Regex help: looking for one thing and limiting the other

Zifnab · 04-19-2011, 09:31 PM

Ok, now that I know I can search with regex, I am trying to learn how to use regular expressions to help me speed up my cleaning up of my library, but admit I need some help.
Basically, I am trying to find all authors that begin with a certain letter, and at the same time limit the results to all authors that have a comma in their name (and later, without the comma). I tried different variations of: authors:[,][~^b]. but everytime I get no results. I tried some of the examples from the user manual on regular expressions, and they worked great, but when I modified them to do what I am trying to do, again, no results.
So how do I find all authors with a comma and limit the results by those that begin with the letter b, and also a search for all authors without a comma that start with the letter b?
Thanks.

Manichean · 04-20-2011, 03:31 AM

Try

Code:

authors:"~^b\\w*(\\,?)"

where 'b' would be the letter the name should start with.
Due to a recent bug fix, this works only up to 0.7.56, after the next update, you'll have to use

Code:

authors:"~^b\\w*(,?)"

kovidgoyal · 04-20-2011, 11:20 AM

A simpler alternative that should work

authors:~^b and authors:,

04-19-2011, 09:31 PM	#1
Zifnab Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Aluratek	Regex help: looking for one thing and limiting the other Ok, now that I know I can search with regex, I am trying to learn how to use regular expressions to help me speed up my cleaning up of my library, but admit I need some help. Basically, I am trying to find all authors that begin with a certain letter, and at the same time limit the results to all authors that have a comma in their name (and later, without the comma). I tried different variations of: authors:[,][~^b]. but everytime I get no results. I tried some of the examples from the user manual on regular expressions, and they worked great, but when I modified them to do what I am trying to do, again, no results. So how do I find all authors with a comma and limit the results by those that begin with the letter b, and also a search for all authors without a comma that start with the letter b? Thanks.

04-20-2011, 03:31 AM	#2
Manichean Wizard Posts: 3,130 Karma: 91256 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Germany Device: Cybook Gen3	Try Code: authors:"~^b\\w(\\,?)" where 'b' would be the letter the name should start with. Due to a recent bug fix, this works only up to 0.7.56, after the next update, you'll have to use Code: authors:"~^b\\w(,?)" Last edited by Manichean; 04-20-2011 at 03:33 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Seriously thoughtful New Money, The Smart thing or the Fun thing?	GlenBarrington	Lounge	9	01-13-2012 01:47 PM
Limiting CPU access?	ardeegee	Calibre	4	04-15-2011 07:02 AM
Limiting libary display	nikev	Library Management	1	03-20-2011 02:57 PM
what about limiting certain areas the site until someone has been a member "x" long?	kindlekitten	Feedback	141	10-03-2010 05:52 PM
Amazon DRM limiting number of times you can download a book	Mr. Goodbar	Amazon Kindle	47	06-25-2009 01:31 AM

04-20-2011, 11:20 AM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,859 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	A simpler alternative that should work authors:~^b and authors:,

Advert