Merge Author Folders

[tetrault]

For many authors, I have folders labeled LastName, FirstName and LastName_FirstName. My books are split between these folders. Is there any way to merge these folders within Calibre? If not, can I move the contents of one author folder into the other without messing up the database?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by tetrault

For many authors, I have folders labeled LastName, FirstName and LastName_FirstName. My books are split between these folders. Is there any way to merge these folders within Calibre? If not, can I move the contents of one author folder into the other without messing up the database?

In the Tag Browser: Right click on any Author: Manage Authors. Fix (rename) them there. That is a great place ti safely fix variations.

[tetrault]

I don‘t want to manually change names. I have thousands of dual folders. I want to combine author folders when one uses a LastName, FirstName format and the other uses the LastName_FirstName format. Changing book names still gives me two folders per author with different books in each folder. I want one LastName, FirstName author folder with all books by that author in that folder.

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by tetrault

I don‘t want to manually change names. I have thousands of dual folders. I want to combine author folders when one uses a LastName, FirstName format and the other uses the LastName_FirstName format. Changing book names still gives me two folders per author with different books in each folder. I want one LastName, FirstName author folder with all books by that author in that folder.

What is being suggested is that instead of changing individual books you rename one of the authors on the left pane to match the other one. This will automatically apply the change to all affected books and also move them into the same folder.

[BetterRed]

@terault - this thread should help ==>> Global Author Reset

Charles James or James Charles - which one is right, you must decide.

Forget the sub-folder names, pretend they don't even exist. You must effect the changes to the author metadata via the GUI and calibre will take care of the folder names. If you separate the good from the bad, then you can change the bad in bulk.

BR

[theducks]

Originally Posted by tetrault

I don‘t want to manually change names. I have thousands of dual folders. I want to combine author folders when one uses a LastName, FirstName format and the other uses the LastName_FirstName format. Changing book names still gives me two folders per author with different books in each folder. I want one LastName, FirstName author folder with all books by that author in that folder.

Calibre will combine matching names resulting fro the edit.
The QC plugin can find those with commas (or without). You the select the results, and use FIX to flip thos.
What it can't do is find those FN_LN (underscore or dash).

There are REGEX S&R possibilities (you generate the REGEX) to allow replacing the _ with a space or comma