Personal Video Database

Hi,

I'd like to see a feature added, which I would call "Collection Notes". This would be a freeform text-entry field in which I could write notes regarding the database as a whole (as opposed to individual movies or people). For example, one might use this to make note of which Web data source(s) were used for importing information/posters, what genres are included, one's rationale for using the Seen/Wish fields, and so on. If possible, it ought to support clickable links, in much the same way that the Comments/Biography/Description/etc. fields do now.

The "Collection Notes" would appear in a pop-up window, called up from a new toolbar button. The text would initially be locked and uneditable when the window first opens, one would have to click on an "Edit" button at the bottom of the window to actually make it editable (this would prevent accidental changes).

And there ought to be a toggle option in Preferences which, if checked, would cause the "Collection Notes" to automatically appear when a database file is opened. (it should be unchecked by default).

Regards,
Aimhere

Hi,

I have a request regarding the IMDB People plugin.

Currently, it imports the list of alternative names (AKA's) in the original IMDB format; that is, with the AKA's separated by two spaces and a vertical-bar character, e.g. " | ". (Example: "Jane Doe | Janet Doe | Jane")

Could the plugin be modified to replace this separator with a comma and single-space, e.g. ", " (Example: "Jane Doe, Janet Doe, Jane")

I never liked the visual appearance of the IMDB vertical-bar separator, and using commas instead would more closely mirror the way multiple data items are entered in some other fields (genres, actors list for movie records, etc.).

(I suppose this could be made into a configurable option in the settings for the IMDB People plugin, in case some people prefer it the od way.)

Thanks,
Aimhere

Hi,

In both the main "search filter" menu (the button to the right of the search box) and "Advanced Search", the list of available search fields is in a very particular order, closely following the order of the fields in the main window. But frankly, there are times when I wish the list was in alphabetical order instead, which would make it easier for me to find an item when I know what it's called.  Is there any chance of adding a toggle in Preferences to sort the search fields alphabetically?

Aimhere

Hi,

Embedded links within text fields (the kind you make with CTRL-H) don't always work as expected, depending on what "type" they are.

The first few types available in the CTRL-H dialog (ID, Original Title, Title, Name, Translated Name) all work fine, since it's expected that they point to a single unique entry in the database.

But the Year, Genre, and Country types are essentially search filters... clicking on such a link invokes a search for the specified text in the specified field.  Trouble is, PVD does not switch to Movies View for links of these types that are created in People View. Suppose I create a link of type "Year" in an actor's Biography field, and give it a value of "2006". When I click on this link, it fills in "2006" in the Search box, and sets the search filter to "Year", then executes the search... but it remains in People View, where "Year" isn't even one of the available fields, and so finds no results.

What's more, I cannot easily reset the Search Box afterwards to its default behavior. I can click the "reset search" button to re-display all people, but the search filter selector remains set to "Year" (following my example) and I can't set it back to the default "Name + Translated Name + Alternative Names", at least not directly... I have to click on it and set it to something else (such as "Birthday") first, then change it back. (I suspect this is just a display issue... I think the "reset search" button really does set it back to the "Names" filter, it just isn't updating the label on the toolbar.)

Along the same lines, one would also expect the "Tag" link type to search for movies with a specific tag... but when in People View, clicking on an embedded "Tag" link actually causes an Application Error to occur. ("Tag" links work correctly when in Movies view, though.)

By the way: Exactly what does the "Anchor" link type do? I've never seen it explained anywhere.

Aimhere

Hi again,

I'd like to see the "Name"/"Translated Name"/"Alternative Names" fields in People View get some added functionality.

Suppose I have "Show people added from movie credits" selected in Preferences, and I add a new movie (letting whatever plugin applies download the credits from the Web). It would be great if PVD would scan the "Name", Translated Name", and "Alternative Names" of all existing People records for matches to each actor in the film credits, and display a list of matching People so that I can choose which record the movie ought to be added to.

This would be really useful for actors that frequently perform under multiple aliases. As things stand now, if a person appears in a movie's credits under a certain alias, but I have him/her in my database under a different name, PVD will merely create a new People record using the credited alias, ignoring the fact that I had the alias listed in "Alternative Names".

This could work both ways, too (assuming "Show movies added from filmography" is selected in Preferences): If I'm in People View and import an actor's filmography, and one of the imported titles already appears in my Movies list within a certain movie's "Also known as" field, PVD ought to ask whether the imported title ought to be linked to the existing movie or added as a new record.

Both of these features ought to be selectable options, of course, since they might not appeal to every user.

Aimhere