[Music Lover]

When using Import -> Local File and System File Browser to Import files, does it still follow what is selected in the Batch File Import page with regard to what have been selected there for:
1. Avoid Duplicate Songs
2. Update songs if matching files are foudn
3. Automatically crop pages

Or does it have it own default settings for the 3 Options

[Geoff Bacon]

You can tell it to crop all songs
It will prompt you if you have a duplicate file/song name
You can tell it to do the same actions on any subsequent duplicates

Geoff

[Zubersoft]

No, the batch import handles things a little differently and supports different features (like populating metadata based on folder structures). The import settings dialog will ignore duplicate songs if you set that as the behavior for duplicate files, or prompt you if a newer version of a file is being imported (so you can select the option to update the existing song with the new file).

Mike

[Music Lover]

1. What is the criteria that the batch import use to determine that it is a newer version if the song have the same song name.
2. Does the local file import have this same option when a song with the same song name is selected for import.
3. I have noticed that during the import process where I may have songs with same names selected for import, a duplicate song is created with the same name but one of the song is blank inside. I'm not sure whether it's the new one or the existing one and I'm not sure what may be the cause for that to happen. I think ignore duplicate songs was selected.

[Zubersoft]

1. It calculates hashes for each file to see if there is any difference between them. If there is a difference, and the "Update songs if matching files are found" option is checked, then it will replace the existing file in the song. It matches up files based on the destination file path. If "Create Subdirectory per Song" is off, this effectively just compares filenames, as each file in the library must be uniquely named. If "Create Subdirectory per Song" is enabled, then the subdirectory name that is calculated from the filename must match as well.

2. Given that the Import->Local File option is primarily designed for a smaller number of files being imported at once, for each file, if there is a conflict you will get an option to decide how to handle the conflict. If you select "Update existing song with new file", then that is the same as the batch import "Update songs if matching files are found" option being checked.

3. I would need to know what options you selected, as something doesn't sound right there. As long as you have unchecked "Create Subdirectory per Song" and no subdirectories are currently in use in the storage location, and you are importing files whose name match files in the storage location, then you should have been prompted to update the existing song, and a new one should not have been created.

If you inspect the storage location and you see subdirectories, then you may currently have a mix of folders with no folders, which is a problem. Create a library backup under Settings->Backup and Restore->Backup Library, then restore that backup under Settings->Backup and Restore->Restore Library from Backup. That will remove all the subdirectories if "Create Subdirectory per Song" is unchecked (it is unchecked by default now and should generally be left off). Then duplicate file detection should work better.

Mike

[Music Lover]

Thanks for the information.  Will let you know if the duplicate blank song sheet happens again and I can remember exactly what was done before.  Since I don't use subdirectory for song sheets, I always leave that option unchecked.

[Music Lover]

I need more clarification regarding Import -> Local File:
1. In the file Import validation step, does it just match the file name of the source to the file name in the Library (no subdirectory involved) and if it is the same, it will consider it as a duplicate and will ignore the file regardless of whether the content of the files are different if the Ignore Duplicate Files is selected
2. If Create New Song from Existing File is selected, then will it replace the existing song with the song from the source location regardless of whether the song have the same content or not or will it create a new song with an amended new name and leave the existing song as is

In the case of Import -> Batch Import, since there is 2 option to select, just want to be clear what action will occur:
1. If both Avoid Duplicate songs and Update song if matching files are found are both select, what will happen if the source and the file in the Library have identical name and identical content
2. If both Avoid Duplicate songs and Update song if matching files are found are both select, what will happen if the source and the file in the Library have identical name but slightly different content ie. in the case of a updated version of the song sheet
3. If only Avoid Duplicate songs is selected, what will happen if the source and the file in the Library have identical name and identical content
4. If only Avoid Duplicate songs is selected, what will happen if the source and the file in the Library have identical name but slightly different content ie. an updated version of the song sheet
5. If only Update song if matching files are found is selected, what will happen if the source and the file in the Library have identical name and identical content
6. If only Update song if matching files are found is selected, what will happen if the source and the file in the Library have identical name but slightly different content ie. an updated version of the song sheet

Sorry about what seems like duplicating questions but I need to understand this clearly so I know what to select and do to avoid getting all the song sheets mixed up or duplicated when I use:
1. Import -> Local File a bunch of songs all at the same time with some songs being identical to existing ones in the Library and some are update version of song already existed in the Library and some are new song to add to the Library.
2. Use the Import -> Batch Import when some songs in the source folder may be identical to existing ones in the Library and some are update version of song already existed in the Library and some are new song to add to the Library.

Thanks.

[Zubersoft]

1) If the file names match, then it compares the content of the files. If those match, then it is considered a duplicate file and ignored. If they are different, then a file conflict dialog is displayed
2) It creates an entirely new song from the duplicate file, meaning you will now have two separate songs both using the same file

Batch Import
1) They are ignored
2) The existing song in the library will be updated to use the new version of the file (it will be copied into the storage location and will overwrite the existing file)
3) The file is ignored
4) A file conflict dialog is displayed so you can choose how to handle the conflict
5) The file is ignored
6) The existing song in the library is updated (same as #2)

If both options are unchecked, if an identical file is imported, a new song will be created using the file, meaning you will have multiple songs in the library using the same file. If both options are unchecked and a file with differences is imported, a conflict dialog is displayed to decide how to handle conflict.

So the "Update existing song" option is really just an option to prevent a choice from being made on the conflict dialog. It just chooses to update existing songs when that scenario occurs. So if you unchecked that option and picked the option on each conflict dialog to update the existing song, that would have the same effect. 

Mike