Online help for Shuffler users - version 5
Online help for Shuffler users. Here you can find details about specific
Shuffler functions as well as frequently asked questions pertaining to it's
usage. Please note that the latest version of Shuffler can be
downloaded from here (or
here if you want the distribution file with
all files including source). This document refers to v.5 builds of Shuffler. If you have a prior version of Shuffler and need help with those,
look here for v.4, and
here for v.3.
INTRODUCTION
Shuffler is a random file loading utility that can be used to copy
or move user-definable files such as audio, video, pictures, etc. from folders
or play list sources to another location (drive/device). This includes MSC media such as flash/USB/Firewire drives, memory
sticks, mini/micro/SD cards, CF, etc. for use in cell phones, PPCs (Pocket PCs),
portable gaming consoles, MP3 players, PMPs (Personal Media Players), and many
more.
INSTALLATION
Shuffler is a self-contained SysTray app. The actual executable file can be
stored anywhere on your system but it's recommended that you create a local
Shuffler folder under Program Files and store it there. Shuffler creates 1
support file: shuffler.log, in the same location as the exe file and writes to two keys in the registry: HKLM\software\shrum.net\shuffler
(run count) and HKCU\software\shrum.net\shuffler (user preferences).
USAGE: GENERAL
Shuffler runs in 2 modes: builder and command line mode.
USAGE: BUILDER MODE
Running Shuffler without any arguments will produce the
GUI screen below in which you can define your call to Shuffler (recommended for users new to Shuffler v.5).
 | |  |
| Windows XP | | Windows Vista |
The builder screen allows you to quickly build a set of arguments that can be used to create a complete Shuffler command line.
Once you have input your choices you can have the builder create a shortcut on you desktop that you can use to
call Shuffler with. The current options are:
- [S] ource
(REQUIRED) Here is where you define what you want the source folder or play list to be. Currently supported play lists include
.wpl, .asx, .m3u, .pls, and .xml files. The button with '-F-' is for
folder based source selection and the button with the '-P-' is for playlist
based source selection
- [D] estination
(REQUIRED) Here is where you define the location you want the files to be
transferred to. If the folder does not exist on the drive, Shuffler will create it for you.
- [T] ypes
Acts as a file extension filter, here is where you define the file types to include in the shuffle, defaults to '*' for all file types.
- [F] ree
Defines the amount of free space to leave available after shuffling is complete, defaults to 0
- [Q] outa
Defines the amount of space to use during a shuffle session; leave blank for all available space
- [G] reater than
Defines the smallest file size to transfer; defaults to 0
- [L] ess than
Defines the largest file size to transfer; leave blank for all available space
- [A] ge
Defines the age of the files to limit transfers to. Currently supported operators are '+', '-', and '='; sample entries are '+0' for files 1 day or older (all), '=1' for files modified today only, '-8' for files modified within the last week, '-31' for files modified within the last 30 days, etc. defaults to '+0' for all files. - [E] xclude
Excludes filenames from a pending shuffle that were just on the destination device previously; defaults to N
- [P] urge
Deletes the destination folder and all files and subfolders before shuffling; defaults to N
- [M] erge
Merges all files into the destination folder, only available with directory-based sources as play list-based sources are always merged; defaults to N
- [R] emove
Removes the source file after it has been successfully transferred to the destination, defaults to N
- [N] umber
Prepends a 3 digit number (000_%filename%, 001_%filename%, etc) to the filename in the order copied (which is random); for users that have DAPs that don't support random playback but rather playback in alphabetical order, defaults to N
- [V] erbose
Toggles bubble tips during shuffles, defaults to N
After filling out the builder form, you can create a shortcut that will be placed on your desktop by pressing the "Make shortcut" button.
You can also run the shuffle session immediately by pressing the Shuffle button. Pressing the Cancel button aborts the program run. Pressing the Homepage, Help, or Donate buttons takes you to the
corresponding website in your default web browser (requires an active Internet connection).
USAGE: COMMAND LINE MODE
If you pass arguments to Shuffler, it will run in a pseudo command line mode, taking the
arguments passed and running without any user interaction required.
Shuffler will produce a SysTray icon to indicate that it is running and will exit when
shuffling completes.
This mode is for those users whom like to batch script their transfers. Here are some sample command line calls:
- shuffler s=c:\music d=k:\music
- shuffler s="c:\my documents\my music" t=mp3,m4a,wav v=y m=y d=k:\music
- shuffler r=y p=y s=\\nas\music\trance v=y q=100 d=k:\music g=3 l=10 a=-31
You can even spell out the parameter names if you like to make the command line more human-readable as Shuffler only takes into account the
first letter of the argument so these are also valid calls:
- shuffler src=c:\music dest=k:\music
- shuffler source="c:\my documents\my music" types=mp3,m4a,wav verbose=y m=y destination=k:\music
- shuffler remove=y purge=y src=\\nas\music\trance verbose=y quota=100 dst=k:\music greaterthan=3 lessthan=10 age=-31
Note that calls to a source or destination that contain SPACES in them should be wrapped in dbl-quotes
Shuffler will return a ERRORLEVEL when called via the command line that will
correspond to the number of files transferred. For an example of how the
ERRORLEVEL return code could be used in a batch script, see "Usage:
Automating Shuffler" below.
If you want to automate shuffling to your MSC device whenever you plug it in, I highly recommend you take a look at my AutoRun utility. This
utility monitors your PC for newly connected drives and searches for a user defined file to launch. You could create a batch file on your device called
(for example) 'shuffle.bat' and set up AutoRun to monitor for its presence. Once a device with the file in question is detected, AutoRun will launch the
file. For more information including help, distribution files, source, and binary, click here.
Here's the batch file I have on my iPod Shuffle with links to each of the
utilities to fully automate shuffling the songs on my player whenever I plug it
into my home PC (the sleep lines are in there in case I want to abort the run by
closing the command window):
home.bat
===========
talker "Updating Sean's 4 and 5
star rated playlist from Windows Media Player
wmpplexp
p="Favorites -- 4 and 5 star rated" d="C:\nas\playlists" f="WMP - Sean's 4 and 5
star"
talker "%ERRORLEVEL% sources
exported. Audio shuffle commencing in t minus 3"
sleep 1
talker "2"
sleep 1
talker "1"
sleep 1
talker "Shuffling"
shuffler s="n:\playlists\WMP - Sean's 4 and 5
star.m3u" d="J:\music\" t=mp3,wma f=25 g=0 l=15 p=Y m=Y v=Y
talker "%ERRORLEVEL% files shuffled
to the music folder on drive J. Now rebuilding iPod Shuffle database"
rebuild_db -q
talker "Rebuild complete. Enjoy your
tunes Sean"
exit
===========
I run AutoRun with the following parameters: "autorun
home.bat minimized" and place a shortcut to it in my startup folder so it
actively monitors for any new drives with a home.bat file located at the root of
the drive and launches it in a minimized window as soon as it finds it.
FAQS
Q. What is a 'MSC device'?
MSC stands for Mass Storage Class and is a specification that was
designed as a standard for interfacing storage devices. Deeper details on
this topic are unimportant here but if you're Jones'ing for info, check out the Wiki.
Q. How can I tell if my device is MSC compliant?
Probably the easiest way is to just plug it in. If Windows sees the
device and assigns it a drive letter, it's MSC compliant.
Q. My device isn't listed but it is MSC compliant. Will Shuffler work?
Yes. The key to remember is: "If Windows assigns a drive letter to your
device when you plug it into your computer, you can use Shuffler with it."
Q. Can multiple users run Shuffler on the same PC?
Yes. Since Shuffler calls can be defined on each device, Shuffler can be used in a
'device-specific' mode. However, in cases where you
have a dynamically defined source (such as a dynamic play list for example),
you'll need to be logged into your own user account as those settings are user-specific.
Q. Can I use multiple media devices with Shuffler?
Yes. You can define a call tailored specifically to your device and even automate it's execution with
my AutoRun utility. This means you can define different profiles on different media
devices.
Q. Can I shuffle to multiple devices at the same time?
Yes. Shuffler and AutoRun can run multiple instances and therefore can shuffle to multiple devices at the same time.
Q. Is there any way to get files imported to my local PC with Shuffler?
Not direct with Shuffler. However, as one possible solution, you can write a .bat file that copies the
files from your destination to your local PC and call that prior to
shuffling; something like 'xcopy /s i:\shuffled\*.*
c:\music' would do the trick (note the use of XCOPY and the /S argument for
subfolder copying).
Q. I have a question/idea/comment not addressed here. What do I do?
Feel free to email me. I love to get
correspondence about my work.
