Filtering Data Driven Categories

[Darius1968]

I'm working with the sample IMatch Data Driven Categories that shipped with IMatch, trying to manage my mp3 collection.  So, I go to MP3 Files, and navigate to Elton John.  Underneath that there are all Elton's albums.  I now enter into the file window search bar "1974 OR 1975" to set a filter that only lets his records that were made in 1974/75 get through.  I enable the "show hierarchy" in the file window, which does accurately reflect with the category counts.  How can I have IMatch suppress all the albums that now show a category count of zero.  Also, at this point, IMatch will first display all files before enumerating the albums...How can it be so that the only time the files are displayed are underneath the albums? 

[Mario]

set a filter that only lets his records that were made in 1974/75 get through.

The file window search bar searches all available metadata. By which tag would you like to search? You can also use the Filter Panel. Just check where the information you want to filter by is in the MP3 data record, then use it. You cannot filter by category "names". You can filter by categories, but that's probably not what you have in mind.

The information shown in the "group bars" in the file window are the category names. This you cannot change.

Also, at this point, IMatch will first display all files before enumerating the albums..

When you click on a category, IMatch displays the contents of this category (files) in the file window. If you enable hierarchical view, it then also lists the child-categories and their files. Is that what you mean?

How can it be so that the only time the files are displayed are underneath the albums? 

I don't understand.

[Darius1968]

I'm sorry that there seems to have been some misunderstanding of my questions, and I will now try to clarify.  Please, feel free to ask any questions if you still don't understand. 
I already have what I want by having entered "1974 OR 1975" into the file window's search bar and enabling "show hierarchy".  The "group bars" are at this point helping me to know which of Elton's albums I want to be concerned with because the category counts displayed for the "group bars" in the file window now show a number when an album was either recorded in 1974/75 or otherwise has songs on it that are from 1974/75, which is what is wanted.  However, there is some clutter as all other albums that don't apply are also displayed in the "group bars".  They show a category count of "0", but is there any way to instruct IMatch to just not display the "group bars" for entries having a category count of "0", which would cut down on clutter? 
The last part of this that you didn't seem to get was that the songs are displayed under the relevant "group bars" corresponding to albums of 1974/75, which is EXACTLY what I want!  What I don't want is that when I activate "show hierarchy", there will be a display in the file window of all the songs from 1974/75 before the "group bars" are enumerated.  This causes more clutter because in the current arrangement, first, the songs are displayed, then the albums (as "group bars") are displayed which have the songs nested.  I just want to have the "group bars" with the nested songs underneath without the songs by themselves listed at the top. 

[Mario]

You show an entire category hierarchy in the file window. If you filter out files (via the search bar), IMatch will display the categories still, but without files of course.

I think you are asking for:

1. I display an entire category hierarchy in the file window
2. I limit the files to display with the search bar
3. I only want to see categories in the file window which have at least one file left (no empty groups)

This is not how the file window works. 1 + 2 but not 3. You can add a feature request to the Feature Request board if you like.

If you want to work by Artist and Year often, why don't you create a second MP3 data-driven hierarchy, using

Artist
  |- Year
    |- Album

This way you can see "Elton" on the top-level. Below that a category for each year for which there is an Album. And below each year the Albums recorded in that year. This is easy to do and void avoid any searching.