What does the Import menu item do in iTunes? [LONG]

[Jim MacCormaic]

Hi there. Maybe someone on the list can enlighten me. I'm working with 
iTunes 4.

With all the recent buzz about iTunes I've been spending much more time 
with it than previously. I must say, the more I do with it the more 
admiration I feel for the development team behind it at Apple. But I'm 
stumped when it comes to this Import... option on the iTunes File menu.

I wanted to convert some AIFF files to either MP3 or AAC, and assumed 
that this menu item was the answer to my prayers. Not so. No matter 
which AIFF file I navigate to (even system sounds just as a test), all 
are greyed out. I thought maybe it was an alternative for 
importing/encoding CD tracks, but even those turn up their noses at me.

OK, I thought, consult the oracle. So I went to Apple Support and 
searched the Knowledge Base. Article 60775 lists compatible file types 
for playing and importing, and includes:

> You can also add these sounds to your library by choosing Add To 
> Library from the File menu. If you choose a folder or disk, all the 
> audio files it contains will be converted using your current import 
> preference settings.

Did that. No joy. The files were added to my Library, but no conversion 
took place. So I thought: OK, the last mod date on this article is July 
'02, so maybe things have changed in later versions of the software. So 
I went to Apple's iTunes and Music Store discussion group. I consulted 
the iTunes Support Page. Under 'Top Support Questions' I found article 
61100, 'iTunes 2: How to Convert Between Song Formats' (with a 
modification date of 15th April '03, so I presume it applies for iTunes 
4 also). This told me to choose Convert To from the Advanced menu 
(which in iTunes 4 has become 'Convert selection to AAC') and went on 
to say:

> Choose the song, folder, or disk that contains the songs you want to 
> convert. If you choose a folder or disk, all the songs it contains 
> will be converted.

Sounded promising, but . . . this menu item is greyed out, so I can't 
navigate to files outside iTunes, and that use of 'convert selection' 
implied anyway that the candidate material needs to be already in the 
iTunes Library. So I created a playlist, found the AIFF files which had 
been added to my library from following the advice in article 60775 and 
dragged these there. I opened the playlist and selected its contents. 
"Convert selection to AAC' was now available, I chose it, and achieved 
Nirvana. Well, sort of ;-) Article 61100 goes on to point out that the 
original AIFF files remain in the iTunes Library, so I had to locate 
these (iTunes creates a temporary playlist titled 'Converting 
selection...' but deletes this when conversion is complete), delete 
each one individually (which moves them to the Trash) and then return 
to remove each individually from my library.

So I finally reached where I wanted to be, but in a very round-about 
manner. And what if I'd preferred to convert my AIFFs to MP3 rather 
than AAC?

All of which brings me back to where I began -- what does Import do in 
iTunes? Apple themselves sent me to Add To Library and Convert To, but 
I have yet to find any reference, whether in iTunes Help or in the 
Knowledge Base, to the intended purpose of this menu item.

Anyone?

Jim MacCormaic
Dublin, Ireland
iChat/AIM	 : curlytool at mac.com