CDViewer   v1.3
©1999-2001 Jérôme DE SOLLIERS - All rights reserved
email : jerome.de.solliers@libertysurf.fr
homepage : http://perso.libertysurf.fr/desolliers/

This software is freeware. (Feedbacks will be appreciated)

(Read me with StyledEdit)


Introduction
This software let you manage easier your CD files description in the "/boot/home/cd" directory. It provides a simple but nice GUI for replacing Be CDPlayer's one. This software supports connection to a CDDB server.
What can you do with this software ?
- You can retrieve the album informations (Artist,Album, Tracks name...) via a CDDB server on Internet
- You can use CD data informations with CDPlayer and all applications which support the "CD Tracks" kind of file
- You can print informations of the CD contents and export them as ASCII or HTML
- It can help you to prepare a CD compilation
The GUI is font sensible, with automatic state saving and localisation (you could create your own language - see ReadMe-InstallLanguage.txt).

Warning : this software is distributed without garanty and I am not responsible for any problems it could causing.
Nevertheless don't be afraid, this application has been tested and the number of bugs must be ridiculous (I hope :-)). 


Menu description
- Files / About : 
Informations about the application.
- Files / Page Setup : 
Invoke the Be page setup window.
- Files / Print : 
Print the current selected album.
- Files / Quit : 
Simply quit the application.

- Action / Scan Directory : 
If you add or remove a file in the "cd" directory, this option let you rebuild the album list.
- Action / Open CD Directory : 
Ask the Tracker to open the "cd" directory.
- Action / Launch CDPlayer : 
As written, just launch the Be CDPlayer.

- Window / Layout window : 
Show the layout window.
- Window / List manager window : 
Show the list manager window.
- Window / CD manager window : 
Show the CD manager window.

- Misc / Set as preferred application : 
All "CD Tracks" files will be associated with CDViewer.


Layout window
It's a window for building a CD layout with tracks of others CD. It's very usefull if you want to make a compilation with differents songs of differents album.
For adding a track or a full album, use popup menus on the main window.
You can re-order tracks with the drag & drop.
After your selection done, you can print the layout or save it as an ASCII file.


List manager window
It's a window for printing/saving (in ASCII or HTML) the albums you have selected in the list.
Two types of list are available :
* Only artist & album name;
* Full list including : artist & album name, year, total time and tracks.


CD manager window
It's a window for handling the connection with a free CDDB database. You can access a CDDB database with an internet connection.
A CDDB database contains a huge amount of informations about audio CD (artist, album, tracks titles... but not the year).

How does it works ?
- Recognize the CD structure
When you insert a CD, some informations will be automatically retrieved and added into the list. You can use all of your CD device to perform this operation. If you have a problem with a CD device, you can click on the "Scan CD" button.
- Connection to a CDDB site
Once you have finished the precedent operation, open an Internet connection and click on the "CDDB" button (you can choose the CDDB server with the "Site list" menu). A processing window will appear and give you the current status of the CDDB connection.
Note : if the CDDB server retrieve more than one choice for a CD, a window will appear and you must select one item in the list or click on the "Cancel" button.
- Integration of the CD informations
After you have retrieved all the informations via the CDDB site, you can close the Internet connection. For integrating the CD informations into your system, click the "Integrate" button. Only the recognized CD are integrated.

Note : The list of the unchecked CD is saved.


Extra attributes used by the application
On the "CD Tracks" files :
- CD:year : you could specify the release's year of the album.
- CD:CDDB_key : it's the computed CDDB key.


Deinstall
All you have to do is to put theses two folders into the trash :
- the "CDViewer" application folder
- the "CDViewer" settings folder (in "home/config/settings/")


Bug
The drag & drop of the layout window isn't finished... Yes, I know... I'm a lazy guy...


Contacting the author
You can e-mail me if you have any questions, comments, bugs' reports... or simply to ask me if this application could be usefull for you.
Feedbacks are welcome (it costs just a mail ;-)


Credits
- CDDB (http://www.cddb.com)
The original CDDB is a database to look up CD information using the internet. This is done by a client which calulates a (nearly) unique disc-id and then queries the database. As a result, the client displays the Artist, CD-title, tracklist and some additional infos.
Credits goes to Ti Kan (ti@amb.org) for creating cddb, the CD database, and coming up with the idea of using the Internet to give users access to the database. His prototype is the basis for cddbd. He also maintains the public server sites worldwide. Steve Scherf (steve@moonsoft.com) for creating the cddbd-server-software. Without his efford, this site would not be.
Copyright : "CD Database Server", "Internet CD Database Server", "CD Server", "Internet CD Server", "CDDB Protocol Server" and "CDDB Server", are all copyright (c) 1996 by Steve Scherf.
- Free CDDB server (http://www.freedb.org) - Extract from the about page :
0. THIS IS A FREE SERVICE. ALL DATA IS GPL´ed, SO THIS WILL STAY FREE
1. all copyrights held by their owners.
2. many users submit, and we are trying to sort the bad entries out but we cannot guarantee that all submitted data is correct.
3. if you want to contribute, feel free to contact info@freedb.org for any questions.
=> See the terms of the GPL in the file "GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE".


History
V1.3 : 25 February 2001
- [New] in CD Manager window : You can add new CDDB server in the list by using the CDDB Configuration window.
- [Add] The server cz.freedb.org in the Free CDDB list.
- [Fix] CD-Rom with audio and data are recognized correctly.
- [New] internal preference system.
- [Fix] Some irrevelant bugs
- [New] in CD Manager window : Export as CDPlayer.ini format. This option permits you to save all the recognized CD (in the CD Manager window) in a file compatible with the MS Windows one. Format example :
[1BE08FC]
artist=The Silencers
title=Dance to the Holy Man
numtracks=15
0=Singing Ginger
1=Robinson Crusoe in New York
2=Bulletproof Heart
3=The art of Self Deception
4=I Want You
5=Just can't be bothered
6=Cameras and colleseums
7=One inch of Heaven
8=Hey Mr Bank Manager
9=This is serious / John the revelator
10=Afraid to love
11=Rosanne
12=Electric Storm
13=When the Night Comes Down
14=Robinson Rap
order=0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Note : if you want compose a CDPlayer.ini file with a lot of already known audio CD, all you can do is just to insert the CD in the drive with the CD Manager window open

V1.2 : 27 april 2000
- [Fix] Some bugs and memory leak corrected for the CDDB support.
- [New] Now, you can remove one item or clear the entire list in the CD Manager window.
- [New] 2 informations message in the CD Manager window.
- [Clean] Some improvements in the code.

V1.2 beta 1 : 23 april 2000
- [New] CDDB support.
- [New] The list is updated automatically when a file of the "boot/home/cd" is added or removed.
- [Clean] Some parts of the code.

V1.1 : 12 december 1999
- New menu : you can open the "home/cd" directory.
- New menu : you can assign CDViewer as the preferred application for the "CD Tracks" files.
- The organization of the datas in the listview of the album information have been modified.
- List Manager : you can save the list in ASCII or HTML format.
- Bug correction : the saved ASCII file is now recognized immediatly by the tracker.
- Bug correction : is some case, the user settings files was corrupted.
- Bug correction : no more crash in the list manager window if an invalid "CD Tracks" file is present in the "home/cd" directory.

V1.0.1 : 10 july 1999
- The printing bug in the R4.5 is corrected. Now, you can print the first page.

V1.0 : 20 june 1999
- New feature : you can drop a picture in the album information part of the main window and the icon will represent the picture.
- New feature : Add the list manager window (with save and printing options)
- New feature : Add the layout window (with save and printing options)
- New feature : now, you can print or save (ASCII format) the datas of an album.
- New feature : you can rename directly a "CD Tracks" file by selecting the "Rename" option in the popup menu.
- Now, all listview have popup menu.
- Fixed a bug in a BAlert information window.
- Minor fixes in the GUI.
- Clear some parts of the code.

V0.9 : 24 april 1999
- First release.
