
Thank you.
st