BRUTUS
software for cataloging
and organizing the
things we collect
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BRUTUS software for cataloging and organizing the things we collect |
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2-1. Entering Albums The image below shows the Album Dialog which is used to enter new Albums and to update existing Albums which have already been entered into the Brutus database. To get to this dialog in New Mode, click on the File menu on the main window, then New, then Album. See below about how to get to this same dialog in update mode. For instructions on how to play your music files, see section 2-9. Playing Your Music Files.
The field names are all fairly self-explanatory, we think, but here are a few things to keep in mind: New: After filling in all the fields with the necessary information, add this Album to the database by clicking this button. This button is only enabled for inputting a new album. After entering a new Album, this dialog will remain visible for additional data entry. To return, simply click on the Main Window button. Update: This button will only be enabled when in update mode (read below about how to enter into update mode). When in update mode this dialog will be presented fully populated with the current item. After making modifications to any part of the information, click on this button to update the database with all of the modified data. After a successful update, this dialog will be terminated. If, after attempting to update an item, this dialog remains visible, please check the Java console and the brutus.log file for information regarding possible errors encountered. Delete: This button will only be enabled when in update mode (read below about how to enter update mode). If you click on this button, the entire item will be erased from the database. Main Window: This button will never be disabled. If you have no more new Albums to enter, or if you wish to abort an update in progress (before you have clicked on Update, of course), clicking this button will take you back to the Brutus Main Window and all data entered into any of the fields will be lost. New Mode Title: This field is completely arbitrary and you can call it whatever you like. Just be aware that this is the title that will be displayed in the drop down box for selecting which item to display in the main window. It is a required field and is also the field that will be searched if you choose the Search menu and then Title. Composer: Probably not all albums that you enter will need to have this field filled in, but it is included for those times when it does apply. It is completely optional, but it is the field searched if you choose the Search menu and then Author/Composer. Orchestra: This is another field that might not be needed on all albums and is an optional field. It is not used in any search and is only included for information. Conductor: Yet another field that won't always be needed. It is however the field that is searched if you choose the Search menu and then Conductor. Date: This is another optional field. Its intended use is to record the date of the recording. It is for informational purposes only and is not included in any search. Location: Here you need to enter the physical location of the media. It is a free-form entry field and you can put anything you like, for example: Third shelf of the bookcase next to the TV table. In the case of computer files, this should be the complete Drive and Path location of the files (e.g. D:\MyMusic\AlbumName\) Please note that the ending “\” character is very important and must not be omitted. Since the purpose of this software is to keep track of your collectible items, this has been made a required field. Media: In this drop down box, you need to choose the type of media your album is recorded on. It is used in the determination of whether or not there are any files in this album which can be played from this program. If you do not choose a media type, the default, CD, will be picked up by the program and stored on the database. Genre: This describes the type of music in this album. If it is a variety of more than one type, or if this album contains no music, choose Other. Artists: In this table you can list the artist or artists that appear on this album. Notice that the word fach is borrowed from German and is the designation or category of a singer's voice, such as tenor, baritone, soprano, etc. Some collectors, especially collectors of operatic music, like to keep track of this sort of thing. It is important to note that this table has an idiosyncrasy that has nothing to do with the program but with the Java language. If you enter any information in one of the cells in this table, you must tab out of that cell before the information is set in the program. It is very easy to type something into the last cell and forget to tab out of it. Be warned, however, that if you should forget to tab out, the information will not be picked up by the program and will not be recorded on the database. Add Row: The Artists table originally has a few blank rows in it so that you can fill in the names and fachs of the artists on your album. However, if you need to enter more names, you can add a blank row to the table by clicking on this button. Delete Row: If you need to alter what you entered, it is possible to delete rows from the Artists table by clicking on any cell in that row and then clicking on this button. Tracks: In this table you can list the individual tracks in your album. It is an optional field, but in the case of computer files it must be filled in, accurately, with a list of the file names of the tracks in order to have Brutus play the files (actually, Brutus does not play the files, but launches another program to play them). Just like in the Artists table above, if you fail to tab out of any cell in this table, the information will not be picked up by the program. Add Track: This button has the same function for the Tracks table as the Add Row button has for the Artists table above. It will add another blank line to the table where you can enter additional tracks for this album. Delete Track: This button has the same function for the Tracks table as the Delete Row button has for the Artists table above. It will delete the selected track in the Tracks table. Click on a track to select it. Comments: This is an optional field into which you can enter anything you wish... even a complete synopsis of an opera, if you wish. Update Mode Any time you have an Album displayed in the Brutus Main Window, you can update that Album by clicking on the File menu and then on Edit. This will present the Album Dialog window, in update mode, fully populated with all the data from the Album currently displayed. You may make deletions, additions or modifications to any of the fields on the dialog. After making all your changes, just click on the Update button.
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