# Suggestion: Action Export to be alowed as first in group
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-action-export-to-be-alowed-as-first-in-group/6286
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [February 18, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-action-export-to-be-alowed-as-first-in-group/6286 "2008-02-18T16:33:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-action-export-to-be-alowed-as-first-in-group/6286/1 "2008-02-18T16:33:23Z")
It would be good if Action Export was allowed to be first in the action group. Currently you can put it first, but it gets executed last. If Mp3tag would it execute it first as requested, it would be really useful since the Export output could then be read back in by subsequent actions. For example it would allow an action group to be defined to unify the album tags on a single command key i.e. copy %album% and %artist% from the first file to all the others in the selection.
Thanks for reading!
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2008, 8:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-action-export-to-be-alowed-as-first-in-group/6286/2 "2008-02-18T20:30:15Z")
Although your suggestion sounds very reasonable for me, the content of the export file won't reflect the content of the tags changed by actions any more.
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### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-action-export-to-be-alowed-as-first-in-group/6286/3 "2008-02-18T21:01:53Z")
> the content of the export file won't reflect the content
> of the tags changed by actions any more.
Well, that's exactly what the user wants if he put the Export first. i.e. any changes after the Export are not refelcted in the Export.
Or perhaps you're referring to the compatibility issue? Yes, this change would break any script that currently has the Export placed first but is relying on it executing last, e.g. in between, changing tags. All I can say is that I'd hope the number if scripts relying on the unexpected and undocumented out-of-order execution (I can't think of an application) is small... and the sooner Export is changed to execute in place, the fewer such scripts there will be! 😉 It would be a shame for this change to get delayed to the point where the opportunity was lost.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-action-export-to-be-alowed-as-first-in-group/6286/4 "2008-02-18T21:23:14Z")
The actual problem is, that the export action is totally different from the other action types as it is not executed on a per-file basis but only once within a action group.
They have to be either executed as the first or the last action of a action group.
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### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-action-export-to-be-alowed-as-first-in-group/6286/5 "2008-02-18T21:34:53Z")
> The actual problem is, that the export action is totally different
> from the other action types as it is not executed on a per-file
> basis but only once within a action group.
I don't see that as a problem at all!
> They have to be either executed as the first or the last action of a action group.
Fine! My request was for it to be allowed to execute first. Currently it can execute only last.
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### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2008, 8:08am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-action-export-to-be-alowed-as-first-in-group/6286/6 "2008-02-24T08:08:07Z")
Is there any other way in an action to copy fields from one file to another? I've never really had a need for it, but could see the value in being able to do so. Frankly, I would just do it manually by doing a select all and then filling in the data in the Tag Panel or the Extended Tags dialog.
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### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/suggestion-action-export-to-be-alowed-as-first-in-group/6286/7 "2008-02-26T20:53:33Z")
> Is there any other way in an action to copy fields from one file to another?
None I've found. The only storage that can carry a value from one file to another is a disc file. There are no global temporary variables.