All track formats allow you to save global settings directly into the track file, many of which are found in Song Properties. But the next evolution of track metadata can be achieved by ModPlug keeping a separate set of settings for tracks the user works on. This would best be accomplished by a separate .cache or .cfg file that MPT maintains for tracks composed on the same computer.

For example, in the OHM, i reminded the user (with some chagrin) that child window settings in MultiView cannot be saved per track, even in MPTM. With a separate cache settings file, they could be. Window positions and what they show can be read from a separate file kept in a folder in Application Data.

Here are some other ModPlug-specific data that i see the need for restoring when i edit a track:

1. Audio settings (the SoundCard, Player, and EQ pages of the Options dialog)
2. A new Song Notes dialog, which would simple be a text-editable box to remind me of certain info that perhaps i don't want or need stored in the Comments page. (This could also be accomplished by a script opening such notes outside of ModPlug when the track is loaded.)
3. An Edit History for any track type, including creation, conversion, and audio export dates. Other SVN-type changelogging can be stored here, too.
4. Song-specific global toggles, like Loop Song, Channel Header FX or VU displays, General Msic Options, etc.

I understand this would take quite a bit of programming, but the way i see it, ModPlug would look for this cache file first before loading the track. If the cache is not found, then the current MPT settings are not touched. If the file is found, the current settings are saved into a temporary file, then all settings are reconfigured for as long as this newly loaded track is frontmost. If a previous track is given focus, those settings are restored onscreen.

This might also make it easier for future development with not-yet-developed MPT-specific features that would not necessarily be saved with the track (perhaps because the format doesn't allow for it), but would be openable with ModPlug, such as track metadata (like accompanying bitmaps), song-specific scripts, or linkable pattern data (data imported from text files which CAN be printed).