Winamp Backup Tool (v3.6.4 available, released on 19-12-2022)

[MrSinatra]

allow me to rewrite this post and maybe you will see what i meant. now, you may still disagree, and thats fine, but like i said its just my opinion that a better term could be used:

Originally posted by MrSinatra
maybe i'm reading this wrong but i think its confusing to use the term "automatic" to mean "what files to pick for backup" as opposed to "make backups automatically" which is more about when then what.

perhaps the term "Default" would be better to use when indicating the backup tool chooses what to backup?

rewrite:

i think its confusing to use the term "automatic" to mean the user is choosing to allow the app to decide "what files to pick for backup" as opposed to meaning "make backups automatically" (as in timing wise).

perhaps the term "Default" would be better to use when indicating the backup tool chooses what to backup?

/rewrite

now again, if you disagree, thats fine, this is clearly your baby and you're more than entitled. i simply offer that as a suggeston from a future user, and i would also add that in the future, if a small winamp plugin is ever designed to spawn your standalone app automatically it would help eliminate possible crossover confusion or conflation then as well if it had timing options. again, jmho.

just for clarity's sake, i'd write the option as:

"
Default Mode

The app will backup/restore the default winamp files as determined by the backup tool.
"

the reason i'd write it that way (or similar) is b/c you don't want to be "liable" for saying what is or isn't important, meaning what you define as "important" may not be what the user had in mind, and so don't expose yourself.

these comments are only meant to be constructive, and you're under no obligation to listen to any of them. i look forward to using the app.

[djpete]

ah..good one..except why not make it automatically do this, say when you close Winamp?

[sabret00the]

Or periodically as my WinAmp can stay open for weeks.

[djpete]

yep

[Koopa]

Please discus the Backup Tool in the related thread only.

Calling the backup tool from an internal Winamp plugin should be possible, if we're able to implement a good working command line mode.

For now that's utopia only. But it's a worthwhile goal, if you find someone, who's working on such Winamp plugin in future.

[Koopa]

Just a small status update, for people, who are interested in it.

Pawel made the buttons work and has done a great job with preliminary work on the script.

I've mostly done the backup code, but it isn't complete yet and needs more love & tweaks.

We're already using an English language file, which will be made public later, so other users can translate the tool in their native language if they want.

[MrSinatra]

amazing, quick development. not to beat a dead horse, but notice how in other posts people use the term "automatic" to mean 'when' as opposed to 'what.'

a plugin to automate tasks when winamp closes is a neat idea... besides a backup tool, it could conceivably do other things as well, such as apply RG tags to files without them. maybe generate html exports that get ftp'd of your ML. i know, i'm dreaming, but its nice to...

[Koopa]

Originally posted by MrSinatra
a plugin to automate tasks when winamp closes is a neat idea... besides a backup tool, it could conceivably do other things as well, such as apply RG tags to files without them. maybe generate html exports that get ftp'd of your ML. i know, i'm dreaming, but its nice to...

If we bring it to a command line friendly state later, a plugin could be written, which closes Winamp and runs the backup tool every x days in background.

That would come close to the 'auto' feature, which was requested by a lot people.

But I'm sure, even our 1.0 release, which backups files to a fixed folder will be very popular, though.

I've a lot of ideas for the tool, so no worries.

But applying RG or creating html playlists, is definitive not on our ToDo list.

[MrSinatra]

i wrote that poorly... what i meant to say is that i know your app is a standalone backup tool and not a plugin.

however, i can see a plugin whose function is really not to do anything, except trigger other separate standalone processes when sensing winamp has been closed. so, a very small lightweight plugin that, for instance, everytime winamp is closed by the user, then 'automatically' initiates your backup tool. or RG tagging, or ftp a html export of your ML. basically, whatever a dev/user wants done once winamp proper is closed. (transcoding flacs comes to mind, as does ghosting backups, full or changes only, over a network)

[MrSinatra]

if ur asking me, i think the dir should be fixed, and be outside the winamp dirs. i would suggest a "winamp backup" dir be created in my docs. that way there's no chance of mistakenly deleting the backups when uninstalling winamp, and its immediately obvious and top of mind to the user as to where it is. (also helps to support backups for machines with multiple users)

[Koopa]

My code is already working like this, it creates a 'Winamp_Backup' folder in user's appdata folder.

Will stay fixed for 1.0 and after 1.0 we may allow the user to set the path of the compressed zip file.

[Kn0tte]

Nice tool! I know a lot of people (including me) have been waiting for something like this and here it is in WIP..

Koopa: Not all people know about %AppData% you know..
How about saving it in /My Documents/Winamp_Backup/ instead?

[Koopa]

Originally posted by Kn0tte
Koopa: Not all people know about %AppData% you know..

This is the reason, why I save it in %Appdata%.

So not all newbies are able to delete the folder mistakenly.

But no worries, once we implemented zip support, users can decide, where they want to save it.

[MrSinatra]

i'd rather have it in my docs, as its a pain in vista and7 at times to deal with permissions and so on, and frankly easier to nav to.

perhaps the best thing would be to put it in both spots. let it backup to appdata first, then do the same thing to mydocs. that way all bases are covered. (in the future, let the mydocs default be user selectable, but not the appdata location)

[Koopa]

There shouldn't be any issue related to missing admin rights, if we save in AppData dir.

I got a couple of mails, from Essentials Pack using people, who mistakenly deleted the Playlist Sidecar backup files and wondered, why uninstallation didn't worked.

So I added a lot of more fall back code to EP and made that the backup folder is saved in AppData. (Note that only the Essentials Pack installer has the ability to completely remove the Sidecar without breaking Modern Skin )

So I learned my lesson, it will stay in %AppData% for 1.0 and can be set by user in future versions.

And that's the bottom line, because Koopa said so. :P