# Populate a field if another tag is 1 - otherwise do something else
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/populate-a-field-if-another-tag-is-1-otherwise-do-something-else/15134
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [October 23, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/populate-a-field-if-another-tag-is-1-otherwise-do-something-else/15134 "2013-10-23T15:55:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sjw211](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/sjw211)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/populate-a-field-if-another-tag-is-1-otherwise-do-something-else/15134/1 "2013-10-23T15:55:06Z")
Hi all, hope you can help...
I want to populate the Album Artist field to be 'Various' IF the COMPILATION tag is 1 - otherwise clear the COMPILATION tag and copy the Artist tag to the Album Artist tag.
What's the best way to do this?
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/populate-a-field-if-another-tag-is-1-otherwise-do-something-else/15134/2 "2013-10-23T17:44:07Z")
> [@Me!](#):
>
> ... I want to populate the Album Artist field to be 'Various' IF the COMPILATION tag is 1 - otherwise clear the COMPILATION tag and copy the Artist tag to the Album Artist tag.What's the best way to do this?
You can create two actions of type "Format value".
**%ALBUMARTIST% \<== $if($eql(%COMPILATION%,'1'),'Various',%ARTIST%) %COMPILATION% \<== $if($eql(%COMPILATION%,'1'),%COMPILATION%,%DUMMY%)**
... or ...
**%COMPILATION% \<== $if($eql(%COMPILATION%,'1'),%COMPILATION%,)**
DD.20131023.2148.CEST
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### Author:  [@sjw211](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/sjw211)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/populate-a-field-if-another-tag-is-1-otherwise-do-something-else/15134/3 "2013-10-23T20:39:21Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> You can create two actions of type "Format value".
>
> **%ALBUMARTIST% \<== $if($eql(%COMPILATION%,'1'),'Various',%ARTIST%) %COMPILATION% \<== $if($eql(%COMPILATION%,'1'),%COMPILATION%,%DUMMY%)**
>
> DD.20131023.2148.CEST
Detlev, that is perfect - many thanks!!
I created an action and in the first box I selected ALBUMARTIST and pasted $if($eql(%COMPILATION%,'1'),'Various',%ARTIST%) into the 'format string' box. I then added a second and selected COMPILATION and pasted $if($eql(%COMPILATION%,'1'),%COMPILATION%,%DUMMY%) into the 'format string' box.
I assume that is what you meant - two separate 'commands' in one action.?.
When I list tracks, for some tags I can type directly into the box within the main listing. When I add COMPILATION to the tag list, if I want to change it, I can't just type the entry and have to go to the left hand side and fill it in. Is there a way I can just type into this tag in the 'list' view of the main window?
Again though, MANY thanks!
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2013, 3:49am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/populate-a-field-if-another-tag-is-1-otherwise-do-something-else/15134/4 "2013-10-24T03:49:00Z")
> [@Me!](#):
>
> When I list tracks, for some tags I can type directly into the box within the main listing. When I add COMPILATION to the tag list, if I want to change it, I can't just type the entry and have to go to the left hand side and fill it in. Is there a way I can just type into this tag in the 'list' view of the main window?
Have a look at the help section for columns:
[https://docs.mp3tag.de/customization/file-list](https://docs.mp3tag.de/customization/file-list)
and there at the explanation for "Field".
You have to fill in "Value" **and**"Field"
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/populate-a-field-if-another-tag-is-1-otherwise-do-something-else/15134/5 "2013-10-24T05:40:37Z")
> [@Me!](#):
>
> Detlev, that is perfect - many thanks!! ...
> I assume that is what you meant - two separate 'commands' in one action.?.
>
> When I list tracks, for some tags I can type directly into the box within the main listing. When I add COMPILATION to the tag list, if I want to change it, I can't just type the entry and have to go to the left hand side and fill it in. Is there a way I can just type into this tag in the 'list' view of the main window? ...
Actually, I should have said:
Do create one action group with two actions of type "Format value",
give this action group a meaningful name,
so you can invoke this "action script" by its name from the menu.
Mp3tags allows to create an user defined column in the main spread list.
Do a secondary mouse click on the column header of the main spread list, then the "Column" dialog will be opened.
Fill in a meaningful column header name: Compilation
The value, which should be displayed, is: %COMPILATION%
The tag field, which should be set by changes in this column, is: %COMPILATION%
DD.20131024.0940.CEST
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### Author:  [@sjw211](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/sjw211)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/populate-a-field-if-another-tag-is-1-otherwise-do-something-else/15134/6 "2013-10-24T08:23:12Z")
Thanks everybody!
I went to View - Customise columns. I selected the Compilation tag that I had previously added and filled in the 'field' box with %compilation%. I can now type directly into the right hand side tag too. 🙂
I wish I understood how the first script works.
Is it:
IF compilation is 1 then make ALBUMARTIST 'Various', otherwise make it ARTIST ?
For the second line, is that the one dealing with changing the COMPILATION tag if required?
i.e. IF COMPILATION is 1 then copy COMPILATION to COMPILATION (i.e. keep it!), otherwise make it %DUMMY% (which I assume means clear it.)
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/populate-a-field-if-another-tag-is-1-otherwise-do-something-else/15134/7 "2013-10-25T06:08:56Z")
> [@Me!](#):
>
> Thanks everybody! ... I wish I understood how the first script works. ...
You have understood it correctly.
DD.20131025.1009.CEST