[Rhythmbox-devel] Improved random patch (bug 163196 ish)

["Dr. David Alan Gilbert" <gnome treblig org>]

Hi,
  I've just posted an improved version of my random patch onto
bug 163196:

http://bugzilla.gnome.org/attachment.cgi?id=122538

Unlike the previous version I believe the maths actually now
work well to summarise:


  1) It adds a random pane on the preferences dialog
  2) This allows you to select the behaviour when just 'shuffle' is
     selected - either random or shuffle (for those who don't like the
     odd UI trick of selection based on shuffle+repeat)
  3) It combines the random-by-age, by-rating, by-age-and-rating all
     into one chunk of code and selects the behaviour by a series of
     sliders - age bias and rating bias.
  4) A further bias is used for 'very recent' plays - and you can
     define that; so for example you can set it up for plays within the
     last 2 days are heavily penalised.

The only thing I think could improve is how to set the initial
values of the sliders - I believe I have them in the schema - can
anyone suggest how to improve that?

I find with the age-bias set to about 25% of the way it works well;
if it's on max then you'll get little other than your very oldest
tracks (or ones never played) - I've tried this out and it seems
to work.

The patch is against the SVN version of 0.11.6 in Ubuntu Intrepid;
but should go on pretty easily.

Any chance of this making it to a release?

All comments welcome.

Dave
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