Bug 166068 - playlist shuffle support
Summary: playlist shuffle support
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: amarok
Classification: Applications
Component: Playlist (show other bugs)
Version: 2.3-GIT
Platform: unspecified Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Amarok Developers
URL:
Keywords:
: 220759 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2008-07-08 18:01 UTC by Dario Panico
Modified: 2011-02-09 12:56 UTC (History)
9 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In:


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Description Dario Panico 2008-07-08 18:01:38 UTC
Version:           2.0-SVN (using 4.00.85 (KDE 4.0.85 (KDE 4.1 >= 20080703)), compiled sources)
Compiler:          gcc
OS:                Linux (x86_64) release 2.6.24-19-generic

There should be an option, or even the default behaviour (as in amarok1), to order the songs in the playlist in a random way, if so you more importance would be given to the playlist and it's order.
It is very useful when you want to play usual song but in a new order (but you want have some control over it).
Comment 1 Casey Link 2008-07-11 00:16:34 UTC
Changing to a wish.

Personally, I don't think this feature is necessary. There already is a Random mode (Playlist > Random), which will play the tracks in a random order without reordering the playlist.

Doing it this ways gives you (1) the benefit of shuffle mode, plus (2) being able to keep your tracks in order.
Comment 2 Seb Ruiz 2008-07-11 00:47:47 UTC
The point is that you can have a pre-known random order before playing.
Comment 3 Nathaniel W. Turner 2009-01-25 01:01:22 UTC
For example, this feature is very useful when organizing a playlist for a party, if you want to start with a fairly random mix of songs, but put certain items at certain points in time along the way, or alternatively if you want to "seed" an initial party playlist (with a shuffled-up selection of tracks), but have the playlist execution be predictable so guests can insert or append new tracks as desired.
Comment 4 chrisy-chrisza 2009-05-31 01:16:44 UTC
I also would like to have the shuffle-option of amarok1 back, if at all possible using the ctrl-h shortcut, or at least using some sort of shortcut. Also for some reason the playlist-random option Casey Link pointed out doesn't work on my amarok.
Comment 5 alx 2009-09-24 10:39:28 UTC
please, return that option back. this was one of the best features of amarok for me over many other players. Random playing is worse than reordering because of above listed reasons!
Comment 6 Ollie 2010-01-05 00:00:54 UTC
Sorry, I didn't find this post on my initial search, so added my own (220759).

Please put it back - it was very useful, without it I'll probably go back to 1.4.
Comment 7 Myriam Schweingruber 2010-01-05 00:08:59 UTC
*** Bug 220759 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 8 langstr 2010-03-20 17:34:15 UTC
I thought of a way to get what you want:

 - Set playlist sorting to 'Random'

 - 'Save Current Playlist'

 - Clear the sorting

 - Reload the saved playlist:
   Left column/Playlists/Saved playlists/Internal database:
     - Right-click the new saved playlist
     - "Replace playlist"

Now you have a random-sorted playlist that you can edit manually.

That does take 7 clicks, rather than 1 or 2.

Perhaps adding a "Apply current sort&filter permanently" button to Amarok is a reasonable compromise?
Comment 9 Ollie 2010-03-22 17:53:08 UTC
langstr,

Thanks for bringing that to my attention, but Amarok 1.4 did it perfectly well, simply with ctrl+h.

I am afraid that I have once more reverted to Amarok 1.4, for this reason, and because of the iPOD support. I might try again in a few months.

Ollie
Comment 10 Myriam Schweingruber 2010-08-01 12:31:29 UTC
I also would like to have a Shuffle mode, the current Random mode does never stop, while shuffle just sets the playlist order differently before starting to play and the playlist ends once it's gone to the bottom.
Comment 11 panya_qwert 2010-08-01 12:43:57 UTC
Agree with previous commenter.
I guess you should divide the menu under playlist to the two logical radiobutton lists : in one you can choose randomization behavior(random tracks, random albums, no random), in the second you can choose repeating behavior(don't repeat, repeat once, repeat infinitely).
Comment 12 Myriam Schweingruber 2010-08-07 13:04:25 UTC
The following commits solve that issue:

commit 1ca238795f594354a520b577686591c7c1e40768
Author:     Teo Mrnjavac <teo@getamarok.com>
AuthorDate: Mon Aug 10 12:20:25 2009 +0200
Commit:     Teo Mrnjavac <teo@getamarok.com>
CommitDate: Mon Aug 10 12:24:27 2009 +0200

   Added a Random sort level.

and

commit a971b2ffce2fed718c83f9a453b2dfb943a28048
Author: Teo Mrnjavac <teo@kde.org>
Date:   Sat Aug 7 14:50:45 2010 +0200

   Renamed "Random" sort order to "Shuffle" in the sorting widget, and also in the bookmark manager. Old AmarokURLs with "Random" in them are still supported but new ones are created with the label "Shuffle".
Comment 13 Leonardo La Malfa 2010-08-07 13:59:39 UTC
This is sweet! You guys are great! Many thanks for all the efforts you put into making Amarok rock so hard.
Comment 14 langstr 2010-08-07 14:12:14 UTC
Marking not fixed: the use case in Comment #3 From  Nathaniel W. Turner (shuffle then manual edit) is still virtually impossible.
Comment 15 Myriam Schweingruber 2010-08-07 14:26:38 UTC
(In reply to comment #14)
> Marking not fixed: the use case in Comment #3 From  Nathaniel W. Turner
> (shuffle then manual edit) is still virtually impossible.

Well, the usecase is very well possible as you can queue tracks in a shuffled playlist. Also this does not depend on the shuffle function AFAICT.
Comment 16 langstr 2010-08-07 15:35:29 UTC
> the usecase is very well possible as you can queue tracks

I don't think that is a good solution. Let's walk through Comment #3:


> put certain items at certain points in time along the way

That is theoretically possible with the "Queue track" feature, but awful UI in practice.

Inconvenient and *VERY* few users would even think of that in the first place.


> have the playlist execution be predictable

Not satisfied by "Queue track"; finding the upcoming few tracks will require scrolling & hunting all over the listview.


> so guests can insert or append new tracks as desired.

This is not even theoretically possible with "Queue track".

You can't insert/move tracks within the "track Queue", only append/remove.
Comment 17 langstr 2010-08-07 15:40:17 UTC
IMHO Amarok's "Queue track" system is a messy, limited feature in its current form.

I think the current playlist view should be split in 2 views:

 * 1 "upcoming" listview that always shows the the tracks that Amarok is currently planning to play in the order that they will be played. Appended to by the Dynamic Playlist system, but can be edited freely by the user. No sorting modes, no track progression modes, etc.: very straightforward What You See Is What You'll Hear.

 * 1 "saved playlist" listview. Can be sorted. If open, this is normally the source that the Dynamic Playlist system picks new tracks from.

 * The current TrackNavigator modes (linear, bias, repeat modes, etc.) should be integrated into the Dynamic Playlist system.


That would clean up Amarok's current jungle of overlapping randomization and play order mechanisms, which IMHO combines confusion with limitations.
Comment 18 Myriam Schweingruber 2010-08-07 20:11:41 UTC
May I just remind you the original wish, which is to shuffle the playlist? This is solved by these 2 commits, everything else has not much to do with the shuffle mode anyway. The point of this wish is solved AFAICS, comment #3 has not much to do with the original post. I strongly suggest taking this discussion to another wish, I bet there already are quite a few around regarding Queuing and predictable playlists (btw. partly solved by the Automatic Playlist Generator, too).
Comment 19 langstr 2010-08-08 13:52:14 UTC
Disagree; the original bug submission also already asks for it:
  "in a new order (but you want have some control over it)".

Playlist sort mode = "Random"/"Shuffle" removes that control, ya gotta live with exactly the order it happens to pick.

However, I don't want to struggle with you over this: if you decide to re-close this (IMHO not satisfied) bug report, I personally won't re-open it.

Regards,
Nanno
Comment 20 Myriam Schweingruber 2010-08-08 14:31:03 UTC
Sorry, but that makes no sense. Nanno, if you have a clear picture on how you would solve a shuffle "with control" then please explain it and give a mock-up on the amarok-devel@ mailing list.
We have dynamic playlists, random mode by album or track, the Dynamic Playlist Generator and the playlist filters, what more control do you want? There already are more random/shuffle features than ever were in Amarok 1.x

The report asks for shuffle support, this is solved.

If you want some other control this should go to a different wish anyway, remember, one item per wish.
Comment 21 langstr 2010-08-08 16:23:08 UTC
Heh, what an unexpectedly difficult to-and-fro.

The way I read the original request and Comment #3, they both mean the word "Shuffle" in its original meaning: a single-time *action*, not a continuous *mode*".

In other words, I think they both use the words "Shuffle support" to mean "An easy way to do the following:
  1) Load a specific playlist;
  2) Do a *single-time* shuffle of the tracks;
  3) Manually fine-tune. ('some control')"

Amarok indeed contains a confusing mess of unrelated randomization mechanisms, but none of them allow this common use case.  (I think)

That's why I disagree: Shuffle support -- not solved.
Comment 22 Myriam Schweingruber 2010-08-08 18:26:00 UTC
(In reply to comment #21)
....
> 
> In other words, I think they both use the words "Shuffle support" to mean "An
> easy way to do the following:
>   1) Load a specific playlist;

Must be done by the user, not automated, why should it?

>   2) Do a *single-time* shuffle of the tracks;

Solved by exactly those two commits. Please try it, it works perfectly fine here.

>   3) Manually fine-tune. ('some control')"

Well, manually = not to be done by the application or the shuffle option in the playlist filter but by the user *sigh* so where on earth is this not solved? 

> Amarok indeed contains a confusing mess of unrelated randomization mechanisms,
> but none of them allow this common use case.  (I think)

I agree with you on that, but we talk about the shuffle option in this wish, which is implemented and has nothing to do with all the other random options.
Comment 23 langstr 2010-08-08 22:58:07 UTC
"Please try it"? Giggle... Myriam, I **wrote the source code** for that Playlist Sort Mode = 'Random/Shuffle'.

(the most recent implementation anyway, part of a larger playlist refactoring). I am extremely familiar with what a user can and can not accomplish with that feature.

I have offered what I can, so let's bother each other no longer. I will not post another comment in this thread.

    Regards, Nanno
Comment 24 Leonardo La Malfa 2011-02-08 11:38:51 UTC
(In reply to comment #12)
> The following commits solve that issue:
> 
> commit 1ca238795f594354a520b577686591c7c1e40768
> Author:     Teo Mrnjavac <teo@getamarok.com>
> AuthorDate: Mon Aug 10 12:20:25 2009 +0200
> Commit:     Teo Mrnjavac <teo@getamarok.com>
> CommitDate: Mon Aug 10 12:24:27 2009 +0200
> 
>    Added a Random sort level.
> 
> and
> 
> commit a971b2ffce2fed718c83f9a453b2dfb943a28048
> Author: Teo Mrnjavac <teo@kde.org>
> Date:   Sat Aug 7 14:50:45 2010 +0200
> 
>    Renamed "Random" sort order to "Shuffle" in the sorting widget, and also in
> the bookmark manager. Old AmarokURLs with "Random" in them are still supported
> but new ones are created with the label "Shuffle".

I'm sorry to bring up this issue. I've recently upgraded to v. 2.4, but I still fail to understand how the shuffle mode was implemented. Could you kindly explain where can I find this option? Many thanks in advance!
Comment 25 Myriam Schweingruber 2011-02-09 12:56:38 UTC
Have a look at the top of the playlist: Click on the > sign and it opens a list of filters you can apply to the playlist. Shuffle is at the bottom.

Also please ask support questions in the forum at http://forum.kde.org/Amarok or in #amarok on irc.freenode.net, a bug tracker is hardly the place for that.