Magnificat Classical Collector Suite

[Magnificat]

Collectorslab informs that an advanced cataloging application created for the classical music-lovers is now available here:

http://www.collectorslab.com

We invite anyone is interested to try it and to communicate its appraisals.

Thanks for the attention,
staff@collectorslab.com

[ch1525]

A fabulous idea indeed. If you read through many of the threads on this forum, you can see what a demand there is for an application exactly like this.

What I really would need in this program is the ability to add a recording's info possibly from Amazon or some other fairly reliable source by entering the UPC of the recording. It would also be amazing if the program would take the current price of the recording from Amazon and be able to keep this updated to give an idea of recording value.

I've downloaded the program and from my precursory look, I have to say that many of the ideas are really good. Very unique indeed and so much potential. The UI really needs to be cleaned up though.

I know this program is in its infancy, but I could see great things for it in the future if a lot of hard work is put in now.

[Lance]

I've downloaded the version. A very quick look makes me think it is comprehensive and time consuming. I could be wrong and hope I am. With 22,000+ CDs and 66,000 CDS, this could take a lifetime of entering data. I need to spend more time with the site. What I need is a way of easily CATALOGUING basic information from a CD or LP without any frills such as links to websites, composers biographies, etc., et al. Is this the program for me or should I stick with my Works database, which allows me to find, primarily, every recording by ARTIST.

[RebLem]

I guess I'm stupid. I downloaded it and have absolutely no idea how to use it. Is there a tutorial someplace?

[Lance]

I guess I'm stupid. I downloaded it and have absolutely no idea how to use it. Is there a tutorial someplace?

You're not stupid at all. I had the same feeling when I first went in. It takes some studying. It seems rather complex at first look and it probably is to some extent.

[Magnificat]

First of all, thanks to all for the participations.

The first scope that is placed to me has been that one to try to put all in agreement the requirements.
For this reason the program is little complicated and demands little of time in order to appreciate of all the possibilities.

One of the main characteristics of the program is just that one of being able to fastly insert only the data that interest the customer.

Lance say of having a worksheet containing tens of thousand of CDs. Sure, Lance exceed the normal standard

Anyway, the licensed version of the program has a powerful one tool that it allows to import lists from text files.

Lance as an example could export from the worksheet the following lists:

- The list that contains the titles of its CDs.
- If available, the list of the labels, support and sources.
- The list that contains the Last names and First names of the Performers.

and then:
- Use the *Import Wizard* to import the text files in the database.
- Batch import from the internal list all the composers who interest to it.

Now all the data that to he interest are already available in the database.

Naturally it is necessary to put them in relation between they (to associate the artists to the recordings).
In order to make this, it is necessary to load every single recording card.
And this is the only operation that it little demands of time.

Unfortunately, still it has not been invented the magic wand that replaces the data-entry!

But notice that in all these operations are only demanded the use of the mouse!

I invite also to read the Help to section *WORKING WITH RECORDINGS*.
In this section I explain because I have intentional to avoid the automatic import that is present in many concurrent programs, and instead to offer to the lovers of classic music like me possibility that other programs do not have.

I am always on hand for ulterior clarifications.

Thanks for the attention,
Pino Canfora
staff@collectorslab.com

[RebLem]

Mr. Canfora:

OK, I finally did find a tutorial, but it is of limited utility partly because it is constructed like an outline, where you have to click on not just the topic but headings and subheadings and sub-subheadings within it to get the complete story, and if you want to print it out, just figuring out what page comes after which is a daunting task. In addition, photos of computer screens produced by entry through icons do not print out. Also, it is impossible to print out the text from within the site itself by any method known to me, because they printing goes off the screen to the right and truncates before the right margin. Accordingly, to get a copy, it was necessary for me to click on each topic, subtopic, sub-subtopic, etc., and copy the text, then paste it into Wordpad before I could print out the whole text. This is a great irritation, and should not be necessary.

In addition, I find that it is evident from some small clues like the use of the phrase "an recording" in one subscreen, that the program was constructed by someone for whom English is not the first language, or, if it is, a rather poorly educated English speaker. Since I find some of the same stylistic errors in your post, Mr. Canfora, I assume that you were the principal architect of the program. I would not say that you are poorly educated; you are obviously not, and you use English far, far better than I use any language other than English. In ordinary narrative such as your post, you are easily understood by native English speakers, despite some small errors and eccentricities. HOWEVER, these problems lead one to suspect that the same errors may be deeply embedded in search functions, for example, so that unless one displays the same eccentricities in calling up a record, one may not be able to find what one is looking for. I recommend that you have your program thoroughly reviewed by some well educated native English speaker who is also familiar with the basics of computer program design so that any such problems can be rooted out and corrected.

And, of course, I endorse the suggestion made by another poster that you allow data entry via sensor devices and bar codes. There are already at least two other cataloguing systems availabe which do this; however, they seem denser and more difficult to use than yours in many ways, so I would not say that yours is inferior. But you do need this addition if your program is to reach its intended market.

[RebLem]

Oh, yes, and one more thing that would be a good idea. Find a way to add to items to your list of special characters. One for a sharp--ok, we could use the number sign, also often called the gridlet ( # ), but it would be best to be able to put it a half step above the baseline of the rest of the text. Also, the symbol for a flat, which, as you know, looks like a lower case b in a push-up bra.