Audacity Forum

Split from feature request "Disable Metadata": http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 98#p220498


During Export Multiple, the Metadata Editor either pops up before every file export, or not at all, depending on the setting in Preferences > Import/Export.

• Currently, metadata that is entered after Export Multiple has been started is not passed through to the next file (bug 551)
• Currently there is no way to disable metadata from exported files.

This proposal depends on the above two issues being resolved.

I propose that when Metadata Editor is automatically launched by Export Multiple (which it is by default), there is an additional option in the Metadata Editor.
Hide Metadata Editor for the next X files: [_]
where "X" is the number of files remaining in the current Export Multiple operation.

This option would be enabled by default (assuming that the other 2 issues above are resolved).

Alternative wording for this option could be something like:
Show Metadata Editor only for the first of multiple file export: [_]
or
Hide Metadata Editor after the first file of Export Multiple: [_]


Ideally, options for metadata pop-ups would also be available either in the "Export" Chain commands, or as a separate "Metadata Preference" command that can be used in Chains.

steve wrote:I propose that when Export Multiple is automatically launched by Export Multiple (which it is by default), there is an additional option in the Metadata Editor.
Hide Metadata Editor for the next X files: [_]
where "X" is the number of files remaining in the current Export Multiple operation.

This option would be enabled by default (assuming that the other 2 issues above are resolved).

Alternative wording for this option could be something like:
Show Metadata Editor only for the first of multiple file export: [_]
or
Hide Metadata Editor after the first file of Export Multiple: [_]

I assume you meant "when Metadata Editor is automatically launched by Export Multiple".

OK it's slightly less flexible than my original idea (in yours, you have to show all the subsequent metadata windows or none of the subsequent windows) but less complexity may be a good thing.

I think the wording should be clear that the visible metadata is to be passed through if the subsequent windows are hidden.

During the exchange of comments in the bug I came to the conclusion that the Preference to show/hide Metadata Editor at the export step was un-necessary and inflexible, and that making a control in the Export and Export Multiple dialogues that both hid the Metadata Editor and killed metadata export was simpler (one less control) and more intuitive (because people who are trying to kill metadata export already wrongly assume that hiding Metadata Editor does so).

Your plan appears to require retaining the current preference, so can you outline the advantages of retaining it and the disadvantages of a "hide editor and kill metadata" control in the export windows instead.

Also if you like the current preference, why not make "no metadata" a second preference there, as I suspect people who want no metadata will almost never want it (like you or me).

steve wrote:Ideally, options for metadata pop-ups would also be available either in the "Export" Chain commands, or as a separate "Metadata Preference" command that can be used in Chains.

Currently the Metadata Editor Preference has no effect for Chains, so if user wants metadata in Chain export on a project they have to add metadata before running the Chain. Are you suggesting that we should remove File > Edit Metadata then for Chains, the choice to have metadata or not and what metadata to add is done in the Edit Chains window?

If practical I think that might be a good thing. Clearly users find adding metadata before export very unintuitive, as they did in 1.2 where that was the only way to change the metadata once you had added it after the metadata editor's first appearance.



Gale

Gale Andrews wrote:I assume you meant "when Metadata Editor is automatically launched by Export Multiple".

Yes, thanks. Fixed that in my previous post.

Gale Andrews wrote:making a control in the Export and Export Multiple dialogues that both hid the Metadata Editor and killed metadata export was simpler (one less control) and more intuitive

That may be a preferable alternative to what I have proposed but I was a little concerned about making the export dialogues appear too complicated and I know that there can be a lot of resistance against moving options from one place to another.

Could you flesh out that proposal a bit? If it does not look too complicated then I think it may provide a better solution.

Gale Andrews wrote:Are you suggesting that we should remove File > Edit Metadata then for Chains

Not exactly. I was suggesting that we provide an override. If "Metadata Options" is not included in the Chain, then the Metadata pop-up will do whatever is set in Preferences. If "Metadata Options" is included in the Chain, then it will override the global default.
If the Metadata options are available in the Export dialogue (as you suggested), and the Export dialogue is accessible in "Edit Chains", then a separate "Metadata Options" command may be unnecessary.

Are you thinking of something along these lines?
If so, what options would you want?
Would it be a simple drop-down list or a pop-up window like for the current file options?

steve wrote:

Gale Andrews wrote:making a control in the Export and Export Multiple dialogues that both hid the Metadata Editor and killed metadata export was simpler (one less control) and more intuitive

That may be a preferable alternative to what I have proposed but I was a little concerned about making the export dialogues appear too complicated and I know that there can be a lot of resistance against moving options from one place to another.

Could you flesh out that proposal a bit? If it does not look too complicated then I think it may provide a better solution.

Just a single checkbox "No Metadata", unchecked by default but whose last state is recorded in audacity.cfg. If that box is checked, then you don't see Metadata Editor when exporting and no metadata is exported (even if Metadata Editor already has content).

FWIW I concur that simply passing metadata through from one window to the other (the actual title of bug 551) could be done in isolation and would make some improvement. If we get a good 2.0.5 out then I'll resume working with Joel on that possibility, but his last attempt didn't look to me like it was going down the correct path, making behaviour conditional on the contents of the labels.

@Peter, I guess you could archive this.


Gale

Gale Andrews wrote:Just a single checkbox "No Metadata", unchecked by default but whose last state is recorded in audacity.cfg

I've had a look at this in the code and it looks pretty straightforward to put a checkbox in the "Export Multiple" dialogue, but rather more awkward for "Export" as that uses a generic file dialogue.

steve wrote:

Gale Andrews wrote:Just a single checkbox "No Metadata", unchecked by default but whose last state is recorded in audacity.cfg

I've had a look at this in the code and it looks pretty straightforward to put a checkbox in the "Export Multiple" dialogue, but rather more awkward for "Export" as that uses a generic file dialogue.

Yes it probably requires to use a custom export dialogue, but I think most developers including Vaughan think this is the way to go. We could design the dialogue better so that people could actually find the "Options..." button.


Gale

Gale Andrews wrote:We could design the dialogue better so that people could actually find the "Options..." button.

That would save a lot of help requests

Gale Andrews wrote: probably requires to use a custom export dialogue, but I think most developers including Vaughan think this is the way to go. We could design the dialogue better so that people could actually find the "Options..." button.

It would also give us the opportunity to label the button "Export" instead of being forced to accept" Save".