how to create a database for my cd collection

[IBuySouls]

Went over to CDDB.com and they have an area for developers. There you can sign up to get the SDK for cddb.com so you can develop your own apps that use their service. It's free as long as you have under 250,000 users or something like that. Unfortunately when I signed up they said that the SDK was under revision and that it wouldn't be available for a while. Not having the details on the SDK, I don't know for sure whether or not it can be incorporated into Access or not; although I'm sure it can be done somehow. A basic CD library in Access without using CDDB would be fairly easy to develop. I might be able to put something together if I get the time, just need to know what you guys would want to include in it. Let me know.

 

[randypj]

A bump for mariner.

IBuySouls--He's also mentioned possibly developing one. But, I think for him, it would be a learning experience.....well, actually, for him, most everything to do with computers is.
--Randy

 

[IBuySouls]

I can't hope to be as smart as randypj, he is a golden member after all, but building a little app to export CD info into an access database doesn't seem like an impossible task to me. I'm sure the SDK from CDDB would help to develop that but maybe randy can correct me again
And as for the whole learning experience thing; I wasn't born with all my knowledge so how do you expect me to gain it? I'm sure you can stand to learn a few more things there too PJ, but thanks for the tip buddy I'll get studying :disgust:

 

[mariner]

IBuySouls, don't pay no 'tention to rpj, he's just starved for .... well we won't go into that here

And, just so you know, neither he nor I could ever hope to code anything more complicated that an 'IF' statement in an Excel worksheet

I had thought it might be possible to 'tweak' Access so that CDDB could be polled. then we might be able to use the 'internal CDDB database' option in EAC by just pointing it toward the Access file. Does this sound plausable? I have a friend that has been able to connect with a state agency mainframe and download data. I have no idea any of the particulars. Worse yet I am totally ignorant of what would be required to get Access to poll CDDB. Science I have experience with, programming I don't.

You sound like you're on your way to "Golden Member" status with that SDK idea. I'll nominate you if you can pull it off

 

[IBuySouls]

I'll have to wait for the SDK so I can get the particulars. I actually just thought of one possibility. Don't know if this will be too tedious but it should work. Throw in a CD, open up winamp and let it grab all the info from CDDB, save the playlist. If you open a playlist that was created like this in notepad you get something like this:
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:137,Band - Trackname
D:\Track01.cda
#EXTINF:299,Band - Trackname
D:\Track02.cda
#EXTINF:318,Band - Trackname
D:\Track03.cda
#EXTINF:227,Band - Trackname
D:\Track04.cda
Now, you can write some VBA behind a form in Access or something that opens a specified playlist file and reads in all the tracknames by looking at each "#EXTINF:137,Band - Trackname" type line and then taking in everything after the dash. You could manually specify the band and album name but that wouldn't take much. Like I said, this may take a bit more time than a direct CDDB read-in for each CD but it's better than manually entering the tracks. Could work until the Software Development Kit becomes available. Later.

 

[randypj]

IBuySouls--I wasn't dissin' you in anyway. The hit was meant for mariner. I can see how it might look like it was meant for you though. Sorry.

Actually, mariner is sort of trying to learn to do something in Access, and I thought you both might be able to work on it. Hey, I know how to OPEN Access...that's it. Now, I know how to open ML...so, as I tell my boss, I am constantly adding to my skillset.

The author of ML emailed a reply to me that I think is getting at what you could do. It was a reply to a sort of convoluted series of questions I had, but, the essence, I think, is that he is planning on doing just what you propose, in his next revision.

I had thought that ML would allow me to just enter the artist/title without having a TOC from the cd, grab the info from cddb, and pop it into the db. This would be great for all those thousands of mp3's that I don't have titled, for the few hundred cd's I burned before I found out about cddb, all the cd compiles I have, and that's not even getting into my LPs, open reels, and cassettes.

Actually, your method will work for titles for which I don't have a cd TOC. Thanks.

My laminosity is exceeded only by my lamineptitude.
--Randy

 

[mariner]

Yeah, IBuySouls, he was dumping on me. But I don't pay him no mind. Especially since he sent me all those untitles mp3s. Can you believe it? This lame-o got my hopes up promising me all these mp3s and when I get them - CRIMONY! - half of 'em are labeled TRACK01WAV, TRACKO2WAV,........ WTF am I gonna do with 500 unlabeled mp3s? That's about par for anyone who would hold tech stocks thru last Fall's NASDAQ meltdown