TagDatabase < Main

Downloads

release

dev builds

extras

themes

Documentation

manual

wiki

device status

Support

forums

mailing lists

IRC

Development

bugs

patches

dev guide

Donate

Wiki > Main > TagDatabase

---+++%RED%*NOTE: The tag database described here is deprecated and may no longer work. Please use DataBase for similar functionality.*%ENDCOLOR%

---+ Creating the database

---++ Windows users

Perl version

1. Save the following files to the /.rockbox directory on your player harddisk:
   *  [[http://www.rockbox.org/viewcvs.cgi/*checkout*/tools/songdb.pl songdb.pl]]
   *  [[http://www.rockbox.org/viewcvs.cgi/*checkout*/tools/vorbiscomm.pm vorbiscomm.pm]]
   *  [[%ATTACHURL%/makedb.bat makedb.bat]]

2.  Install a full version of Perl on your PC, like ActiveState's free package here: [[http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/?mp=1]].

3. Doubleclick the makedb.bat that you put in your /.rockbox directory in step 1 and wait for the indexer to complete.

Java version

1. Save the following files to the /.rockbox directory on your player harddisk:
   *  [[%ATTACHURL%/SongDB.jar SongDB.jar]]
   *  [[%ATTACHURL%/makedbj.bat makedbj.bat]]

2.  Install Java Runtime Environment 5.0 (aka 1.5.0) on your PC, [[http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp]].

(Only necessary if you haven't already installed a Java Runtime Environment >= V1.4)

3. Make sure java gets installed in your system path (unsure if the installer does this..)

4. Doubleclick the makedbj.bat that you put in your /.rockbox directory in step 1 and wait for the indexer to complete.

---++ Linux users

Perl version

1. Save the following files to the /.rockbox directory on your player harddisk:
   *  [[http://www.rockbox.org/viewcvs.cgi/*checkout*/tools/songdb.pl songdb.pl]]
   *  [[http://www.rockbox.org/viewcvs.cgi/*checkout*/tools/vorbiscomm.pm vorbiscomm.pm]]

2. Run "perl songdb.pl --path /mnt/archos --strip /mnt/archos" from inside the .rockbox directory.

You can of course run it from anywhere. Use the --help parameter to see all options.

Java version

1. Save the following file to the /.rockbox directory on your player harddisk:
   *  [[%ATTACHURL%/SongDB.jar SongDB.jar]]

2.  Install Java Runtime Environment 5.0 (aka 1.5.0) on your computer, [[http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp]].

(Only necessary if you haven't already installed a Java Runtime Environment >= V1.4)

3. Make sure java gets installed in your system path (unsure if the installer does this..)

4. Run "java -jar [[%ATTACHURL%/SongDB.jar SongDB.jar]] --strip /mnt/archos /mnt/archos" from inside the .rockbox directory

Run without arguments to see all the options

---+ Using the database

After running songdb.pl and disconnecting from USB you have to reboot your unit first (this will be improved in a future version).

The ID3 browser is treated as a directory filter, so you enable it by changing your "Show Files" setting to "ID3 database", either using the F2 quickscreen (recorders only) or in Menu->General Settings->File View->Show Files. 

---+ Development

<B>Note: everything from this point on is rather out of date, please see Trash.DatabaseV2 for an up to date description, till we move everything to its proper wiki page.</B> 

---++ Design principles

   *  Limited RAM
   *  Limited CPU
   *  'Unlimited' disk space

   *  Binary format (quick and easy to load and parse)
   * Tables use fixed-length fields, where field length is specified in file header
   * Tables are sorted by the index program, so Rockbox can use binary searching

Hence proposal is to build the binary tag database file 'offline', by running a software application on a connected PC.   Whether the PC application generates the entire database each time, or uses a smart incremental approach, is not discussed here.  The database format is optimised for READING not WRITING.

---++ Use Cases

---+++ Must have

   * Get a list of artists %GREEN%(done)%ENDCOLOR%
   * Get a list of albums for a given artist %GREEN%(done)%ENDCOLOR%
   * Get a list of songs for a given album %GREEN%(done)%ENDCOLOR%
   * Search for artists, albums and songs by name %GREEN%(done)%ENDCOLOR%

---+++ Would like to have

   *  Get a list of albums for a given genre
   *  Get a list of albums released in a given year
   *  Get a list of artists whose songs are in a given genre
   *  Get a list of artists whose songs were released in a given year range
   *  Get a list of songs in a given year range AND genre
   * Get a list of top-100 played songs (and other player-generated statistics)
   
---++ User Interface

The UI will be very much like the current directory browser, only the directories are virtual. I.e. something like this:

<verbatim>
Artists -+- artist1 -+- a1album1 -+- a1a1song1
         |           |            |- a1a1song2
         |           |            `- a1a1song3
         |           `- a1album2 -+- a1a2song1
         |                        `- a1a2song2
         |- artist2 --- a2album1 -+- a2a1song1
         |                        `- a2a1song2
         `- [All artists]

Albums  -+- a1album1 -+- a1a1song1
         |            |- a1a1song2
         |            `- a1a1song3
         |- a1album2 -+- a1a2song1
         |            `- a1a2song2
         |- a2album1 -+- a2a1song1
         |            `- a2a1song2
         `- [All albums]

Songs   -+- a1a1song1
         |- a1a1song2
         |- a1a1song3
         |- a1a2song1
         |- a1a2song2
         |- a2a1song1
         `- a2a1song2

Search  -+- Artist
         |- Album
         `- Song

etc...
</verbatim>

---++ Unsolved issues

MattSwieboda: While in the ID3 Database view, virtual mp3 files and folders do not have the same context menu as the other views. You cannot add the song to a playlist or use the Open With... etc.

I	Attachment	Action	Size	Date	Who	Comment
jar	SongDB.jar	manage	636.1 K	11 Jul 2006 - 21:09	JensArnold	SongDB? java version. (reqs >= jre1.4)
bat	makedb.bat	manage	0.1 K	11 Jul 2006 - 21:09	BjornStenberg	Batch file for creating id3db
bat	makedbj.bat	manage	0.1 K	11 Jul 2006 - 21:09	JensArnold	Batch file for creating the tag db with SongDB?.jar
exe	perl.exe	manage	20.1 K	11 Jul 2006 - 21:09	BjornStenberg	Perl executable
dll	perl58.dll	manage	740.1 K	11 Jul 2006 - 21:09	BjornStenberg	Perl win32 dll

r47 - 11 Jan 2007 - 15:02:38 - DanielStenberg

Parents: WebHome