File Scanner Possible Improvements

[buah]

Like most others, I add a few movies at once to PVD. In addition, I use the option to add incremental ID's starting with the largest previously assigned. What's the problem with this scenario?

Let's say you add 5 new records to PVD. Let the third record has the same title as the existing record in the database (Noise (2007/I)), but it is a completely different film (Noise (2007/II)).

When you scan a folder with these 5 films, the first, second, fourth and fifth film gets the action "Add new movie". Тhe third film, gets the action "Change file path", right? Whatever action from the context menu to select ("Add new movie" or "Change the action to Add new movie") it is impossible to get a completely new (additional) record in the database. At least I do not know how to get it.

The solution is to add this (third) file through the NMM, as this is well known.

What is the problem caused by such behavior of File scanner?

Since I have already said that PVD is set to incrementally assigns ID's, in order to get proper ID's I have to scan files in three steps, as follows:

- First, I have to scan the first and second film using the File Scanner.
- Then, I have to scan the third film with NMM.
- And finally, I have to scan the fourth and fifth film with the File Scanner,

which can take significant amount of time when trying to add a large number of records.

So, my suggestions are as follows:

1) To allow the File scanner to add a brand new record, titled the same as already existing one(s) in the database.
2) To provide that the File scanner sorts this new (additional) record by the name of the folder in which the film is (to be "the third in a row" as in the example above)

[CAD]

hi buah,

I have to ask. how often does this happen?
I agree that perhaps file scanner should ask
"film already exists" do you want to change path or add new film.
But this would annoy the shite-ters out of people (like me) who move files to different locations.

[buah]

Well, I really don't know how much entries with the same titles I have (a feature to list only unique titles?), but at least 700-1000. The more movies I have, the greater chances for this to happen, right?

But, how often do you move your files, and why?

So, the default action would be "Change file path" and no hurt for you, but what is needed is an option to add a brand new record. Fair enough?

[rick.ca]

As I've said a number of times before (and I'm sure it must be on nostra's TODO list), the scan results window needs to provide  the ability to change the proposed movie/action result is to whatever it should be. It's irritating to be asked to confirm results when all you can do in many cases is reject the proposed action and deal with it some other way. This is not as easy as it may seem. The program would have to restrict choices to those that are feasible (e.g., it can only change the path of a movie that exists), or attempt to fix logical errors or ambiguities (e.g., Noise I or II?)—and show a revised results window. In making those choices available, it would have to present the user with enough information to resolve ambiguities in Title (probably by somehow also displaying Original title and Year).

I'm not sure I understand how ID number assignment fits into this. From a design perspective, the only purpose of incrementing ID's is to ensure a unique ID is assigned to each movie. Trying to impose any concept of what a "proper" ID is for a particular movie is bound to create difficulties. So hopefully being able to change the action (e.g., from "change path" to "add new movie") resolves the issue. If the scanner otherwise processes the files in an order that's different than the user's idea of a "proper" ID order, I don't think it reasonable to expect that anything could be done to change that.

[CAD]

But, how often do you move your files, and why?

I have bunch of movies on HD, That I haven't watched (but want to at some stage)
At some stage the HD fills up. I con move movies i have watched from main HD to another HD.
Eventually other HD will fill up and I can File the HD away with movies I have seen.

When I move movies from main HD to storage HD I need to tell PVD about it.

[rick.ca]

I agree that perhaps file scanner should ask "film already exists" do you want to change path or add new film. But this would annoy the shite-ters out of people (like me) who move files to different locations.

That's why the scan results window presents all the results at once. None of the suggested changes involves changing that behaviour. So items in the list might be highlighted or colour-coded to warn of ambiguities, but it would be up the user to make changes or ignore those warnings.