Another Favorites Issue

[390x99xdsa 6]

I have several movies that I have multiple editions of, like

 

Some Movie

Some Movie Extended Edition

 

Each are distinct items with their own folder and meta data.  In the Roku Beta client if "Some Movie" is marked as a favorite, but "Some Movie Extended Edition" is not, Roku Beta shows both as favorites in the list.  If you open the item details, only "Some Movie" has the favorite "heart" highlighted, while "Some Movie Extended Edition" doesn't (as it shouldn't).

 

I can't seem to see favorites at all in the Web client, but this is the same on both the Roku beta client and Emby Theater.  One would assume / hope that favorite list is just a database view, so that you cloud just simply fix the view selection criteria to make use of the library item UUID instead of whatever you're using now as the "key" and it would be fixed.

 

Since the favorite flag for each item in the library is correct, fixing the list should be possible for existing installs / set-ups.

 

Sorry to come across like a bad guy but I've doing DB work for 25+ years, so these kinds of database design/application issues are just super annoying.

 

I thought at first it was a Roku beta client issue, but once I checked Emby Theater, it looks like it's a server issue - unless both clients are doing the same wrong thing.

 

Thanks.

 

[Happy2Play 9780]

Depending on what server version you are on, Favorites are on the Home Screen and Movies page.

 

Everything is pretty much tracked by providerid (tmdb/imdb, tvdb) and all "Extended" versions have the same id so they both appear just like if you watch one they both get marked as watched.

[Luke 42079]

Yes @@Happy2Play is correct.

[390x99xdsa 6]

Rant

That may be correct as built, but it is terrible database management.   Sharing common data (like an EXTERNAL ID) does not make two distinct library items the same thing.  This is DB 101, guys.  Never use data that can be same across rows as primary keys. The relationship in this case is supposed to be Library --> Favorites (1,1) not Library --> Favorites (1,n). Since the favorite flag is distinct in each item, the list of favorites should reflect this.  Your product is data management ("Browser") in the name.  You chose an approach that was proven to be wrong 25 plus years ago. Demonstrable proof that those who don't learn from history's mistakes are condemned to repeat them.

 

I'll make up fake tmdb/imdb ids for the extended edition and lock the metadata, and see if that works around your uninformed design. Lots of resources on the Internet on database design you could use. Google is your friend.

/Rant

[390x99xdsa 6]

For the record, that making up fake imdb/tmdb ids (just added "EE" to the end of the real ids) and locking the metadata seems to have worked.

[ebr 16184]

Rant

That may be correct as built, but it is terrible database management.   Sharing common data (like an EXTERNAL ID) does not make two distinct library items the same thing.  This is DB 101, guys.  Never use data that can be same across rows as primary keys. The relationship in this case is supposed to be Library --> Favorites (1,1) not Library --> Favorites (1,n). Since the favorite flag is distinct in each item, the list of favorites should reflect this.  Your product is data management ("Browser") in the name.  You chose an approach that was proven to be wrong 25 plus years ago. Demonstrable proof that those who don't learn from history's mistakes are condemned to repeat them.

 

I'll make up fake tmdb/imdb ids for the extended edition and lock the metadata, and see if that works around your uninformed design. Lots of resources on the Internet on database design you could use. Google is your friend.

/Rant

 

The alternative, and the way that MB 2.x did it, is to use the unique key for the item for the user data and then, when you simply move an item to a new location, you lose all user data.  In our experience, the way we have done it in Emby is a much better design for most people.   We would like to improve our multi-version handling overall (and will eventually) which would allow for better handling of your specific situation.