Due to work on the proposed new 'Tracks' feature, we have highlighted a
known problem regarding the usage of 'Index Tracks'. Currently, they are
used in two ways:
1. To give an overall title to a group of tracks below. For example
at http://www.discogs.com/release/3416833
2. To enter a heading that is not a title for any of the tracks. For
example http://www.discogs.com/release/6061
If we look at http://www.discogs.com/release/3416833 , we see:
Symphonie No 88 En Sol Majeur
B1 Adagio-Allegro
B2 Largo
B3 Menuetto-Allegretto
B4 Finale - Allegro Con Spirito
The intention of the Index Track feature was to allow such entries to be
parsed at a later date, in ways such as:
Symphonie No 88 En Sol Majeur - Adagio-Allegro
Symphonie No 88 En Sol Majeur - Largo
Symphonie No 88 En Sol Majeur - Menuetto-Allegretto
Symphonie No 88 En Sol Majeur - Allegro Con Spirito
or:
Symphonie No 88 En Sol Majeur (Adagio-Allegro, Largo,
Menuetto-Allegretto, and Allegro Con Spirito) etc.
However, Index Tracks are also used for headings in tracklists that are
not part of the track title, for example at
http://www.discogs.com/release/6061
Fresh Water
A1 Aqua Worm Hole
A2 Positron Island
A3 Beyond The Abyss
A3 isn't called "Fresh Water - Beyond The Abyss", it is just "Beyond The
Abyss"
In order to solve this, we need a new function called 'Heading' (or some
such name, ideas?), that would be used for the Drexiya example.
Releases will have to be manually edited to update them one way or the
other. I suspect that the releases that use index tracks as 'headings'
will need to be converted, and we should keep the index track function
for the primary intention of providing an overall title for the tracks
underneath.
The current layout probably makes most sense for headings:
Fresh Water |
||
A1 |
Aqua Worm Hole |
|
A2 |
Positron Island |
|
A3 |
Beyond The Abyss |
Index tracks used as the overall track title should be changed to an
indented type display, and possibly other elements to show the tracks
are sub-tracks of the main title, for example:
Symphonie No 88 En Sol Majeur |
|
B1 |
- |
B2 |
- |
B3 |
- |
B4 |
- |
These are just rough ideas. The layout would likely be somewhat
different, but can be tweaked at any time.
On the submission form, we currently have a dropdown to the left of each
track:
Insert Track
Delete Track
Insert Index Track
This would be changed so we could add the different types of heading and
index track. There are a few ideas for how we could do this so far, and
we'd have to decide on one:
The current dropdown would be expanded to include the following;
Insert Track
Insert Index Track Start
Insert Index Track End
Insert Heading
Delete
"Insert Index Track Start" is the same as current "Insert Index Track"
"Insert Index Track End" is a new feature of Index track. Currently, if
the block of tracks relating to an Index Track finish and the next track
is a normal track, then to denote the end of the Index Track section, an
Index Track is inserted with "-" in the tracklisting. If we go with an
indent to display index tracks, then this would be unnecessary to show.
The 'Insert Index Track End' could either automatically insert the "-",
or there could be some other method to indicate in the tracklist that
the Index track has ended. If that was the case, the current "-" would
need converted.
"Insert Heading" is the new heading function.
"Delete" removes the row it relates to, whether it is a Track, an Index
Track, or a Heading.
Each track that is a sub-track of the Index track would be entered as
such on the submission form. The current dropdown would be expanded to
include the following;
Insert Track
Insert Index Track
Insert Index Sub-Track
Insert Heading
Delete
This would negate the need to have 'Index Track Ends'.
Redesigning the track section to allow for draggable and multi-select
elements, so you could drag tracks into an index track list.