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ID3TagEd

The v1 tag edit window


The v1 tag edit window

If a version 1 tag was found at the end of the file, the fields will be filled in with the details. If no tag was found, then the fields will be blank, and the Status field will display the text "No ID3v1 tag available".

The filename of the current file is shown in the title bar of the window. If a selection of files has been dragged to ID3TagEd, then the status field at the bottom of the window will show which file of the selection is currently being shown, e.g. File 2 of 5. Various other bits of information about the tags (v1 and v2) will also be shown. The status field will be updated after certain operations are carried out on the tag.

The fields of the tag can be edited, remembering that in the version 1 tag, the field lengths for artist, title, and album are limited to 30 characters. The comment field is limited to 30 characters as well, unless there is a track number, when the comment field is limited to 28 characters. It is not possible to enter more than 30 characters into any of these fields. If a track number has been entered, then any comment will be automatically truncated at 28 characters when the tag is written.

The genre is a one byte number, less than 127. The meaning is defined in the version 1 standard. The genre can be chosen from the popup menu button to the right of the genre field. Genres in the range 0 - 79 are defined in the ID3 standard, although genres 80 - 126 have been unofficially allocated by WinAmp. These additional genres are also available from the popup menu.

The Frame Lock buttons

locked.gif - 1151 bytesTo the right of each editable field is a padlock button. If this is locked, then loading a new file will not clear or change the contents of the field. This is of most use when editing a set of files, e.g. a single artist album. Locking the previous contents reduces the amount of typing required when artist, album, year, etc are the same for all the tracks.

unlocked.gif - 1131 bytesNormal operation is with the frame unlocked, when all frame contents are loaded for each new file.

Lock buttons are present in both the v1 and v2 tag displays.

Auto increment

The Track field has an additional option button, Auto increment. When this is ticked, ID3TagEd will attempt to increment the track number each time a file is loaded. It deals with both formats of track description in the v2 tag.

The increment occurs when a new file is read, either when reading single files or moving through a selection. In the latter case, using the Prev button to go back to a previous file does not cause any change to the track number. This option should be used with care, particularly if moving back and forth through a selection of files.

The tag must be written before the new track number is included in the tag.

Auto increment is present in both the v1 and v2 tag displays.


Larr.gif - 145 bytes The tag edit window   |   Index  |   v2 tag edit window Rarr.gif - 141 bytes
ID3TagEd is © Chris Johnson, 2005
Email:chris@chris-johnson.org.uk