Rockbox Databox plugin--powerful and good search (and play) tool

[Mike]

In case you haven't checked out the Rockbox Databox search plugin, you might want to.

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/vie.../PluginDatabox

It's a powerful search feature that lets you create, on your player and through your player alone (that is, no separate computer is required) a search query to search through your player files via tag parameters (e.g. year, genre, artist), but not just literally (for example, you could create a search to look for music from 1970, or from before 1970, or from after 1970). It creates the search query, and then saves it into your player's root directory. You then play that search, and it, in turn, creates a results file that you then can play, playing the music that meets the search criteria.

The system is a bit cumbersome right now and requires some experimentation, but is a way of doing database searches and playing them without switching to the db; and of doing searches that the db itself does not support. (E.g. by year or genre, as someone was asking about recently, or by ranges.) As noted at the related Rockbox PluginSearchengine page, it would be great if some talented programmer were to pick this up and simplify the process, such as, as suggested there (for example, allowing for creating and running the search as a single step; or even creating and running the search and then playing the result, if that were possible; also, I think that the query creation process could be made clearer).

But in the meantime, definitely something to check out, and it's a good thing.



Thanks, devs.

[baobab68]

And don't forget that the 'Search' plugin will allow you to search by part of filename as well. Not as poerful as Databox but still useful if you can quite remember where you put that particular track.

First create a playlist of ALL songs on the player, then open that playlist using the search plugin. Type in the letters you want to search for, and the plugin creates a search_results.m3u playlist for you.

[iPood]

I can't get databox to work. I specify the criteria and it creates a .rsp file. I click on it but it never finds any matches...

[Mike]

I tried it out using the year field, something like, year == 1970, and I got hits. Perhaps your middle term (here, the ==) does not fit the field? In other database applications, I know that this has caused an issue.

edit: And you know, right, that when the search is run, the player creates another file, which contains the search results, which you then need to play? In other words, there's not an automatic display of the results (as there is with the the search feature under the db: you get the list of hits).

[iPood]

Nope i tried year == 2005 and it found no hits even though i have loads of music from 2005 :/. I've tried loads of different criteria, all with no hits...
When i select the .rsp i get 5 lines with "parse" then "retval". Then it just creates an empty .m3u file...

[Membrillo]

I believe you have to be using a tag database for databox to work.

[iPood]

What do u mean? All my songs are tagged.

[Fulano]

I didn't know about this plug-in. I might have read about that somewhere, sometime, but haven't given too much attention.

It is like having MediaMonkey search engine in your player.

[Mike]

Okay, I just ran that same search on my iHP-140 and came up with hits. The search appeared on the screen under Databox as <year> == 2005, and created a .rsp file in my root directory. I then played the .rsp file and got a screen saying, SearchEngine v.01, followed by 5 lines each of which said parse or parse with other words. This, then, produced a search.m3u playlist file for me, also in my root directory.

Let me ask you: have you created a db on your player? Does a db have to have been created for Databox to work? (I'm not sure what the search searches: ID3 tags for each of the files themselves, or a database compiled from them--I can't find an answer at the WikiManual.)

[Mike]

Ah, maybe the TagDatabase is the answer--perhaps that's what Databox, etc. searches against.

Here's the TagDatabase link, for how to create a db on Rockbox.

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/TagDatabase

[iPood]

Its a shame if you do have to create a tag database. I'm gonna install it now thanks.

[Mike]

Well, I assume that the searching from a database would be significantly faster than reading all the ID3 tags (as you'll find when you create the db, it can take significant time).

[iPood]

It's creating the DB now, and i have alot of songs . It'd be cool if the DB would automatically update when you add or delete songs from the player like Archos and Rio players do. It sure would be alot quicker, i can't see me doing this everytime i add a few songs Also i needed to install that Java runtime which was 131MB!

[iPood]

Haha it worked, i guess you do need the Tag Database after all. They should state that on the Rockbox site. What happens when you create another criteria, does it overwrite the search.m3u file? What about the db automatically updating when you unplug the player? Is it possible Rockbox devs?

[Mike]

I agree--we need to update the Wiki page for Databox, to make this clear (I couldn't find that answer anywhere). As best I can tell, the search.m3u file gets overwritten each time--I guess if you wanted to keep the results, you could rename the file.

I agree that it would be great if there were an easier way to update the db. I don't know about it happening automatically, but I wish there were a way just to add to the database (like with the original iRiver db software) rather than having to completely re-do it when songs are added--it's a long process (I wish that could be speeded up as well, but I'm just glad to have it--and if you could just update it, the initial set-up wouldn't be anything, really).

Both the db and Databox (as well as the general search function) are great functions and have great potential for being taken further--would be great if someone was interested in doing so (I am) and could (I can't).

[Mad_Big_Sausage]

I just added that you need TagDatabase enabled to use this feature to the wiki with the relevent link.

No more confusion! =0p

[Mike]

You beat me to the punch.

[juanpa74]

Does anybody know the diferences between TagDatabase (Rockbox one) , Tag Database Tool and iFish? Do they create the same database file or they work on different ones?Thank you.

[Mike]

Refer back to your other post. Databox works with TagDatabase.

[vinylivo]

Originally Posted by juanpa74

Does anybody know the diferences between TagDatabase (Rockbox one) , Tag Database Tool and iFish? Do they create the same database file or they work on different ones?Thank you.

the iriver TDT and iFish only generate the database for use with the original iriver firmware. these don't work with rockbox because RB uses a different format. but I would love if iFish (a java app) could generate the rockbox tagdatabase too. it's a nice tool and platform independent.

[toon]

I don't know about it happening automatically, but I wish there were a way just to add to the database (like with the original iRiver db software) rather than having to completely re-do it when songs are added--it's a long process

How long does it take?

[iPood]

Depends how big your song colection is. It took about 10 mins for me (40GB of music)

[toon]

Thanks. Is that only for one time? Does it affect boot time (like Iriver firmware)?