# List all existing tags in column except a few specified ones?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [June 9, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955 "2015-06-09T20:26:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@theG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/theG)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955/1 "2015-06-09T20:26:35Z")
Hello.
Ok, here what I want to do:
Basically, I want a column that tells me if there are unwanted tags that exists.
So the column will tell me if there are tags other than the following ones that exists:
%ALBUM%
%ALBUMARTIST%
%ALBUMTYPE%
%ARTIST%
%COMPILATION%
%DISCNUMBER%
%EDITION%
%LENGTH%
%RELEASE DATE%
%TITLE%
%TRACK%
%YEAR%
%COMMENT%
How do I do that?
EDIT:
Ah, I found a way, here it is.
The way I tag things, all the tags in the above list should be there, except %COMMENT% that is sometimes there, sometimes not.
The way I did it, there will be a black square in the column if there are missing wanted tags, or if there are tags that are not in the above list.
Here it is:
```
$if($eql($len($list(,,)),$add($if(%COMMENT%,$len(COMMENT%COMMENT%),0),$add(91,$len(%ALBUM%%ALBUMARTIST%%ALBUMTYPE%%ARTIST%%COMPILATION%%DISCNUMBER%%EDITION%%LENGTH%%RELEASE DATE%%TITLE%%TRACK%%YEAR%)))),, █)
```
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955/2 "2015-06-10T04:08:26Z")
> [@Guillaume](#):
>
> ...
> Basically, I want a column that tells me if there are unwanted tags that exists.
Wouldn't it be easier to select all files and then have a look at the extended tags dialogue (Alt-T) where you can see which fields are present?
There you can delete the unwanted ones in more or less one go.
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955/3 "2015-06-10T14:28:50Z")
> [@Guillaume](#):
>
> ... I want a column that tells me if there are unwanted tags that exists. ... How do I do that?
Here is a proposal to be used within the Mp3tag filter dialog ...
Files with tag fields only from the list:
`ARTIST ALBUMARTIST ALBUM TRACK TITLE COMPOSER YEAR GENRE`
```auto
"$regexp($regexp($list(' ~~','~~','=='),'~~(.+?)~~.+?==','$1~~'),'((ARTIST|ALBUMARTIST|ALBUM|TRACK|TITLE|COMPOSER|YEAR|GENRE)~~)',)" IS ""
```
All files with additional tag fields in addition to those in the list ...
```auto
NOT ("$regexp($regexp($list(' ~~','~~','=='),'~~(.+?)~~.+?==','$1~~'),'((ARTIST|ALBUMARTIST|ALBUM|TRACK|TITLE|COMPOSER|YEAR|GENRE)~~)',)" IS "")
```
If someone needs an indicator in the listview, which displays only the existence of other tag-field names, more than the basic set of tag-field names, then it can be done with this formatstring ...
```auto
$iflonger($regexp($regexp($list(' ~~','~~','=='),'~~(.+?)~~.+?==','$1~~'),'((ARTIST|ALBUMARTIST|ALBUM|TRACK|TITLE|COMPOSER|YEAR|GENRE)~~)',),0,'●',)
```
DD.20150610.1828.CEST, DD.20150613.1345.CEST
---
### Author:  [@theG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/theG)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955/4 "2015-06-10T15:51:11Z")
I wanted to avoid the dialog and filter route because I was making changes to tags to 2,85TB worth of FLAC files, then I had to do the same to the mp3 version of my FLAC library. I add new albums on a weekly basis so it was easier to just have a small column that shows something (the black square) in case there were missing essential(to me) tags or unwanted ones. I even added a few conditions so I know if I make a typo in the "Album Type", for instance.
I figured a way to make it work exactly the way I wanted, and thanks for helping out, really appreciated.
Finally came out with this, where in this example track #4 have missing artwork and track #5 have unwanted tags:
---
### Author:  [@tagmusing](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/tagmusing)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2015, 4:38am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955/5 "2015-06-12T04:38:10Z")
Nice!
But how did you do it?
---
### Author:  [@theG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/theG)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955/6 "2015-06-12T18:16:01Z")
> [@tagmusing](#):
>
> Nice!
> But how did you do it?
For the artwork, it's as easy as this: `$if(%_covers%, ◌, '['●']')`
Now, for the [●] to show if there are unwanted tags, the code is as follow:
```auto
$if($eql($len($list(,,)),$add($if(%COMMENT%,$len(COMMENT%COMMENT%),0),$add(91,$len(%ALBUM%%ALBUMARTIST%%ALBUMTYPE%%ARTIST%%COMPILATION%%DISCNUMBER%%EDITION%%LENGTH%%RELEASE DATE%%TITLE%%TRACK%%YEAR%)))),, '['●']')
```
`$list(,,)` gives all existing tags in this format: TAG1VALUE1TAG2VALUE2, etc..
So I get the length of `$list(,,)` and expect it to be equal to the length of the tag names I want + their values.
If it's not, then there are unwanted tags and it shows a [●].
For the first track in the screenshot, `$list(,,)` would be:
> [@](#):
>
> ALBUMHomelessARTISTFinal FlashALBUMARTISTFinal FlashDISCNUMBER1/1COMPILATION0LENGTH04:37TITLEChosen GenerationTRACK1/10YEAR2010ALBUMTYPEAlbumEDITIONOriginalRELEASE DATE2010
The 91 in the code is the length of the tag names put together: ALBUMARTISTALBUMARTISTDISCNUMBERCOMPILATIONLENGTHTITLETRACKYEARALBUMTYPEEDITIONRELEASE DATE
It wasn't necessary, it was just to make the code shorter. It was either this:
```auto
$add(91,$len(%ALBUM%%ALBUMARTIST%%ALBUMTYPE%%ARTIST%%COMPILATION%%DISCNUMBER%%EDITION%%LENGTH%%RELEASE DATE%%TITLE%%TRACK%%YEAR%))
```
Or this:
```auto
$len(ALBUMARTISTALBUMARTISTDISCNUMBERCOMPILATIONLENGTHTITLETRACKYEARALBUMTYPEEDITIONRELEASE DATE%ALBUM%%ALBUMARTIST%%ALBUMTYPE%%ARTIST%%COMPILATION%%DISCNUMBER%%EDITION%%LENGTH%%RELEASE DATE%%TITLE%%TRACK%%YEAR%)
```
%COMMENT% is not always in my tags, so I count the length of it if it's present or not, depending.
Let say there is a tag called FOO and its value is BAR. I expect the length of $list(,,) to be a precise number because I know the length of the tags I want put together. Now, FOO is not in the tags I want. That's a +3 in length, and another +3 in length for its value (BAR).
Length of $list(,,) is now longer by 6 chars than what I expect. That's when I get the [●] to tell me there are unwanted tags.
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2015, 9:13am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955/7 "2015-06-13T09:13:16Z")
> [@Guillaume](#):
>
> For the artwork, it's as easy as this: $if(%\_covers%, ◌, '['●']') ...
Regarding column setup for me the easiest method is ... value: %\_covers%
If there is no cover embedded, then the listview field is blank, otherwise it displays the number of embedded covers.
DD.20150613.1313.CEST
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/list-all-existing-tags-in-column-except-a-few-specified-ones/16955/8 "2026-02-09T12:25:42Z")