MacP3 Listfile
Redesigned in v1.5... Database, HTML Support!

What it is...

The success of the Listfile option has taken us by surprise. I thought it would interest a few users, but we've received dozens of 'thank you' messages for this feature. And we also received a lot of suggestions, most of which we were able to use in v1.5. 

Listfile takes a directory ('Select Folder' button to choose) and catalogs each MP3 it finds inside. All you have to do is choose the directory and specify your preferences. From there, Listfile builds a unique catalog of your entire collection.

As you can see, the Listfile feature can be customized extensively. Under the 'File Options', you have four options. 'Double Space Lines' simply add an extra line to each listing, making longer lists easier to read. The second option was much requested, as it allows you to have a tab-delimited list... Making import into a database much easier. Only turn this option on if you plan to import into a database, because it can make viewing as a regular text file difficult (because of the spacing). If 'Recursive Scanning' is on, Listfile will continue to scan into subfolders of the main directory... Listing everything in the main catalog. This is perfect for creating catalogs of entire disks or CD-ROMs.

The 'File Type' pop-up specifies exactly what kind of file the finished product should be. You can choose several presets. Of most interest are the latter three (HTML). When any of these are chosen, the output of the text file is in HTML. HTML tags are added automatically to the saved file! Import directly into your web site!

Most of the 'Data Options' are pretty obvious. These options decide what information MacP3 will look for and gather when building a Listfile. The file size, if chosen, is gathered in MB. If you choose 'Include File Path', an extra line is added to each listing. This extra line contains the absolute path to the file. You'll always know where that 'Kenny G' MP3 is hiding.

Preceding the listing in the text file is your name and a text 'legend' like that above explaining the output for an unknowing reader. The legend changes depending on your chosen options. A summary appears at the end of the file.

Again the note... MacP3 Listfile will list every non-folder within your folder or disk choice (yep, you can have Listfile catalog that entire MP3 CD-ROM you have there). It will simply list the name of the file... This makes sure it catches even tag-less MP3 files. This also means your 'To Do' list will be cataloged as well if you keep it in your MP3 folder.

IMPORTANT: MacP3 has great memory control... But by nature alone the Listfile feature may use up more memory for extremely large catalog processes. For this reason, if you plan to catalog a huge collection at once, you might want to give MacP3 between 500K and 1500K more RAM. The memory is flushed after each Listfile process.

The next chapter discusses the MacP3 PCfy feature...