# Tools Suggestion
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-suggestion/12986
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [January 24, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-suggestion/12986 "2012-01-24T15:42:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-suggestion/12986/1 "2012-01-24T15:42:45Z")
I'd like an option to have the following behavior when running an external tool:
1. Block all Mp3tag interactivity.
2. Display an on-screen visual indicator (dialog box or spinny?) while the tool is running.
I have a few tools (e.g. a tool that adds ReplayGain) that can take anywhere from 15 seconds to several minutes to run, with no screen output. While they're running there is no way in Mp3tag to tell what's happening and altering tags within Mp3tag while they run could affect the tool's behavior. For these tools I'd like an option to block all activity in Mp3tag and also to have some kind of visual indicator displayed while the tool is running.
This should be an option in each tool's configuration, not a global option.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-suggestion/12986/2 "2012-01-24T16:31:16Z")
> [@JJ Johnson](#):
>
> ...(e.g. a tool that adds ReplayGain) that can take anywhere from 15 seconds to several minutes to run, with no screen output....
Could you give some information how to detect externally the internal progress? E.g. how does such a program report back how far it has come?
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### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-suggestion/12986/3 "2012-01-24T16:43:05Z")
I'm not looking for any type of internal progress display. A simple dialog box with spinny is sufficient. It just needs to remain on screen while the tool is running. I suppose that there would also need to be a 'Cancel' button, just in case the tool never returns.
> [@JJ Johnson](#):
>
> While [tools are] running there is no way in Mp3tag to tell what's happening
I should have just said that there's no way in Mp3tag to tell whether the tool is still running. If there was, then you could monitor it and wait until it completes. The ideal, though, is to be forced to wait by blocking all interactivity.
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-suggestion/12986/4 "2012-01-24T20:39:12Z")
> [@JJ Johnson](#):
>
> ... spinny is sufficient. It just needs to remain on screen while the tool is running. I suppose that there would also need to be a 'Cancel' button, just in case the tool never returns. ... The ideal, though, is to be forced to wait by blocking all interactivity.
Already suggested, see also ..
[Feature Request: Add "external tool" support in Actions](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/7327/3)
DD.20120124.2239.CET
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### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-suggestion/12986/5 "2012-01-24T20:58:01Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> Already suggested, see also ..
> [Feature Request: Add "external tool" support in Actions](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/7327/3)
Perhaps.
My request appears to be much simpler, although I do like the idea of being able to run a tool using an action.