# Is it possible to align the playing times?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 21, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118 "2009-03-21T14:16:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Alderwood](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Alderwood)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/1 "2009-03-21T14:16:01Z")
I would like to align the playing times (minutes and seconds) exactly below each other thus
1 title artist 04:30
2 title artist 03:48
Is this possible and in the affirmative case how can I achieve this?
See the attachment.
[align\_playtime.txt](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/9/945ac12e4e739ace4a8153472c7e23b9227c07bd.txt) (309 Bytes)
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/2 "2009-03-21T16:04:51Z")
There is an example:
[Export 2 txt - Leerzeichen individuell einfügen...](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/4469/2)
Use string function $repeat(a,n) instead of a long string of spaces.
... or write html table output or so ...
DD.20090321.1803.CET
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### Author:  [@Alderwood](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Alderwood)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2009, 11:23am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/3 "2009-03-22T11:23:52Z")
Thank you for your reply, but I do not understand what I have to do.
Would it be too much to ask to give me the corresponding configuration string?
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/4 "2009-03-22T14:27:07Z")
Well, so let us see what you have coded so far ...
DD.20090322.1627.CET
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### Author:  [@Alderwood](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Alderwood)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/5 "2009-03-22T20:43:39Z")
$filename(txt,utf-8)$loop(%\_path%)%track% - %title% - %artist% - %\_length%
$loopend()
%\_total\_time%
This I didnot do myself either, please keep in mind that I learned about MP3Tag only last week.
I even think that when I have the proper coding, this may be all I ever will need.
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2009, 7:46am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/6 "2009-03-23T07:46:39Z")
I've attached an export script which shows some basic work.
Example export script:
[Export\_Simple\_with\_Columns.mte](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/4/4d5d143c7bfc144d9015c62cc18abba45d9cf56b.mte) (765 Bytes)
Example output:
[Test.Export.txt](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/0/087bccf4c763fe9d8f5a38bcc9d50ebcbd7b2dc2.txt) (15 KB)
Copy export script file into folder "%appdata%\Mp3tag\export".
Run export script from within Mp3tag/File/Export dialog.
DD.20090323.0946.CET
[Export\_Simple\_with\_Columns.mte](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/4/4d5d143c7bfc144d9015c62cc18abba45d9cf56b.mte) (765 Bytes)
[Test.Export.txt](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/0/087bccf4c763fe9d8f5a38bcc9d50ebcbd7b2dc2.txt) (15 KB)
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### Author:  [@Alderwood](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Alderwood)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/7 "2009-03-23T14:05:58Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> I've attached an export script which shows some basic work.
>
> Example export script:
> [Export\_Simple\_with\_Columns.mte](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/4/4d5d143c7bfc144d9015c62cc18abba45d9cf56b.mte) (765 Bytes)
> Example output:
> [Test.Export.txt](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/0/087bccf4c763fe9d8f5a38bcc9d50ebcbd7b2dc2.txt) (15 KB)
>
> Copy export script file into folder "%appdata%\Mp3tag\export".
> Run export script from within Mp3tag/File/Export dialog.
>
> DD.20090323.0946.CET
This is too much information I do not need..
With the concerning export script I get too big a list which I cannot insert in front cover
of the cdcase.
I have been studying what could be deleted but have no idea.
I thank you for the time you devoted to my question.
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/8 "2009-03-23T15:37:27Z")
> [@Alderwood](#):
>
> This is too much information I do not need..
> With the concerning export script I get too big a list which I cannot insert in front cover of the cdcase. ...
Search for member "Gabor" who did some nice cover print work:
[/t/4570/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/4570/1)
[/t/4548/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/4548/1)
[/t/4551/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/4551/1)
[/t/4550/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/4550/1)
[/t/4549/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/4549/1)
Find some fitting script in the archive:
[/t/1495/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/1495/1)
DD.20090323.1737.CET
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### Author:  [@Alderwood](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Alderwood)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/9 "2009-03-23T17:56:33Z")
Dear DetlevD,
It would have been easier for both of us, if you simply had adapted the code I gave you.
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/10 "2009-03-23T22:30:15Z")
> [@Alderwood](#):
>
> ... It would have been easier for both of us, if you simply had adapted the code I gave you.
Hehe, nothing learned in the meantime?
Ok, back to your first posting.
You want to align the playing times exactly below each other and you have asked if this possible and how you can achieve this.
The answer, part one, is "Yes, you can"!
The answer, part two, is as following:
If you want to align tag field content resp. text columns on simple text output, then you have to do some string manipulation in order to set each column to a fixed width.
In general numerical columns are aligned to the right edge and textual columns are aligned to the left edge.
Left aligning resp. truncating at the right edge can be coded like following, e. g.
**$left(%ARTIST%$repeat(' ',40),40)**
Right aligning resp. truncating at the left edge can be coded like following, e. g.
**$right($repeat(' ',7)%LENGTH%,7)**
For aligning the tracknumber you may simply code:
**$num(%TRACK%,2)**
As I do not know exactly to which width your columns have to be truncated to fit on the cover sheet you have to do the math for yourself.
Keep in mind that this method will give readable aligned result only when using a fix pitched printer font like "Fixedsys" or "Courier New" or "Lucida Console" or some other "Mono"-spaced font type.
DD.20090324.0030.CET
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### Author:  [@Alderwood](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Alderwood)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 8:55am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/11 "2009-03-24T08:55:58Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> Hehe, nothing learned in the meantime?
I gave it a try, but I am at a loss where I have to insert the adaptions you mentioned
and therefore result was not good.
Occassionaly I want to make such a list and therefore I do not want to do a lot of trial and error
in order to reach the required result.
This is not neccessary either.
A friend gave me her software of MP3Collector, since she had no use for it anymore.
This is a very userfriendly application since within half an hour I got the result I want
(see the attachment)
[index.html](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/0/01555b8375dccac12528032c9a5162fbbfcd8939.html) (4.22 KB)
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:42am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/12 "2009-03-24T10:42:43Z")
> [@Alderwood](#):
>
> ... Occassionaly I want to make such a list and therefore I do not want to do a lot of trial and error in order to reach the required result.
Well, you now offer a result which is in fact a html page including a table - and this is equivalent to my proposal from posting #2 of this thread (because I know the problems with formatting pure text as you wanted to do ...). Now you points this out what I've said: it might be easier to create a well formed list by a html page and print the html page via browser using any proportional font you like.
Mp3tag delivers some standard beginners mte html scripts. Additionally look into the forum export archive, there are a bunch of similar html export scripts, learn to use them and try to adapt them to your needs if necessary.
> [@Alderwood](#):
>
> ... since within half an hour I got the result I want (see the attachment)
This may look like that what you've want, but it was not the way you've started and gone so far...
\*\*\* It always helps to know what exactly is desired. \*\*\*
After all desperation you should take some time to learn more about the magics within M3tag.
This is not the ready made button to click (though, I miss this button too ...), but it is the power of the open workbench (which you do not find in other feature limited applications).
DD.20090324.1243.CET
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### Author:  [@Alderwood](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Alderwood)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/13 "2009-03-24T14:20:15Z")
QUOTE (DetlevD @ Mar 24 2009, 12:42) \<{POST\_SNAPBACK}\>
In my opinion I did exactly asked what I wanted, but never specified which output format (txt, html).
But this thread has become so complicated that there was plenty of room for mutual misunderstandings.
Anyway I did a lot of browsing based on the links you gave me, but I didnot found what I wanted.
Since I now have this I do not see any reason why I should not close the subject, but not before I thank you for your attention you devoted to the subject.
Though I prefer that it had come in the form of ready solution.
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/14 "2009-03-24T20:02:51Z")
Hi Alderwood, must take the - hopefully - last word, beg your pardon.
> [@Alderwood](#):
>
> ... In my opinion I did exactly asked what I wanted, but never specified which output format (txt, html). ...
See your post #5 of this thread, you wrote ...
> [@](#):
>
> $filename(txt,utf-8)$loop(%\_path%)%track% - %title% - %artist% - %\_length%
> $loopend()
> %\_total\_time%
You've coded for a simple text/utf-8 output.
DD.20090324.2201.CET
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/is-it-possible-to-align-the-playing-times/8118/15 "2026-02-09T12:21:26Z")