Use Date Created to populate Date Added?

[kimhill]

I had to re-create my iTunes library a while back, which was a real shame, because the "Date Added" info was re-set for everything.

"Date Added" has real value for me- it's a chronology of my music habits & history, and it used to be be great to sort on it. But now a big chunk of my library has all the same "Date Added"!

Interestingly, almost all my mp3s (6,000) come from my own CDs, which I ripped myself. So the "Date Created" would work as a "Date Added" if there was any way to transfer this data.

When I saw Doug Adam's recent script, "File Creation Date to Comments," that really got my attention. Problem is, I'd have to nuke my comments to use it. If this script pre-pended instead, it would be more useful, but still not anywhere near as useful as just copying "Date Created" into "Date Added."

Is there any way to use Applescript to change "Date Added"? I looked at the Applescript dictionary, and it seems "Date Added" is read-only. Bummer. If there's any way around this, I'd love to know.

I have to believe that a lot of people needed to rebuild their libraries at some point, so I think this would be a useful script. If you see this Doug, I'd love to get feedback. Great web site, btw- I contributed a year or two back, because it's such great work...

Kim

[DeltaTee]

If the property is read-only, there is not a whole lot that can be done. It may be possible to parse and re-write the XML files outside of iTunes, but I am not sure. I haven't had much experience with it.

[kimhill]

Thanks very much for the info. I'm not really too familiar with Applescript, so I'm actually not sure if I saw the read-only thing in the right context. If anyone could confirm this I'd be very interested. As for the XML angle, that's really interesting. I guess I don't understand the relationship between the XML file & the main library, either...

[Doug Adams]

There's isn't anyway to change Date Added. As you have discovered, it is managed internally and accessible as read-only with AppleScript.

I would be happy to modify the "File Creation Date to Comments" script so that it preserves your current comments. Send me a Private Message.

[shermanash]

so there still isn't any way to change the date added in itunes?

[kimhill]

It appears that there's no way to change the "Date added" in iTunes.

Bummer...

Anyone have other info?

[mwhybark]

what about just sorting on Date modified? that looks like a record of rip date, as I casually inspect my material.

[Doug Adams]

D'oh!

When I saw Doug Adams' recent script, "File Creation Date to Comments," that really got my attention. Problem is, I'd have to nuke my comments to use it. If this script pre-pended instead, it would be more useful.

(Must have skipped over that on my first reading. Or something.) I can add an opton to pre-pend, post-pend or nuke-pend the File Creation Date to the Comments. Would this help?

[Doug Adams]

File Creation Date to Comments (http://www.malcolmadams.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=filecreationtocomments) has been updated with the options cited above.