% $Id$ % \section{\label{ref:database}Database} \subsection{Introduction} This chapter describes the Rockbox music database system. Using the information contained in the tags (ID3v1, ID3v2% \opt{swcodec}{, Vorbis Comments, Apev2, etc.}% ) in your audio files, Rockbox builds and maintains a database of the music files on your player and allows you to browse them by Artist, Album, Genre, Song Name, etc. The criteria the database uses to sort the songs can be completely customised. More information on how to achieve this can be found on the Rockbox website at \wikilink{DataBase}. \subsection{Initializing the Database} The first time you use the database, Rockbox will scan your disk for audio files. This can take quite a while depending on the number of files on your \dap{}. This scan happens in the background, so you can choose to return to the Main Menu and continue to listen to music. If you shut down your player, the scan will continue next time you turn it on. After the scan is finished you may be prompted to restart your \dap{} before you can use the database. \subsubsection{Ignoring Directories During Database Initialization} You may have directories on your \dap{} whose contents should not be added to the database. Placing a file named \fname{database.ignore} in a directory will exclude the files in that directory and all its subdirectories from scanning their tags and adding them to the database. This will speed up the database initialization. If a subdirectory of an 'ignored' directory should still be scanned, place a file named \fname{database.unignore} in it. The files in that directory and its subdirectories will be scanned and added to the database. \subsection{\label{ref:databasemenu}The Database Menu} \begin{description} \opt{swcodec}{ \item[Load To RAM] The database can either be kept on disk (to save memory), or loaded into RAM (for fast browsing). Setting this to \setting{Yes} loads the database to RAM, allowing faster browsing and searching. Setting this option to \setting{No} keeps the database on the disk, meaning slower browsing but it does not use extra RAM and saves some battery on boot up. \note{If you browse your music frequently using the database, you should load to RAM, as this will reduce the overall battery consumption because the disk will not need to spin on each search.} } \item[Auto Update] If \setting{Auto update} is set to \setting{on}, each time the \dap{} boots, the database will automatically be updated. \opt{swcodec}{ \note{The \setting{Auto Update} will only check for deleted files if the \setting{Directory Cache} (\setting{Settings $\rightarrow$ General Settings $\rightarrow$ System $\rightarrow$ Disk $\rightarrow$ Directory Cache}) is enabled. \setting{Update now} includes that check whether dircache has been enabled or not.} }% \opt{MASCODEC}{\setting{Auto Update} does not detect deleted files. To remove deleted files from the database you need to run \setting{Update Now}.}% \item[Initialize Now] You can force Rockbox to rescan your disk for tagged files by using the \setting{Initialize Now} function in the \setting{Database Menu}. \warn{\setting{Initialize Now} removes all database files (removing runtimedb data also) and rebuilds the database from scratch.} \item[Update Now] \setting{Update now} causes the database to detect new and deleted files \opt{swcodec}{ \note{Unlike the \setting{Auto Update} function, \setting{Update Now} will update the database regardless of whether the \setting{Directory Cache} is enabled. Thus, an update using \setting{Update now} may take a long time. } } Unlike \setting{Initialize Now}, the \setting{Update Now} function does not remove runtime database information. \item[Gather Runtime Data] When enabled, rockbox will record how often and how long a track is being played, when it was last played and its rating. This information can be displayed in the WPS and is used in the database browser to, for example, show the most played, unplayed and most recently played tracks. \item[Export Modifications] This allows for the runtime data to be exported to the file \\ \fname{/.rockbox/database\_changelog.txt}, which backs up the runtime data in ASCII format. This is needed when database structures change, because new code cannot read old database code. But, all modifications exported to ASCII format should be readable by all database versions. \item[Import Modifications.] Allows the \fname{/.rockbox/database\_changelog.txt} backup to be conveniently loaded into the database. If \setting{Auto Update} is enabled this is performed automatically when the database is initialized. \end{description} \subsection{Using the Database} Once the database has been initialized, you can browse your music by Artist, Album, Genre, Song Name, etc. To use the database, go to the \setting{Main Menu} and select \setting{Database}.\\ \note{You may need to increase the value of the \setting{Max files in dir browser} setting (\setting{Settings $\rightarrow$ General Settings $\rightarrow$ System $\rightarrow$ Limits}) in order to view long lists of tracks in the ID3 database browser.\\ There is no option to turn off database completely. If you do not want to use it just do not do the initial build of the database and do not load it to RAM.}% \begin{table} \begin{center} \begin{tabularx}{.75\textwidth}{XXX}% \toprule% \textbf{Tag} & \textbf{Type} & \textbf{Origin} \\ \midrule filename & string & system \\ album & string & id tag \\ albumartist & string & id tag \\ artist & string & id tag \\ comment & string & id tag \\ composer & string & id tag \\ genre & string & id tag \\ grouping & string & id tag \\ title & string & id tag \\ bitrate & numeric & id tag \\ discnum & numeric & id tag \\ year & numeric & id tag \\ tracknum & numeric & id tag/filename \\ autoscore & numeric & runtime db \\ lastplayed & numeric & runtime db \\ playcount & numeric & runtime db \\ Pm (play time - min) & numeric & runtime db \\ Ps (play time - sec) & numeric & runtime db \\ rating & numeric & runtime db \\ commitid & numeric & system \\ entryage & numeric & system \\ length & numeric & system \\ Lm (track len - min) & numeric & system \\ Ls (track len - sec) & numeric & system \\ \bottomrule \end{tabularx} \end{center} \end{table}