# The Open Mode

The Open Mode determines how Yate opens items and in some cases changes the operation of certain functions.

The Open Mode settings can be changed via the File>Open Mode menu and context menu and by a toolbar button.

There are four settings in the Open Modes:

> Album / Playlist Mode
>   Album Mode is Yate's normal operational state. In this mode, whenever audio files are opened or dragged into the application, all audio files in the containing folder will be opened.
>   In Playlist Mode, whenever audio files are opened or dragged into the application, other audio files from the containing folder will not automatically be opened.
> Add / Replace Mode
>   When Add to the File List is selected, adding files to the list does not close the files previously in the list. This is the default setting for Playlist Mode and by default the option is only available when Album Mode is selected.
>   When Replace the File List is selected, adding anything new to the file list will close the files previously in the list. By default this option is only available when Album Mode is selected.
>   Regardless of the add mode, if a file being added is already open but hidden, the hidden file is made visible and not reloaded.
>   If for any reason you wish to be able to set Replace the File List while in Playlist Mode you must enable the capability in Preferences-File List with the Allow Playlist-Replace Open Mode option.
> Subfolder Mode
>   When Do Not Process Subfolders is selected, Yate will not automatically open contained folders when a folder is opened. Only a single folder will be opened. This is always the effective setting for Playlist Mode. This option is only available when Album Mode is selected.
>   When Process Subfolders is selected, Yate will open the contents of all contained folders whenever a folder is opened. This option is only available when Album Mode is selected.
> Auto Link to iTunes Mode
>   When Do Not Auto Link to iTunes is selected, opened files will not automatically be linked to iTunes.
>   When Auto Link to iTunes is selected, an attempt will be made to link the file to iTunes. Note that this will result in errors if the opened files are not in iTunes. Warning: This option is not utilized for files opened when batch processing.

### Items Affected by the Choice of Album or Playlist Mode

Yate maintains the display state of the file list's status bar separately for each of the modes.

The Create m3u Files function operates differently depending on which mode is selected. Additional information can be found here.

When in Playlist Mode, m3u and m3u8 files will be opened maintaining the track order. When opened in Album mode, the track order is not preserved.

How to Open Files

Hide / Show Files