# Actions

The ability to design and run Actions is one of the most powerful features in Yate. Actions provide scripting capabilities so that repetitive operations can be saved and performed whenever you want. Actions consist of steps. Each step defines a single function to execute. Actions can post exceptions so that you can respond and possibly correct error situations.

At most, one action can be designated to be the default action. If you drag files or folders to the application's dock icon, Yate will add files to the file list (open mode replace, no subfolders); it will select all the files and automatically run the default action.

Typically, actions operate only on those files which are selected when the action is launched. However, actions can be marked as operating on all open files. In this case, Yate will automatically select all open files prior to starting the action.

Actions can be created, modified and run from the Actions menu or toolbar item. As a convenience, a few built in actions are listed in the Actions menu. Additionally, functionality relating to album artwork available via actions can also be accessed from the Artwork menu.

Actions can be imported and exported. If you import an action created by someone else, always examine the action before using it! Actions can rename files and folders, make changes to the metadata and then save the files. Make sure you know what an action does before you run it. It is preferable to omit saving files in an action until you're sure it does exactly what you want.

Actions are typically stored as unique named files. It is possible to store inline actions inside of another action via the Start statement. Inline actions can only be run from with the action file which contains them. Special inline actions named Batch Start and Batch End are used while Batch Processing.

A description of each action can be found in any Action Editor window or here.

For help on creating and managing actions:

The Action Manager

For a detailed explanation as to how actions execute:

How Actions Execute

The following action statements are used to run sub-actions:

Load and Run

Repeat Forever

Repeat With

Run

Test