Is there a way to merge tags, preferably via regex?

[Awfki]

I've started keeping info on awards in tags and initially was keeping the year and category in separate tags but now I've decided I'd rather keep one tag.

Here's an example of the tags I have:

Hugo2015, HugoNovel

I'd like to turn that into:

Hugo-2015-Novel

If could work on the string "Hugo2015, HugoNovel" I'd be done already but Calibre seems to only let me work on these two strings separately, "Hugo2015" and "HugoNovel" and so I can't combine them with a regex.

Is there a simple-ish solution?


PS. I know about custom columns but don't wish to use them.

PPS. If there's a simple way to merge tags so I'd end up with "Hugo2015-HugoNovel" or even "Hugo2015HugoNovel" then that would be fine and I can regex from there.

[theducks]

Understand that Tags that are separated (visually) by commas in the information panel or details are really separate (relational) Records in the linked books-Tags-lnk (table). at this location, they are index integers to the Tags (description) Table


You might be able to do some Native SQL stuff, but the risk is there

I sort of like your original tags
show me Hugo Novels (any)
Hugo Novels And Hugo<year>
Hugo<year> (all types)

[chaley]

@Awfki: Assuming you are using calibre's bulk metadata search and replace, use {template} as the search field, {tags} as the template, and tags as the destination field. You can then process all the tags as a single string.

[goldilocks]

I would just select all the books you want to change the tags on, then select edit metadata (for all the books). There is a selection "Add Tags" - put your new Tag (Hugo-2015-Novel) in the box. Then go to the selection "Remove Tags" and select the tags (Hugo2015, HugoNovel) you want to remove.

Try it on a few to see how it works for you.

[Awfki]

Originally Posted by chaley

@Awfki: Assuming you are using calibre's bulk metadata search and replace, use {template} as the search field, {tags} as the template, and tags as the destination field. You can then process all the tags as a single string.

Excellent! This seems to do just what I wanted.

Now have I'll have to RTFM and figure out what else {template} is good for.

Thanks

[Awfki]

Originally Posted by theducks

You might be able to do some Native SQL stuff, but the risk is there

I sort of like your original tags
show me Hugo Novels (any)
Hugo Novels And Hugo<year>
Hugo<year> (all types)

I was thinking about SQL as well but I'm not very comfy with that and blowing up the DB seems like a bad plan (even though there are four copies in the house and one in the cloud).

That was the idea of those tags but each reputation of "Hugo" took a little more space in the tag column. I prefaced my Hugo-2015-Novel-Winner tag with zz t push it to the end and I can still do the various searches, I just have to break out the regex and any excuse to practice with those is a good one.

[Awfki]

Originally Posted by goldilocks

I would just select all the books you want to change the tags on, then select edit metadata (for all the books). There is a selection "Add Tags" - put your new Tag (Hugo-2015-Novel) in the box. Then go to the selection "Remove Tags" and select the tags (Hugo2015, HugoNovel) you want to remove.

Try it on a few to see how it works for you.

This is actually what I did (instead of going to bed like I should have) but I was trying to find a less tedious way of doing things.

As is I've save an example search for next I need something like this.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Awfki

Excellent! This seems to do just what I wanted.

Now have I'll have to RTFM and figure out what else {template} is good for.

Thanks

{template type} is used all over Calibre
{Templates} are column lookup names {title} {#mycustomcol}

The neat thing about {template} in S&R is you can use more than one at a time,. Whereas the other choice is limited to a single field(column)