Make-like functionality

[mhakman]

Are there any plans for make-like functionality in Batch Converter? I would need to convert files in a subtree (source) into another subtree (destination). Only the files that have changed or do not exist in the destination tree should be converted. Also, the files (and folders) no longer existing in the source tree should be removed from destination tree.

I detail my needs are as follows:

1. Only changed or not-existent files should be converted.
2. Convert FLAC from source tree into destination ALAC tree
3. Copy MP3 from source tree to destination tree
4. Delete non-existent sources in destination tree.

Thanks/Mikael

[Spoon]

Re: Make-like functionality

I think you would have to write some code to achieve this, using scripting and something like visual basic.

[mhakman]

Re: Make-like functionality

This is the reason I ask the question. If there were such plans then I wouldn’t bother to write it myself. I have already done that for FLAC->MP3 conversion – I maintain an MP3 mirror of my FLAC tree. Now I need the same for FLAC->ALAC, perhaps also for FLAC->WMA too.

It seems to me that this is so obvious functionality in every batch converter that you would expect this to be implemented in the tool. You don’t want to convert again all ten thousands tracks because you changed some attributes on few tracks, do you? Neither want you to keep track of what parts of your master tree you added recently – this is what computers are for, are they not? Ditto for a track that you moved from some “Best of” album to the album where it originally appeared.

What is even more surprising, is that people (developers) building all those conversion and maintenance tools certainly use tools like “make” when developing the software and therefore they certainly must understand the value of it. Maintaining a large audio library is not that different from maintaining a large software project code base.

Regards/Mikael

[LtData]

Re: Make-like functionality

If you don't want to re-convert some songs that are already converted, as long as the naming scheme is the same, dMC will prompt you if you want to overwrite the files. Just click "No to All" and you will only convert the new tracks.