[FRONTFOLDER]string[] and [BACKFOLDER]string[] functions

[mville]

In Naming section, I can get [TRIMFIRSTFOLDER]string[] and [TRIMLASTFOLDER]string[] functions to work, but I can't get [FRONTFOLDER]string[] and [BACKFOLDER]string[] to work.

Has anyone got these functions working and if so, how?

[BrodyBoy]

In Naming section, I can get [TRIMFIRSTFOLDER]string[] and [TRIMLASTFOLDER]string[] functions to work, but I can't get [FRONTFOLDER]string[] and [BACKFOLDER]string[] to work.

Has anyone got these functions working and if so, how?

I've never seen those two anywhere in the documentation (yes...I use that term loosely ). Where did you see them?

[mville]

I've never seen those two anywhere in the documentation (yes...I use that term loosely ). Where did you see them?

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/Help/dMC/Naming.htm

[BrodyBoy]

Interesting! I've seen that page a zillion times and never noticed that function. I assume you tried with and without a backslash? No difference?

[mville]

I assume you tried with and without a backslash? No difference?

Whatever I have in the string, nothing (blank/null) is being returned.

[BrodyBoy]

You wouldn't use the f1,f2, etc arguments. Those are just for the example in the instructions.

I think it should look something like this:

[FRONTFOLDER]\[ARTIST]-[TRACK]-[TITLE] (or whatever specific naming string you put after the folder specification)


Have you tried anything like that?

[Spoon]

You are setting naming in Music Converter (not multi-encoder, or CD Ripper)?

[mville]

You wouldn't use the f1,f2, etc arguments. Those are just for the example in the instructions.

Yes, I realise f1\f2\f3 are just examples but it is still a string and I am expecting some sort of result, as in the [TRIMFIRSTFOLDER] screenshot.

[FRONTFOLDER]\[ARTIST]-[TRACK]-[TITLE] (or whatever specific naming string you put after the folder specification)

Have you tried anything like that?

Yes, I have tried using my naming string, and I cannot get it working.

[mville]

You are setting naming in Music Converter (not multi-encoder, or CD Ripper)?

No, in CDRipper Naming. [FRONTFOLDER]my naming string[] is returning nothing.

[BrodyBoy]

No, in CDRipper Naming. [FRONTFOLDER]my naming string[] is returning nothing.

Sorry, I didn't realize what you were trying to illustrate with your images. I get it now. Upon thinking about it some more, a couple thoughts came to mind:

• Wouldn't this only be applicable to Music Converter? In CD Ripper, there is no "origpath," per se, from which to trim folders or select front or back, since the optical drive is the source location. Wouldn't these particular arguments only be able to manipulate an existing folder structure?

• Might it possibly require [origpath] so as to specify the folder tree? In other words, [FRONTFOLDER] = return only the first level of the folder tree, with folder tree presumably being the [ORIGPATH]. (I imagine you could write out a different folder tree, but why would you do that, only to want the first or last one?)

This led me to try these ideas in M.C. I selected some files that are about four folders deep in my "works in progress" directory. Selecting the root path on the "Folder" line, then using this pattern on the Dynamic line:

[FRONTFOLDER][ORIGPATH][]\[artist]\[track]-[title]

...it performed as expected, and put the files into an artist folder in the first level folder (under the root). Note that if I didn't set the root path on the folder line, it created the new directory in the root of "My Music."

Perhaps that can at least give a little more direction in figuring how to get it to do what you want.

[mville]

• wouldn't this only be applicable to music converter? In cd ripper, there is no "origpath," per se, from which to trim folders or select front or back, since the optical drive is the source location. Wouldn't these particular arguments only be able to manipulate an existing folder structure?

Based on what Spoon asked me, I'm beginning to think that [FRONTFOLDER]string[] is only available in Music Converter naming. This is not the case for [TRIMFIRSTFOLDER]string[] as I have used it successfully in CDRipper naming. What I would like is to see the [FRONTFOLDER]string[] programmable action made available to CDRipper naming, just as [TRIMFIRSTFOLDER]string[] is.

The Reason (not for the faint hearted):
Currently, the ability to manipulate multivalue tags in dBpoweramp is very limited, to say the least.

By using a combination of [tags]<element>,deliminator[] and [TRIMFIRSTFOLDER]string[] and (if it were available in CDRipper naming) [FRONTFOLDER]string[]
this could be achieved.

What I want is this. IF album artist sort is not a multivalue tag then return the album artist sort tag ELSE return the album artist sort second multivalue tag. I could achieve this with:

[if],=,[TRIMFIRSTFOLDER][tags]album artist sort,\[][],[tag]album artist sort[],[FRONTFOLDER][TRIMFIRSTFOLDER][tags]album artist sort,\[][][][]

So, hopefully Spoon could see his way to get the [FRONTFOLDER]string[] to be available to CDRipper naming, the same way that [TRIMFIRSTFOLDER]string[] is.

Remember, these programmable actions are just string manipulation functions, that can be very useful.

[Spoon]

Will check for next beta

[Spoon]

[FRONTFOLDER] and [BACKFOLDER] are not used with a string, rather a position, for example

[FRONTFOLDER]2[]

extracts the 2nd folder from the source directory.

[stephenrjr]

Using Batch Converter, I can't get this syntax to work.

Given [origpath] constructed like: folderX/folderY/folderZ/<artist_here>/<album_here>/<filename_here>

Trying to use: [BACKFOLDER]2[]/[BACKFOLDER]1[]/[origfilename]

Produces: DESTINATION/<album_here>/<filename_here>

Expected: DESTINATION/<artist_here>/<album_here>/<filename_here>

Am I using this feature correctly?

(I've tried R2022-01-20 and Beta 2023-03-10 -- same result with each)