# Menu Convert Text file - Tag **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [February 20, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/menu-convert-text-file-tag/14467 "2013-02-20T10:58:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gwenkillerby](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/gwenkillerby/32/407_2.png) [@gwenkillerby](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gwenkillerby)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/menu-convert-text-file-tag/14467/1 "2013-02-20T10:58:11Z")
Now, the info in the helpfile, which is thankfully local, is wonderful but at times it lacks a good ACTUAL example, which is annoying to me and diminishes my info processing capacities. Sometimes I suspect that because you know the program so well, you can't explain it very well because its all so obvious to you. Just keep in mind that 99% of people asking for help, automatically have the IQ of a dumb 12 year old. Or, I'm just stupid. So: 1. Can some one give me an actual example of how the below procedure works with this fake artist and song? Preferably a couple of examples, with an explanation of the %dummy% field (pun not intended, i'm too dummy for that 😉) The fake artist and song: **The Beetles - Meeshelle.mp3** 1. Do the separators have to be the forward slash **"/"**? > [@](#): > > Menu Convert \> Text file - Tag > > This converter imports tag information from a text file. In this text file, each line corresponds to the tag information for one file. The format string describes the format of these lines. > > Text files in Unicode format need a BOM (Byte Order Marker) to be correctly identified as Unicode files. > Filename > > Filename of the text file. The tags will be imported from this file. > Format string > > The format string describes the format of one line in the text file. > You can use the following placeholders in the format string: > %album% Album > %artist% Artist > %comment% Comment > %genre% Genre > %title% Title > %track% Track-Number > %year% Year > %field% Any other tag field you'd like to use. > %\_filename\_ext% Filename (current working directory is used as file path) > %\_path% Filename with full file path > %dummy% this part will be ignored > Example > > Line in file: Artist / Title / Album / Year > Format string: %artist% / %title% / %album% / %year% ---
**Author:** ![JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/jj_johnson/32/67_2.png) [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 11:48am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/menu-convert-text-file-tag/14467/2 "2013-02-20T11:48:01Z")
> [@GwenkillRRRRbeee](#): > > Now, the info in the helpfile, which is thankfully local, is wonderful but at times it lacks a good ACTUAL example, which is annoying to me and diminishes my info processing capacities. I agree, to some extent. The Help could use more examples. > [@](#): > > Sometimes I suspect that because you know the program so well, you can't explain it very well because its all so obvious to you. > Just keep in mind that 99% of people asking for help, automatically have the IQ of a dumb 12 year old. > > Or, I'm just stupid. Have you asked questions in the forums and been given answers that you don't understand? If so, just say so and I'm sure you'll get additional help. > [@](#): > > So: > > 1. Can some one give me an actual example of how the below procedure works with this fake artist and song? Preferably a couple of examples, with an explanation of the %dummy% field (pun not intended, i'm too dummy for that 😉) > > The fake artist and song: > **The Beetles - Meeshelle.mp3** > > 1. Do the separators have to be the forward slash **"/"**? What are you actually trying to do? The title of this thread says 'Convert Text File - Tag', but in your question you've given the name of a file, which would imply that you mean to use the 'Filename - Tag' converter instead. In a format string, anything between % signs is a placeholder variable. These are the things that you're pulling out of the target string - like ARTIST, YEAR, GENRE, TITLE, ALBUM, etc. Anything else is a literal, meaning that Mp3tag will look for exactly those characters and these are used as separators between the placeholders. If you wanted to pull both the ARTIST and TITLE out of the filename above, you'd use the ![:mt_ftt:](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/1X/6ab8d95b0c2a82cb4f9b0eb16ea87ad3a6575015.png ":mt\_ftt:") Filename - Tag converter, and you'd use a format string of %artist% - %title% The separator here is a space, then a dash, then a space. The %dummy% field is used to pull out a chunk, but to throw it away, unused. Let's say you already have the ARTIST and don't care to pull it out of the filename, but you want the TITLE. You would use a format string of %dummy% - %title% %dummy% will match anything before that space/dash/space. It's a way of matching something that isn't a literal, and then not keeping it. ---
**Author:** ![gwenkillerby](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/gwenkillerby/32/407_2.png) [@gwenkillerby](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gwenkillerby)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 12:07pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/menu-convert-text-file-tag/14467/3 "2013-02-20T12:07:43Z")
> [@JJ Johnson](#): > > I agree, to some extent. The Help could use more examples. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! 😉 > [@](#): > > Have you asked questions in the forums and been given answers that you don't understand? If so, just say so and I'm sure you'll get additional help. yes, you guys are ok, im just venting, sorry. > [@](#): > > What are you actually trying to do? Actually: Trying to export the lyrics in the lyrics-field/tag (USLT????) into a likewise named textfile. So: From **Bieber**.mp3 to **Bieber**.txt (bieber, as IF ..0) PS I was also trying to rant about the lack of examples in the Help sections, again, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/jj_johnson/32/67_2.png) [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 12:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/menu-convert-text-file-tag/14467/4 "2013-02-20T12:19:52Z")
You wouldn't use a converter for that. The 'Text File - Tag' converter is used for pulling in tag data from a text file (in essence, _importing_ data). I don't have much experience with exporting data, so I'll let someone else answer how (or if) it can be done. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/menu-convert-text-file-tag/14467/5 "2026-02-09T12:24:21Z")
Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC