How to Specify Metadata When Adding Content Using iTunes U Web Service?

Question

I've been developing Java applications using iTunes U Web service and uploaded content to iTunes U site using iTunes U Web service without problem. Now I want to add metadata fields (name, artist name, album name, etc.) for the tracks I uploaded. It seems to me that "AddTrack" will do. So I tested it but it neither adds a track under the specified group nor updates metadata fields for an existing track. It turned out "MergeTrack" actually updates metadata fields for an existing track. So is there any way to specify metadata at the time of adding content using iTunes U Web service? And what exactly does AddTrack do? This is all about contents hosted by iTunes U site and no RSS is involved.
I'm referring to the "AddTrack" method in iTunes U Web service:
http://deimos.apple.com/rsrc/doc/iTunesUAdministrationGuide/iTunesUWebServices/c hapter18_section_21.html#//appleref/doc/uid/AdminGuide-CH13-SW26

Answer 1

Thanks for all the replies. My question is whether there is any way to specify metadata WHEN adding content using iTunes U Web service. Specifying metadata AFTER adding content can be achieved by MergeTrack (weird naming) and it does work.
As for setting track level meta-data in the media file and then upload it, there're several reasons against that, among which are:
1. Some track metadata are context-dependent. A video about buildings on Michigan Ave in Chicago can be track #2 in a history course and described as "historic view of the Magnificent Mile", but the same media can also be track #5 in a landscape design course and described as something like "contemporary architecture". Setting these metadata in the media file itself is not the preferred way to do it since it implies maintaining a version of the same media for any course/group it gets uploaded to.
2. Setting metadata in a location separate from the media file helps track the metadata change and search for media without digging into the media itself.
3. If MergeTrack "updates" metadata, there got to be some other method that "creates" metadata - that's what a well-designed API should look like. And setting metadata in the media file is not an equivalent to a "create metadata" method call. In rickwolf's term, that implicit AddTrack should actually be made explicit so the party uploading content can explicitly specify metadata instead of having iTunes U extract metadata from the media.
It is still not clear what "AddTrack" does exactly, maybe rickwolf is right - it's only relevant to tracks created through RSS.
So it seems to me there is no other way to specify metadata WHEN adding content using iTunes U Web service than setting metadata in the media file. To me it is more like a design flaw.
Message was edited by: Stone Xiang
Message was edited by: Stone Xiang
Message was edited by: Stone Xiang