Regex to extract Date from filename (4digit beginning with 19 or 20)

Support
#1

I'm trying to create an action for the Date tag where the four digit date is extracted from the filename,

such that it will satisfy both these conditions:

  • any number string of 4 digits
    ( ignoring number strings that are either more or less than 4 digits )
  • string must start with either 19 or 20

AND failing to meet these conditions, the Date tag won't be replaced.

#2

You are looking for numbers between 1900 until 2099?
There are never classical pieces from 18xx or earlier?

#3

I suppose 17 - 20 would be fine as well... Id seldom come across anything 18 or before.

so Yes, 1900-2099 , but 1700-2099 is fine too.

#4

What, if your filename has multiple valid dates, like
Filename with date from 1701 over 1971 to 2022.mp3

Do you want the first or the last date in such a case?

#5

only the first if more than one .

#6

You can try this action:
Type: Format Value
Field: DATE (or whatever you want as tag to save the year into it)
Format string:
$regexp(%_FILENAME%,.*?((17|18|19|20)\d{2}).+,$1)

to fullfill your condition

AND failing to meet these conditions, the Date tag won't be replaced.

you have to (mandatory!) FILTER your songs BEFORE you use the above action, with
%_FILENAME% MATCHES ((17|18|19|20)\d{2})
otherwise you get the full filename for those not matching (not including 1700 until 2099) into your DATE.

As always for regular expressions:
Please test it on your backuped test data before you use it on your collection.

1 Like
#7

Thank you very much for your time and expertise, I will test this as you suggested, and will return to edit this comment and click "solution" .

1 Like
#8

Hint: I had to update the expression to get the FIRST (not the LAST) year as wished.

#9

And once you have done that you could easily import the date data with
Convert>Filename-Tag
Mask: %year% %dummy%

#10

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