I have tried to ask this question before but got no response, probably because I sabotaged it by using unclear, confusing language.
Rather than adding to that earlier thread, I am starting over and trying to be clear this time. (Seriously, it may not look like it, but I am trying!)
As the subject line says, I am curious about how Advanced Search works when files contain multiple genre tags. The screenshot shows the available options.
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Here's what I think they mean:
"Any Genre" means ignore the genre field when searching,
"text search" means search for files containing any of a list of genres typed in the text entry field,
"not in text search" means search for files NOT containing any of a list of genres typed in the text entry field.
It is also possible to select one of the genres from the dropdown list to search for files containing that genre.
Let's imagine all my music is tagged with one or more of these four genres:
Rock, Jazz, Country, Classical.
Most files are tagged with just one of those genres, but some contain multiple genres. Weather Report might be tagged as Jazz and Rock. Asleep At The Wheel would be Rock and Country. William Russo's Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra would be Rock and Classical. And so on. Some files might even be classified in three of those genres, but I don't think any would be in all four.
If I select "text search" and then enter "Rock,Jazz", I expect the search results to include every file that is tagged with either of those genres, alone or in combination with other genres. All three of the examples I mentioned would be included.
And this appears to be exactly how the text search option works. So far, so good!
But if I select "not in text search" and enter "Rock,Jazz", it does not work as I expect. In this case, I expect the search results to be the inverse of the previous one. This search would find every file that was NOT in the previous results and none that were included in that one. There would be no files tagged Jazz or Rock, no matter what other genre tags they might have. If it worked as I think it should, none of the examples I mentioned earlier would be included.
What appears to happen is that "not in text search" works as expected for files that contain only one genre tag. All files tagged Rock or Jazz and nothing else will be excluded from the results. If files contain multiple genre tags, they will be excluded from the results ONLY if ALL the genres in their tags are in the list. So, of the examples I gave earlier, Weather Report would be excluded, because it is tagged Jazz and Rock, and both of those genres are listed. But Asleep At The Wheel would be in the results, even though it is tagged Rock, because it is also tagged Country, which is not on the list. The Russo piece would be included, despite its Rock tag, because it is also tagged Classical.
Is anyone willing to test this? I'd like to know if it's working the same way for others. And I am very curious if this is the way it is expected to work.
Rather than adding to that earlier thread, I am starting over and trying to be clear this time. (Seriously, it may not look like it, but I am trying!)
As the subject line says, I am curious about how Advanced Search works when files contain multiple genre tags. The screenshot shows the available options.
Here's what I think they mean:
"Any Genre" means ignore the genre field when searching,
"text search" means search for files containing any of a list of genres typed in the text entry field,
"not in text search" means search for files NOT containing any of a list of genres typed in the text entry field.
It is also possible to select one of the genres from the dropdown list to search for files containing that genre.
Let's imagine all my music is tagged with one or more of these four genres:
Rock, Jazz, Country, Classical.
Most files are tagged with just one of those genres, but some contain multiple genres. Weather Report might be tagged as Jazz and Rock. Asleep At The Wheel would be Rock and Country. William Russo's Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra would be Rock and Classical. And so on. Some files might even be classified in three of those genres, but I don't think any would be in all four.
If I select "text search" and then enter "Rock,Jazz", I expect the search results to include every file that is tagged with either of those genres, alone or in combination with other genres. All three of the examples I mentioned would be included.
And this appears to be exactly how the text search option works. So far, so good!
But if I select "not in text search" and enter "Rock,Jazz", it does not work as I expect. In this case, I expect the search results to be the inverse of the previous one. This search would find every file that was NOT in the previous results and none that were included in that one. There would be no files tagged Jazz or Rock, no matter what other genre tags they might have. If it worked as I think it should, none of the examples I mentioned earlier would be included.
What appears to happen is that "not in text search" works as expected for files that contain only one genre tag. All files tagged Rock or Jazz and nothing else will be excluded from the results. If files contain multiple genre tags, they will be excluded from the results ONLY if ALL the genres in their tags are in the list. So, of the examples I gave earlier, Weather Report would be excluded, because it is tagged Jazz and Rock, and both of those genres are listed. But Asleep At The Wheel would be in the results, even though it is tagged Rock, because it is also tagged Country, which is not on the list. The Russo piece would be included, despite its Rock tag, because it is also tagged Classical.
Is anyone willing to test this? I'd like to know if it's working the same way for others. And I am very curious if this is the way it is expected to work.