i can't find any operators for things like ifblank, ifchar, ifnumeric, and such
so, for example, how do i test for a blank tag field?
this is obviously a very useful/important test
In filters try:
%field% MISSING
or
%field% IS ""
where you substiture %field% with the real field name.
In other expressions test for empty fields with $if($eql(%field%,),true,false).
If the field type does not determine what kind of data you can expect (e.g. TRACK in MP4 files is numeric) use regular expressions to test for a particular pattern.
thanks for promt response
so to start with, you are saying that there are no such logical operators, such as 'isblank', etc?
(which really there should be)
from yr reply, i note that there is some logical operator called MISSING? wil check, but i did not see that listed with other operators, so where are such things listed
.. IS "" i get of course, although i was not really aware of 'IS' operator (like MISSING')
now with if($eql(field,),true, false), you have got me. is the lack of anything after ',', ie ',)' signify bank/empty? (empty would be the better description really)
still all leaves me a bit flummoxed though: i guess when i want to use an app, i do not want to have to learn to be a coder as well (those day are long long gone)
19 days ago I asked you to have a look at the documentation for filters:
but your responses show me that you did not.
Also I think that you still circle around the idea that fields can be empty - which they cannot. If there is no data for a field, then the field cannot be found in the metadata. There is no table (or something similar) stored in the metadata that is reserved for a particular field.
So "MISSING" described it absolutely correctly: the field is not there, it is not emtpy. Taken seriously, a test for an empty string in a field that is not there should really produce an error (which thankfully does not happen)
As with many of your other posts you describe your problems very theoretically.
It would be much nicer if you could tell us the real situations, preferably with a screendump.
So: for which use-case do you need a test for the presence of data and the data type.
If you really need such operators but you
then I see a certain discrepancy as such operators are usually only used in codes, aren't they?
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please see three different things i tried - with no result
maybe if you tell what is wrong with syntax and/or logic, i will better understand just what i am doing (some other things i have actually managed)
I said that the "MISSING" works in filters.
The same applies to "IS".
Regular expressions are something different.
Again: you do not replace something that is not there with something else, you simply set the value.
So; try an action of the type "Format value" or use Convert>Tag-Tag for ALBUM
Format string: $if2(%album%,'['SA Track']')
This sets ALBUM to [SA Track]only in files where ALBUM is missing.
Just a note: if you really want to set a string to files that have not filled a certain field, it would go much quicker if you
- filter for these files first with
%album% MISSING - select the displayed files
- enter the string in the corresponding field in the tag panel
- save the modification.
The way with the condition also has to look at files that would not need treatment which is slower and may result in updated modification dates that you do not want.
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noted. thank you.
btw, seeing i was not talking about Filkters, but Actions,i did not even notice the distinction
and i note yr idea to use filter and a direct replace
If you want to fill a non-existent field with new data you do not "replace" it, you use a format string to set the value. So an action of the type "Format value" would be right or the equivalent "Convert>Tag-Tag" or using the tag panel or the extended tags dialogue.
To replace something there has to be a "place" before you can do something to it. As a field with no data does not exist, there is no "place".
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