JeFCo - The Jesterware freedb Collector

Use "Load..." to import files with requests and/or collected disc information from a file. This file had to be created using the "Save To..." JeFCo menu topic. All disc requests out of this file that are not already in the disc database are added to the requests. All disc information that are not already in the disc database are added and requests for these discs are cleared. You can also use the "Load" button

out of the taskbar to load files.

Save

Saves all request/disc information to the JeFCo request file. This file is written at program shutdown or if you choose Save manually. You can also use the "Save" button

out of the taskbar to write this file.

Save To...

Writes all request/disc information to one file. This file can easily be transferred to another computer. Use "Load..." to import such files. You can also use the "Save To" button

out of the taskbar to create such files.

Import from freedb File(s)...

JeFCo is able to import disc information directly from hard disk in the freedb data format. You can import information for a single disc by selecting this disc's file, for a complete genre by selecting the genre directory and even a complete storage by selecting the directory above the genre directories. Please note that JeFCo is not created to manage the huge amount of disc information available at freedb! In theory it is possible to import huge databases. But JeFCo stores all disc information in memory at runtime which limits the usage possibilities.

Export to freedb File(s)...

Stores the collected disc information to hard disk in the file format used by freedb. Select the directory where the information should be written to. In this directory JeFCo creates a subdirectory for every genre and stores in these directories the information one file per disc.

Export to Text File...

Exports the collected cd information to a text file suitable to import to a wide number of programs. A detailed description of the export process can be found here.

Exit

Stops JeFCo. Every request, disc and configuration data is stored in the corresponding files.

Menu Disc

Edit

Brings up the edit dialog for the selected cd or request.

Delete

Deletes the selected cds or requests.

Request All

Contacts all configured database server and requests information about all unknown discs. You can also use the "Request All" button

out of the taskbar to start this task.
This is the one and only situation in which you need a internet connection. If your computer is configured to establish the internet connection whenever needed, this is done now. If you prefer to establish this connection by yourself, you have to do this before you start the requests.
Please note that this may last a while depending on the number of stored uncollected disc requests and the number of configured database servers.
The first attempt is to collect every disc information from the first database server in your list. If some discs are unknown to this server the missing disc information is requested from the second database server in your list. The still missing disc information is tried at the third server and so on.
While these attempts are running the "Request All" button in the taskbar is animated. You can follow the progress in the Logging Window in the detail selected by the loglevel. If all outstanding disc information is collected or if all database server have been contacted for this information the animation of the "Request All" button stops and a statistic is displayed in the Logging Window. Now you can disconnect your internet connection if you want to.

Request From

This is the same as "Request All" except that you can select the database server out of your server list from which the disc information is requested.

Request Selected

This is the same as "Request All" except that only the currently selected disc is requested.

Request Selected From

This is the same as "Request All" except that only the currently selected disc is requested only from the database server selected out of the server list.

Submit Disc

The information of the selected disc is submitted to all database server which support submitting.

Submit Disc To

The information of the selected disc is submitted to the selected database server.

Get Disc

You can request and/or display information for an inserted CD without any player program. All you have to do to setup a freedb ID helper program. Now you only have to insert the CD and press the 'Get CD' button

in the toolbar or select the 'Get Disc' menu item out of the 'Disc' Menu. The information for the inserted CD is displayed immediately if available. If not the request for this CD is stored in the request queue. This is the fastest possibility to collect information for a couple of discs.

Menu Configuration

Preferences

This opens the JeFCo configuration dialog. Please see JeFCo Setup for details about these settings. All changes made are active immediately after closing this dialog and are made permanent (written to the configuration file) the time you exit JeFCo.

Rearrange Windows

This rearranges the inner windows to fit good into the main window. It is the easiest way to get the inner windows rearranged after resizing the main window. You can also use the "Rearrange" button

out of the taskbar to rearrange the inner windows.

Look&Feel

When JeFCo is started for the first time it uses the 'Metal Look & Feel'. That means everything is displayed in the typical Java style. Depending on your Operating System and your JRE installed there are more 'Display Styles' that may be used. If you are using Windows e.g. there is a 'Windows Look & Feel' beside the 'Java Look & Feel' that lets JeFCo display all Menus, Taskbars, Inner Window Frames, Listboxes, Dialog Boxes and so on in the typical Windows style. This leads to a better visual integration of JeFCo with your other programs. But you may also install and choose an exotic Look & Feel just for fun.
This menu item opens a submenu with all Look & Feels that are available on your computer. If you choose a different than the one that is currently displayed, the view of JeFCo changes immediately. You may have to rearrange the inner windows after changing the Look & Feel.

Log to File

Every message that is dislayed in the Logging Windows is also written to a logfile if you enable this checkbox.

Loglevel

There are four different loglevel which define what messages are written to the Logging Window and the logfile (if enabled):

Log only Errors
Only serious errors are logged. This should lead to an empty log.
Normal Logging
Beside error messages some log messages about the current operations are generated. This includes a startup and a shutdown message, information about adding and removing entries to the database or the current status of the request collection.
Verbose Logging
This level adds details to the 'Normal Logging'. For example not only the start, end and success of the request collection, but also every single request to every single database server is logged.
Debug Logging
This is the most talkative logging mode. Beside all messages from the 'Verbose Logging' mode, all incoming and outgoing HTML or CDDBP messages are dumped to the log. This may be used for error tracking if you are developing server or player applications.

About

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