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iTunes 7.6.2 Released
iTunes 7.6.2 is now available via Software Update. Apple also posted updates to Quicktime and Front Row.
Apple Updates the AppleScript Language Guide
After nearly ten years, Apple has finally updated the Introduction to AppleScript Language Guide. Its layout and organization is more consistent with other Apple Developer Connection documentation and is much easier to grok (and much less 1999-internet-looking). It is specifically geared towards AppleScript 2.0 and Mac OS 10.5 or later.
iTunes 7.6.1 Released -- Delete Bug SMASHED
Hurrah! iTunes 7.6.1 (available at this writing via Software Update) fixes the AppleScript delete bug.
iTunes 7.6 AppleScript Delete Bug
The more I think about the delete issue, mentioned below, the more I think this is a bug and not a feature. I have filed a bug report in any case. Although, I do like that you can trash a file from within iTunes, I do not like that you cannot preserve a track's file. A dandy way for delete to work would be as follows:
1) delete a track from a playlist to just remove it from the playlist.
2) delete a track from its Master Playlist to remove it from iTunes entirely but preserve the file (I tried this hoping it would work, but it does not).
2) delete a track from library playlist 1 to remove it from iTunes entirely AND trash its file.
(I don't know why there isn't a remove command in iTunes, which would make more syntactic sense. The Finder's AppleScript delete command will send a file to the Trash.)
Needless to say, this bug affects several scripts which use delete to remove a track from iTunes without actually trashing the file. For instance, Make Bookmarkable will delete a track from iTunes and then re-add it. Under iTunes 7.6, the track's file is moved to the Trash; when it is re-added, unless the user has "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" checked in Preferences, iTunes will presume the track's location is the Trash. Empty the Trash and bye-bye file. This is exactly what is happening to some users.
I can only hope that Apple will see this as a serious bug--it being part of the AppleScript component of iTunes, I am sorry to say that I think it is doubtful--and fix it soon.
Delete Bug or Feature?
I just noticed this today using iTunes 7.6, but I do not know how long this "situation" has existed.
As far as I've always known, when you delete a track from a playlist using AppleScript, the track is removed from the playlist; when you delete a track from library playlist 1 (the Main library), the track is removed entirely from iTunes. In both cases, the track's file remained in its location in the Music folder. Today I noticed that when doing a delete from library playlist 1, the track was not only removed from iTunes but its file was moved to the Trash! I could not figure out a way to keep the file from doing so. I tried deleting it from its Master Library--in this case the "Music" playlist--but it still went to the Trash. Deleting from a simple playlist worked as expected: the track was removed from the playlist but remained in the Master Library.
Recently, some users of Make Bookmarkable wondered where their tracks went and it turns out they were moved to the Trash. Not so bad, since the bookmarkable copy was re-added (I believe). Still, this is not the behavior I expect when using delete. And until recently this wasn't the behavior anyway.
If this is how delete works now, then there is no way to remove a track from iTunes via AppleScript and subsequently keep its file, which is an option when you manually delete a track using the Delete key.
So, what's up with that?
iTunes 7.6 and QuickTime 7.4 Released
Apple has released updates to iTunes and QuickTime. I'll be on the lookout for AppleScript features and post info when necessary.
AAC VBR Bug NOT a Bug
According to this article at MacFixIt, "it now appears that this [is} neither a bug in QuickTime nor a bug in iTunes; in fact, it's not a bug. What's happened is that the meaning of the choices you make in iTunes has changed (without, as usual, any explanation or notice from Apple)." For more, read the entire article.
QuickTime 7.3 Bug - AAC VBR, Whether You Want It Or Not
This thread and this thread at Apple Support Discussions describes a bug in QuickTime 7.3 which ignores your iTunes VBR (variable bit rate) settings for importing or converting AAC tracks. As a result, you always get VBR. (Thanks to Correspondent Christian who pointed this out to me when describing a problem with the "Pass-Through" setting of Join Together. This option will only be available if your selected tracks all have the same bit and sample rate. Of course, if they are VBR, they won't all have the same bit rate and Pass-Through won't be available.)
I smell iTunes 7.5.1 and/or QuickTime 7.3.1 coming soon. At least, I hope that's what I smell.
iTunes 7.5 Released
Apple has released iTunes 7.5. I've had a quick look and it doesn't look like there are any new AppleScript features, but I'll know more after a little more investigation.
That Didn't Take Long...iTunes 7.4.1
iTunes 7.4.1 was released today. No specific changes were noted by Apple, but by some accounts it blocks the ability to create your own iPhone ringtones by merely changing the file extension (to .m4r).
