File Selector Crashes/Problems

**ChristinaS** · October 11, 2005, 04:39 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

Originally posted by dheintz

Apparently your parser thinks that anything after a '.' is an extension? Probably not a good choice. Regardless of what I select after this, the converter is kaput. The Converter dialog goes away, and when I click the 'Convert To' button, nothing happens. Unloading/reloading resets it.

It's rather a Windows rule to consider the dot a separator between file name and file extension.

The moment you change the file extension the association between file type and program that can use it in some way gets changed. There is an association between the extension ".mp3" and some player, or a codec. No association exists between ".blah.mp3" and any program.

**dheintz** · October 11, 2005, 05:11 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

Sorry sir, but with all due respect, you are quite wrong in your comments. If things worked the way that you described, 100% of software written would not work correctly.

file.new.old.wma.wav.mp3 is an MP3 file, and a file association exists just as if the name were file.mp3. The extension comes at the end of the file. You can try this yourself.

The example that I gave in the previous post is associated the same way as any other MP3 file, is mapped correctly, and plays fine on my MP3 player of choice. Parsing must occur from end of the file, not the beginning.

**ChristinaS** · October 11, 2005, 06:06 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

You may be right in general (after all that's how they got some viruses working, by adding an extra apparent extension), but there may be exceptions. I'd not push my luck by mixing up things that way.

Looking at a more practical aspect, what file naming convention did you use? What are the separators that you defined for the fields - as they will be used to figure out tagging information as well. There should not be any ambiguity.

**LtData** · October 11, 2005, 06:09 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

I think the problem may be the semicolon in the filename. If you remove it, does it work now?

**dheintz** · October 11, 2005, 07:42 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

I don't know, and I don't care much. Semi-colon is a legitimate Windows filename character. The track filename came from freedb. I have over 600 CD's (several thousand tracks) to rip. If I have to go through manually, and edit out semicolons in track/filenames, then the software is not going to be of much use to me, is it?. I'm trying to give sufficient information so that the developer can fix the bug.

**Spoon** · October 11, 2005, 07:44 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

Using [Update Tag]?

It must be one file that is causing the crash, find that file and I might be able to fix a bug...

>05 - Sonata no.23 in F minor, op.57, 'Appassionata'; Allegro ma non troppo.mp3

I will look into this one also, looks like it has pulled the extension off and is looking for another extension.

**dheintz** · October 11, 2005, 08:12 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

With all due respect, maam, my assertions are correct both in general and specifically. Extensions come at the end of filenames, not in the middle, there are no exceptions, and this is clearly a bug in the software. In terms of 'pushing my luck' with respect to dots in filenames, the names were generated by freedb, not by me. The only extra field that I've added to the file/track name is the track number, which appears to be irrelevant. Non-filename-extension delimiting dots are used extensively in filenames in all kinds of software, and I've never seen a problem with them except in this software. Your comments about generating tags from filenames is also incorrect and irrelevant--I'm not using any smart tag features, and the tags come from freedb as well.

All of the above is fairly insignificant when measured against the bigger problem which is that File Selector blows up with only 30-40 files selected. None of these files has multiple dots, or semicolons, or what *you* would consider to be 'funny' or 'odd' file characters, although they are legitimate Windows filename characters, and used all of the time.

I suspect one of the problems might be that the software was never tested thoroughly on a large database of classical muisc, which sometimes have long, complicated Artist, Album, and Track names. For instance,

Sonata No. 5 in C minor Op. 10 No. 2 Rondo (Poco allegretto e grazioso)

Thanks for your help!

**dheintz** · October 11, 2005, 08:37 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

Is there a log file which shows progress/diagnostic/debug info?

Thanks!

**xoas** · October 11, 2005, 09:18 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

If you are talking about a log file recording conversions through File Selector so that if you start a batch and come back to find a crash you can see what converted, what crashed and what never got touched, this program does not generate such a file. It has been suggested and it does seem like a good idea. Perhaps it might get put in the next version of dMC. As you are probably aware, Spoon is responsible for nearly all of the programming for all of these programs. It is up to him which matters deserve highest priority at any given time.

Best wishes,
Bill

**LtData** · October 11, 2005, 09:29 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

I've personally used File Selector to convert a couple hundred songs at one pop, so that is not the problem.

Also, could you try to be a little less rude wtih your comments? We are trying to pin down the problem, not irritate you with irrevelent questions.
As for complicated file names being the problem, I don't think that is the case either, other than multiple periods or semicolons possibly throwing the software off.
As for the semicolon/period problem, this isn't Windows, programs DO have problems with things that Windows itself supports.

**dheintz** · October 11, 2005, 09:36 PM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

OK, try this one:

Viktoria Postnikova, Gennady Rozhdestvensky - Variation in E Flat Major on a Theme by R Schuman, Op. 23 - Variation 10; motlo moderato, alla ma.mp3

Causes File Selector to crash, but the problem is even worse in your Windows Explorer plugin. The convert (Update Tags) there actually wipes out all the existing tags and leaves nothing in their place--very destructive behavior! Now I'll have to go back to freedb to get the tags back. Yikes!

**ChristinaS** · October 12, 2005, 02:28 AM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

Freedb is nothing but a database of text information supplied by other people,as and when they feel like adding cd descriptors to it. It need not be accurate in any way, shape or manner, and most often it is not even consistent in the order in which the fields are input. Particularly when it comes to classical music cd's. Take as an example various Anthologies: NAWM, DWMA. They are notoriously mislabeled.

Oh, by the way, you got the genders wrong. I am not sir and Spoon is not ma'am.

**dheintz** · October 12, 2005, 03:55 AM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

Sorry, I didn't realize I was being rude. I was just trying to be as specific and as accurate as possible. It seems to me that propagating misinformation doesn't serve anyone, so that when I read something that that I know is incorrect, I feel obliged to try to correct it. What I'm really interested in is getting software that will work for me, and that is why I'm taking the effort to try to document the bugs so that the developer can address them and give me a version that I can use.

**LtData** · October 12, 2005, 04:11 AM

Re: File Selector Crashes/Problems

You were correct to point out bugs, yes. Spoon says he will look into it and fix it when he gets to it.

Correcting entries in freedb would be a huge help to everyone, yes. Misinformation? Not really, just extra information that isn't needed. All you should need for a CD is the artist name (or composer), album name, and track number for the filename. The rest can go into the tags or in the comment tag field.

Edit: I apologize for what the post said earlier, got a little emotional.

File Selector Crashes/Problems

File Selector Crashes/Problems

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