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#26852 - 17/02/2001 10:53 is there a way to import database in excel file
silvercas
member

Registered: 23/10/2000
Posts: 162
i need a way to keep track of what I got on my player.. HELP


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#26853 - 17/02/2001 11:05 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: silvercas]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
In emplode, you can export the database to a CSV file. Then open that CSV file in Excel.

You can't go the other direction, though (changing the data in Excel and then pulling it back into emplode).

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Tony Fabris
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#26854 - 17/02/2001 14:00 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: tfabris]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
Although the data will most likely not come out in the form you'd like it in. It reports the files by FID, not in some pretty form like your playlist structure. Unfortunately I found the database export function to be a bit useless because of this.

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.
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Matt

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#26855 - 17/02/2001 14:15 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: Dignan]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
The whole point of exporting the database in raw form is so that you can use your own code to order it however you want.

If you're good with Excel (or perhaps Access), I'm sure you could work up a script that allowed you to organize the CSV data in playlist order.

My question is: Why would you WANT to? Emplode already shows all your files in playlist order. If someone is exporting the database to CSV, it's usually because they want it in some format that Emplode won't show them.

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Tony Fabris
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Tony Fabris

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#26856 - 17/02/2001 16:10 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: tfabris]
MRHJr
journeyman

Registered: 04/09/1999
Posts: 74
Loc: CA
My question is: Why would you WANT to? Emplode already shows all your files in playlist order.

Can you say "cheatsheet"!

Mk2 #105 12g blue
Car install complete...........Boat forthcoming
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Mk2 #105 60g

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#26857 - 17/02/2001 17:24 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: tfabris]
silvercas
member

Registered: 23/10/2000
Posts: 162
wait if I export it raw and import to excel will it say the filename or the fid? the whole reason I want it is to know what is on my empeg.. so much music so little of my memory hasnt been killled by ummm BEER!


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#26858 - 17/02/2001 17:51 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: silvercas]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
Heh, well, you could TRY IT and find out...

(FYI, it says both the file name and the FID.)

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Tony Fabris
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Tony Fabris

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#26859 - 17/02/2001 23:55 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: tfabris]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
I'm sure you could work up a script that allowed you to organize the CSV data in playlist order

I hate to say it, but frankly no, you can't. Sure, it reports the FID and the filename, but the songs will most likely not be in the order you have them in your playlists. Therefore there isn't a way to get an exact copy of what you have on your player. At least not a pretty one.

I've tried to do stuff with the imported database, but it sure doesnt' look good.

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.
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Matt

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#26860 - 17/02/2001 23:57 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: Dignan]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
And honestly, it seems to me like it would be even easier to report exactly what emplode sees. Wouldn't that be more useful than what you get from the csv info?

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.
_________________________
Matt

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#26861 - 18/02/2001 00:02 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: tfabris]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
FYI, it says both the file name and the FID.

Sorry, re-reading that post I realized that a slight slip-up in semantics might have been confusing at a technical level.

The file name is the FID with a digit added. What I meant to say is that the exported CSV database contains both the FID and the Track Title, which is what I think the original question was asking.

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Tony Fabris
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Tony Fabris

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#26862 - 18/02/2001 04:35 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: Dignan]
mac
addict

Registered: 20/05/1999
Posts: 411
Loc: Cambridge, UK
The exported file contains playlists too. Each playlist has a list of all the FIDs it contains in order. It may not be 1NF but it is possible to generate the playlist tree in the right order from it.

The only way I can see of exporting in a 1NF form is to also export a parent to child mapping table that takes care of the many-many relationship.

Remember that the export is designed to give as much of the data as possible in the raw form so that people can write scripts, Access databases or even COBOL to convert it into the form they want.

--
Mike Crowe
I may not be speaking on behalf of empeg above :-)
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Mike Crowe

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#26863 - 18/02/2001 08:39 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: Dignan]
schofiel
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/06/1999
Posts: 2993
Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK
Well, frankly, all I can say is that you couldn't have been trying too hard.

I took the CSV output, dropped it into a new spreadsheet. I then sorted on playlist and on Track number, and within about half an hour had something looking almost what I would expect from the playlist hierarchy I have built by category on the empeg itself. This was done manually, but I am pretty certain that with the CSV listing I could pre-sort it using a scripted filter using regular expressions, and then feed the result into a pre-formatted Excel template to create the hieracrchy overview any time I wanted to.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015
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One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

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#26864 - 18/02/2001 08:41 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: Dignan]
schofiel
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/06/1999
Posts: 2993
Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK
Why? If the empeg pre-formats it, then you have less flexibility!

With CSV, you can do just about what you like with the data, on any machine you move it to. It's not a coincidence that just about every spreadsheet and database program on the planet accepts CSV, you know...

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015
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One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

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#26865 - 19/02/2001 00:29 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: schofiel]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
GEEZ!! Sorry everybody, but I wasn't awaare that it exported playlists as well, and that it exported it in order. That's all you have to tell me!

Yeesh!

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.
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Matt

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#26866 - 19/02/2001 06:42 Re: is there a way to import database in excel file [Re: tfabris]
Roger
carpal tunnel

Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
The original filename isn't stored anywhere on the player. So we can't get that back.


Roger - not necessarily speaking for empeg
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