Bug 17980 - Can't remove song from playlist which has just 1 song
: Can't remove song from playlist which has just 1 song
Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX
Product: SB Controller
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Now Playing
: unspecified
: PC Windows 7
: -- normal with 4 votes (vote)
: ---
Assigned To: Unassigned bug - please assign me!
:
Depends on:
Blocks:
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Reported: 2012-06-14 01:48 UTC by Martin Whitehead
Modified: 2012-07-28 04:33 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

See Also:
Category: ---


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Description Martin Whitehead 2012-06-14 01:48:11 UTC
I've got a Duet Controller version 7.7.2 r9663 and Logitech Media Server Version: 7.7.2 - r33893.

On the controller, when the current playlist contains several items, and I press the center button, the current playlist is displayed, together with options to clear it or save it. But if the current playlist has just one item and I press the center button, I don't get the option to remove it. Instead I get options like "Play", "Save to favourites", etc.

This behaviour isn't a problem in practice, but the inconsistency is getting to me!

Is it a bug? Or a deliberately chosen feature?
Comment 1 Martin Williams 2012-06-19 08:53:10 UTC
It appears to be a deliberately chosen feature of the server:

https://github.com/Logitech/slimserver/commit/71e36d41da8230e842a901c92675912622bf6c14


This behaviour is an annoyance for me, I do wish to be able to clear the
playlist.
Comment 2 Martin Williams 2012-06-19 08:53:52 UTC
*** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***
Comment 3 Martin Whitehead 2012-06-19 09:36:20 UTC
(In reply to comment #2)
> *** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***

What's the process to get this decision re-considered?
Comment 4 Martin Williams 2012-06-19 10:21:21 UTC
No idea !

It was originally implemented under:

https://bugs-archive.lyrion.org/show_bug.cgi?id=17876

Perhaps reopen that bug ?
Comment 5 p_lemonde 2012-06-19 11:53:45 UTC
I added Alan Young, who implemented the original 'fix' in bug 17876 to this case so hopefully he'll get to read it and see that the current implementation is flawed, particularly with respect to internet radio when you definitely want to clear the playlist when you've finished streaming.
Comment 6 Mikael Nyberg 2012-06-19 12:00:42 UTC
This bug is yet not assigned nor is closed so it might still be handled by someone and it is auto confirmed by more than 3 voters .

You linked to these changes .


‪1.‬ No "Remove from playlist" if only item in playlist
‪2.‬ No "Play Next" if only item in playlist or current (playing) item or next item
‪3.‬ No "Play" if current item and playing.

Nr 1 needs explaining how are we supposed to clear a one item playlist ??

No need to revert the whole change , just keep remove from playlist as long as there are items in it
Comment 7 Martin Whitehead 2012-06-19 13:14:09 UTC
Yes - currently it takes more controller actions to remove a single-item playlist (e.g. add another item you don't want to play so that pressing the centre button then dislays the playlist songs + the option to clear the playlist)! Not smart...
Comment 8 Alan Young 2012-06-19 22:56:07 UTC
bug 17876 is not relevant here. It has always been (for a long time at least) the case that when one has a single-item current playlist then one does not get the current-playlist view when pressing on the centre button. The changes in bug 17876 did not change this.

The inconsistency noted is a deliberate design decision and will not be revisited. For the vast majority of SB customers listening to single-item playlists (internet radio and the like) represents the primary use-case and the experience is optimized for that.

It sounds like what you are asking for is a means to clear the current playlist, possibly replacing it with something new but without immediately playing that something new. Such functionality is not supported by design.
Comment 9 p_lemonde 2012-06-19 23:12:02 UTC
Alan

It is absolutely NOT optimized for that case.

How are you supposed to clear your playlist when you are listening to internet radio and want to guarantee that it stops buffering the stream?

Answer: you can't.  Unless you add another item to the playlist in order to get an option to then wipe the playlist.  It's ridiculous and unnecessarily inconsistent.

Ignoring the fact that a single track playlist doesn't have the playlist view option with the Clear Playlist and Save Playlist menu items at the bottom, the context menus themselves differ.

In my case the context menu for a single-track playlist begins with Last.FM 'Love this track'.  Not a whole lot of use on an internet radio stream I'd argue but that's your design.  On a multiple-track playlist, however, the same context menu has Last.FM 'Love this track' and then 'Remove from Playlist'.

There is absolutely no good reason why 'Remove from Playlist' should only exist on a multiple-track playlist, so why not simply add it in here as well which wouldn't require any extra navigation steps for the users you are targeting and would also allow those of us who want to be able to clear playlists to be able to, at the same time maintaining design consistency across the context menus.
Comment 10 Martin Williams 2012-06-20 07:04:06 UTC
(In reply to comment #8)
> bug 17876 is not relevant here. It has always been (for a long time at
> least) the case that when one has a single-item current playlist then one
> does not get the current-playlist view when pressing on the centre button.
> The changes in bug 17876 did not change this.

I would argue that bug 17876 does have relevance, as one of the changes removes
the only possibility of clearing a 'single item' playlist. I use this regularly
to stop: buffering an internet stream, retrieving metadata artwork for local
track, etc.

I didn't appreciate that this was unintended behaviour, it seemed quite logical
to me. An unintended but happy accident of the implementation, perhaps ?

> It sounds like what you are asking for is a means to clear the current
> playlist, possibly replacing it with something new but without immediately
> playing that something new. Such functionality is not supported by design.

Personally I would just be asking for the means to clear a current, single item,
playlist. I would be content with the earlier context menu offering of
"Remove from playlist".
Comment 11 Alan Young 2012-06-20 07:22:53 UTC
You can stop playback with a Stop command - press-hold Pause in most UIs.
Comment 12 Martin Williams 2012-06-20 08:06:37 UTC
True, and thanks for the reminder, but there still seem to be circumstances
when I do want to 'really clear' the playlist.

Unfortunately I don't have a handy list of them. I'd have to construct a list
before being able to make a cogent case.


Quietening/limiting access to the disk containing the local library is one
area in mind. I am currently using an 'auto-mounter', which safely unmounts a
local music library (on removable disk) when not in use. But I have concluded
that the library seems to be 'in use' when there is a stopped track in a current
playlist, and this defeats the unmounter.

So it was handy to be able to clear the playlist.

There may be better ways to achieve what I seek to achieve. Or not !
Comment 13 Mikael Nyberg 2012-06-20 21:41:47 UTC
(In reply to comment #9)
> Alan
> 
> It is absolutely NOT optimized for that case.
> 
> How are you supposed to clear your playlist when you are listening to
> internet radio and want to guarantee that it stops buffering the stream?
> 
> Answer: you can't.  Unless you add another item to the playlist in order to
> get an option to then wipe the playlist.  It's ridiculous and unnecessarily
> inconsistent.
> 
> Ignoring the fact that a single track playlist doesn't have the playlist
> view option with the Clear Playlist and Save Playlist menu items at the
> bottom, the context menus themselves differ.
> 
> In my case the context menu for a single-track playlist begins with Last.FM
> 'Love this track'.  Not a whole lot of use on an internet radio stream I'd
> argue but that's your design.  On a multiple-track playlist, however, the
> same context menu has Last.FM 'Love this track' and then 'Remove from
> Playlist'.
> 
> There is absolutely no good reason why 'Remove from Playlist' should only
> exist on a multiple-track playlist, so why not simply add it in here as well
> which wouldn't require any extra navigation steps for the users you are

This can not be the case , if where optimised for single item playlist , you would be able to remove the item .

On Touch the pl buton also change to a + ?

In the web UI you can do it, or the 2 major third party iThing apps let's you do it.
I usually wan't to clear playlist on unused players, historically ss/sc/SBS/LMS have been known to actually start playing paused or stopped stuff. Haven't seen that in long while , but bugs does not stay fixed in this product so we see the return of that at some piont.
> targeting and would also allow those of us who want to be able to clear
> playlists to be able to, at the same time maintaining design consistency
> across the context menus.
Comment 14 p_lemonde 2012-07-15 11:43:45 UTC
This needs the status resetting.

You can say you won't resolve it in terms of adding the extra navigation steps to make a single item playlist appear like a multi-item playlist, but there's absolutely no reason not to still have the Clear Playlist context menu available on the single item, which doesn't require changing the navigation at all.

This will not add any navigational complexity whatsoever for a casual user and, in fact, makes the device easier to use.

As Alan said, "For the vast majority of SB customers listening to single-item playlists (internet radio and the like) represents the primary use-case and the experience is optimized for that."

Currently you may have the navigation optimised (i.e. simplified) but there's no point in aiming to satisfy this group of users if you only do half the job and don't give them an option to clear the playlist!
Comment 15 Dr Bill 2012-07-28 04:33:13 UTC
This is the most asinine "feature" I've ever seen! Software quirks like this guarantee that SB will never be a mainstream appliance, just a geek toy.