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boolean "or" for iTunes smartlists?
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Feb 22, 2006, 02:53 AM
 
Hi All,

I'm trying to keep up with the Olympics via podcasts. There are a few good ones out there, and I've subscribed to several. I've got an iTunes Smart Playlist gathering them together so that I don't have to search around on my iPod for them...well, almost.

The only problem is that the smartlist is gathering in podcast episodes by matching all of the criteria "name contains olympics" and "podcast is true" (by matching "all", I'm using a boolean "and").

I've got one more podcast which doesn't have "olympics" in its name (only in "Album"), so it doesn't get added to my olympics smartlist using my existing search critieria. What I'd like is to use the equivalent of a booelan "or", so that I can search the "album" metadata too and get this particular podcast added to my olympics smartlist. I haven't figured out how, does this functionality even exist?

Thanks in advance for any help,

Chas
     
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Feb 22, 2006, 05:49 AM
 
It would be a great addition to the Smart Playlist function, but as of right now you can't do 'or'.

Sorry,

Ian
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Feb 22, 2006, 06:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by chasg
I haven't figured out how, does this functionality even exist?
I've gotten around the lack of OR by editing the Grouping category under Info. The other option, of course, is to create a dumb playlist.
     
chasg  (op)
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Feb 22, 2006, 09:35 AM
 
Thanks for the contributions guys. Bummer that there isn't an actual "or" capability, but I'll try the Grouping option.

As for a dumb playlist, that's what I was using before I started with the smart one (so, yeah, it can certainly be done that way, but with the obvious drawbacks)

Thanks again,

Chas
     
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Feb 22, 2006, 09:48 AM
 
Can you use two playlists?

1) Olympics in this or Olympics in that.
2) Playlist 1 and type is podcast.
     
chasg  (op)
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Feb 22, 2006, 11:03 AM
 
Hmm, that sounds quite clever (I can sync the final playlist with the iPod, but not the first so as to avoid unnecessary iPod clutter...). That really gives me food for thought, I'm going to try that idea (and variations) out.

Vielen dank!

Chas
     
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Feb 22, 2006, 12:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by TETENAL
Can you use two playlists?

1) Olympics in this or Olympics in that.
2) Playlist 1 and type is podcast.
That won't work either as you have used an 'or' in step one.

You could set up a playlist that has Name contains Olympic and Type = Podcast

and then another Playlist that has Album contains Olympic and Type = Podcast

The set up a 3rd Playlist that has everything from Playlist 1 and everything from Playlist 2

Done

Ian
Computers - Au MacBook 2.4Ghz, iMac 24" 2.8Ghz Core 2 Duo
iPods - 5GB original iPod, 4GB nano - Red, 1GB 2G shuffle - Silver, 4GB 3G Shuffle - Black, 16GB touch, 16GB nano Red, 16GB iPhone 3G.
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Feb 22, 2006, 12:56 PM
 
You can use an 'or' in step one just fine. So two playlists suffice.
     
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Feb 22, 2006, 01:05 PM
 
Originally Posted by TETENAL
You can use an 'or' in step one just fine. So two playlists suffice.
You can't do OR in a playlist the only option is AND.

i.e. All the options you add to a playlist are And'ed together, so that it would be

Name contains Olympic AND Album contains Olympic would only show tracks that have 'Olympic' in BOTH fields NOT either.

Ian
Computers - Au MacBook 2.4Ghz, iMac 24" 2.8Ghz Core 2 Duo
iPods - 5GB original iPod, 4GB nano - Red, 1GB 2G shuffle - Silver, 4GB 3G Shuffle - Black, 16GB touch, 16GB nano Red, 16GB iPhone 3G.
OSX User Since Public Beta, current OS 10.6.1, iTS UK purchases - 5377 songs.... and growing!
My website - www.idparkinson.co.uk
     
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Feb 22, 2006, 01:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by Parky
You can't do OR in a playlist the only option is AND.
I can do OR (iTunes 6.0.3) The only thing that can't be done is combine or and and in one playlist.
     
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Feb 22, 2006, 01:24 PM
 
Yeah, select "Match ANY of the following rules."
Chuck
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