### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/4 "2025-10-26T15:42:12Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> they are only _similar_, not _identical_.
Thank you for the clarification.
A note on
> [@Florian](#):
>
> **Select same ``**
I would not take the sort field name but the column header / column name. Like that it would be clear by which column contents the files get selected now.
And another idea about the sorting: what about taking the result of the "sort by" property to select files. If an appropriate function is set (e.g. $num(%track%,2) for the column showing TRACK), then all the "2s" from the above example would be selected.
The same would apply to artists who could not make up their minds about e.g. the "The" in their name and which some users may delete to get "The Beatles" and "Beatles" together.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/5 "2025-10-26T16:02:16Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> I would not take the sort field name but the column header / column name. Like that it would be clear by which column contents the files get selected now.
Good point, and I was thinking about that as well. Could you suggest a concrete wording, maybe also with a German translation, of the menu item text you have in mind?
As an additional note that might not be immediately obvious: I wrote _active sort criteria_ (plural), not _criterion_, which means that sorting by multiple columns is also supported.
* * *
Good point as well about using **Sort by** (and using **Value** as fallback).
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/6 "2025-10-26T16:10:46Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> **Select similar files**
append with "(from column name)"
so it would become "Select similar files (from Album)"
German would be "(aus Spaltenname)"
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/7 "2025-10-26T16:21:55Z")
This would result in those menu item texts, and I'll have to let that sink in for a while.
Single criterion:
> Select similar files (from Album)
> Select next similar files (from Album)
>
> Ähnliche Dateien auswählen (aus Album)
> Nächste ähnliche Dateien auswählen (aus Album)
Multiple criteria:
> Select similar files (from Track, Album, Album Artist)
> Select next similar files (from Track, Album, Album Artist)
>
> Ähnliche Dateien auswählen (aus Track, Album, Album-Interpret)
> Nächste ähnliche Dateien auswählen (aus Track, Album, Album-Interpret)
I don't like the very long menu item names, but I do like how it's directly obvious what's used for similarity. However, the latter might already be known when using the feature.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/8 "2025-10-26T16:30:16Z")
The little arrow to indicate the last sort criterion is only visible on the last column - so I would assume that a reference to this column would be enough.
A footnote: the function `View>Sort by` also shows only the last criterion.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2025, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/9 "2025-10-26T19:26:50Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> If an appropriate function is set (e.g. $num(%track%,2) for the column showing TRACK), then all the "2s" from the above example would be selected.
> [@Florian](#):
>
> Good point as well about using **Sort by** (and using **Value** as fallback).
I've just checked: it's already implemented this way. You probably need to set the appropriate function for the column showing the track number.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 7:32am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/10 "2025-10-27T07:32:05Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> I've just checked: it's already implemented this way.
You are right. It works to have a special expression in "Sort by".
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 9:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/11 "2025-10-29T09:27:17Z")
I decided against adding the active sort criteria to the menu item texts, and will instead show it in the status bar help texts.
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### Author:  [@yorickausyps](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/yorickausyps)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 5:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/12 "2025-10-29T17:12:01Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> Good point as well about using **Sort by** (and using **Value** as fallback).
If **Value** is used as fallback, the checkbox **Numeric** should also be used. Currently it seems to be ignored. I observed this with one album having leading zeros in track numbers and others that don't.
If I first sort the album artist and then the track number and then select similar files, only those before or after the one with leading zeros are selected.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2025, 5:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-similar-is-similar/70039/13 "2025-11-28T17:12:30Z")
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