Metadata - date specification

[Massreader]

Hello,

I would like the date specification for "published" to be by default (i.e. when entering metadata for the first time) the date listed under "Date".
(As I am using the german version of Calibre, the data fields may have other names in the english version.)

Furthermore: If "Date" is changed, the same date should appear in "Published" (but not vice versa).

Is that possible somehow?

Many thanks in advance for any feedback!

[theducks]

{date} is the date the Calibre entry was made. It has little bearing on the date the book was {published} (or first published).

I prefer to keep the {date} as it was to know when the Library entry was created. I use a custom column {#edited} to record the date that I touch up the book and verify the code. YMMV

If you want to 'fill in the blanks', You could use Bulk metadata edit: Search and replace: (REGEX mode)

Search: {date} 
For pattern: (*+)
Replace: {published}
with value: \1

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Massreader

Hello,

I would like the date specification for "published" to be by default (i.e. when entering metadata for the first time) the date listed under "Date".
(As I am using the german version of Calibre, the data fields may have other names in the english version.)

Furthermore: If "Date" is changed, the same date should appear in "Published" (but not vice versa).

Is that possible somehow?

The simple answer is no, all standard columns have fixed names, and, with the exception of Date, pre-determined function.

Date is initially set to the current timestamp when a book was added to the library, but you can change its function by using it otherwise. When I add a book (to an Intake library) I clear the Date (F2 the cell, press '-', then Enter). When I finish reading the text I change it to current date (F2 the cell, press '=', then Enter). So for me Date acts as have/have-not read signal as well as a Date Read value.

If I wanted Published to be date added, I would do similar to what I do with Date. When I added a book to my Intake library I would set Published to current date with F2, press '=', press Enter. I just realised that in one of my libraries I do exactly that I sometimes need to adjust the day e.g. from 2019-06-14 to 2019-06-12.

BR