You can sort by path, which should reflect the folder name.....however throwing your whole library in there is a terrible way to solve your problem. You can import the Year metadata with a one line action and a simple File to Tag template. I've uploaded the following file:

http://2manyrobots.com/actions/ExtractYearFromFolder.zip

Unzip the file and import the plist file via Yate>Import Preferences. You will now have an action named "Extract Year from Folder" and a File to Tag template named "Year from Folder". The action simply looks for tracks where the containing folder starts with (text) and copies text to the Year field. If the folder does not start with (text), nothing will be changed.

You can validate the action prior to running it over your entire collection as follows:

- load up a single album in the main window and select the files
- run the action via Actions>User Defined>Extract Year from Folder
- If anything has changed you will have red dots and the Year field should be the same as the data on the folder.

To process your entire collection:

- start the Batch Processor from the Actions menu
- on the first panel select "Extract Year from Folder" from the dropdown menu.
- hit Next
- drag the root folder of your collection to the target.
- hit Next
- Make sure Auto-Save is selected. Select Verbose if you'd like a detailed log of which files get written.
- hit Start

Hmm, the export was done in v3.10.0.1 (unreleased) but it is completely preference compatible with v3.10. In fact I just loaded it into v3.10 and it was okay.

I've just downloaded the zip file and the template seems to be there.

Try this... While holding down the Shift key drag the extracted plist file to the main window's file list area. The log viewer will open displaying what is in the plist file.

You should see:

File = path/ExtractYearFromFolder.plist
Version = 3.10.0.1
Build = 4728 (4725)

File to Tag Templates:
Year from Folder

If you see the above, perhaps your import settings were unchecked for File to Tag.

Open Preferences-File to Tag and see if you have a template named "Year from Folder". If you don't do a Yate>Import Preferences again....making sure that all import options are set and then see if you have the template. Alternately simply drag the plist file to the main window's file list area. You will hear a plink. The default options for plist dragging should work as expected.

If you have the "Year to Tag" template open the action "Extract Year from Folder" from the Action Manager (Actions>Manage Actions). There is only a single line in the action and it should reference the 'Year from Folder' template.

More than likely this was an import settings issue. Let me know.