New 'Add Shuffled' mode for Playlists

[andrewilley]

Ok, did some more tests and I think I've narrowed some things down.

If I create a Queue but don't start it playing, adding new songs via either the '>>Queue' or 'Play Next' buttons misbehave as per my earlier post . i.e. '>>Queue Shuffled' is strongly biased towards the earlier part of the Queue (ten new tracks were interspersed within the first 15 positions of a 100 song Queue). 'Play Next' (set in either of its two modes) just alternates the newly inserted songs every other position in the Queue, starting at song two, as per my earlier example.

If the Queue is already playing, '>>Queue Shuffled' works as expected, with all the new tracks dispersed fairly randomly throughout the existing Queue (all occurring after the current playback position, which is as expected).

'Play Next' performs using one method only, ignoring the user's choice of 'At End' or 'Shuffled' modes, and if the Queue is already playing the new tracks are inserted (in order) one position after the current playback location. However 'Play Next' does seem to be affected by what mode you have selected for the '>>Queue' button ('At End' or 'Shuffled'), which it shouldn't, and acts as per a '>>Queue At Start' operation or '>>Shuffled'.

Note: Also, if you leave the Queue before it has finished, it won't then resume to and continue to play the unheard tracks as per normal behaviour. Instead the Queue returns to song one and starts again.

Andre

[Si64]

I'm loath to mess about too much now, as I'm a good way into my Queue and don't want to disrupt it as it seems to be behaving as expected, following initially sitting it up as a pre-shuffled Queue then playing it in normal mode.

One observation - should Play Next actually interfere with the Queue at all? I thought the Queue was a separate playlist to the Now Playing tracks, so if Play Next adds to Now Playing, it shouldn't affect the separate Queue, should it?  I've come out of the Queue and played other tracks, but those weren't added to the Queue.

33 minutes ago, andrewilley said:

Note: Also, if you leave the Queue before it has finished, it won't then resume to and continue to play the unheard tracks as per normal behaviour. Instead the Queue returns to song one and starts again.

Indeed, if you press the Play button it starts again at song one, but once shuffled, the shuffle order seems to be retained, and the last track played is highlighted in the Queue list, so it does remember where you were, it just doesn't resume automatically from that point, without scrolling and selecting the track.

[andrewilley]

@Si64 The Queue usually just plays everything in the order that songs were added (or inserted). When you Re-Sort it, you are just creating a new queue with a different (permanent) song order, which is then played from the beginning to the end.

'Play Next' should work by inserting the new songs at the start of the unplayed portion of the Queue - or at the very beginning of the Queue if it has not already started playing. So what 'Play Next' really means is 'Insert at Start of Queue', which I feel might be better placed as an option for the '>>Queue' button. 

Andre

[Si64]

So, does 'Play Next' add to the separate Queue, or the regular Now Playing queue?  I had assumed that the separate Queue wouldn't be touched by 'Play Next', as it doesn't seem to be when you select a track or an album outside of the Queue.

[andrewilley]

Hi Max. Were you able to replicate the bugs I outlined above, HERE and HERE ? They seem to be 100% reproduceable for me anyway, but not sure if you need any more info as they are still present in build 973.

Andre

[Si64]

@andrewilley As a matter of fact, the Queue, and adding shuffled into a playing Queue seems to be working perfectly for me.  I've added several albums worth of tracks into a Queue of (currently) 4652 tracks and I'm on track 656 without experiencing any issues. 

Obviously some of the new tracks I've added haven't played yet, but a number of new tracks have played soon after resuming play of the Queue, which indicates to me that the shuffle function seems to be working correctly.

This is on PA build 967 and Android 13.

[andrewilley]

@Si64 Adding to the Queue works fine as long as you've already started it playing. But it doesn't seem to work correctly if playback is stopped, with the Queue is still pending. Play Next is much the same, but even more quirky in that is seems to take its mode from the +Queue button's setting. See my earlier two posts and see if you get the same results.

Andre

[Si64]

@andrewilleyI can't play with it at the moment as I don't want to disrupt the Queue which is currently working and playing correctly.  I've only got 3996 tracks to go so I'll let you know when I get to the end.  😄

I've added tracks when the queue is playing and when it's stopped (paused) and these seem to add shuffled as expected.  I've not tried adding tracks to a new Queue which hasn't started playing yet.  Not sure why you would want to anyway, but is that what you're getting at?

 

[andrewilley]

8 hours ago, Si64 said:

I've not tried adding tracks to a new Queue which hasn't started playing yet.  Not sure why you would want to anyway, but is that what you're getting at?

I never use the Queue any other way to be honest. Normally I listen by Category - e.g. an Album, a Folder or a Playlist - but on odd occasions where I want to listen to a few specific things - such as to pre-program some favourites before a car journey - I'll add a few songs and/or some albums, etc into the Queue and then once I've built the list I'll start listening to whatever I've created. Once done with that temporary list, it will be deleted. Anything that I'd want more than one or two, I'd create a Playlist instead.

But this was more about the bug existing in the app for other users, rather than that it personally affects me very much. 

Andre