Bulk Add Comments

haino · 02-11-2015, 11:24 AM

Hi
Is it possible to add the same comment or note to the Comments section for a number of ebooks without removing the book description which is of course different for each book

For example if I want to add a note with link something like See my blog for my review of this book at (link)
I would want to add the note to the books I have read and reviewed. Then when I produce a Catalogue of all books the note only appears after the book Description where I have added it. I know it can be done individually but if I can do it in bulk for those already read and reviewed it would save a lot of time.

Hope this makes sense. Any (not too complicated) help would be appreciated

Thanks in advance

theducks · 02-11-2015, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haino

Hi
Is it possible to add the same comment or note to the Comments section for a number of ebooks without removing the book description which is of course different for each book

For example if I want to add a note with link something like See my blog for my review of this book at (link)
I would want to add the note to the books I have read and reviewed. Then when I produce a Catalogue of all books the note only appears after the book Description where I have added it. I know it can be done individually but if I can do it in bulk for those already read and reviewed it would save a lot of time.

Hope this makes sense. Any (not too complicated) help would be appreciated

Thanks in advance

It would be way safer to add a custom column (or 2) for status as everything in comments appears in the 'Jacket'

If you insist, bulk mod Search and Replace has a Append/prepend mode (on the right)

eschwartz · 02-11-2015, 11:31 AM

Yes, use the last tab in the Bulk Edit Metadata window (Search and Replace). There is an option to append the results to the current content.

haino · 02-11-2015, 11:37 AM

Thanks for your prompt replies.
I have found the Append the results option. Hadnt noticed it before.
Thanks again

BetterRed · 02-11-2015, 03:34 PM

@haino - I have a long text (i.e like comments) custom column (booknotes/Book Notes) for this sort of thing, it has two advantages,

if I want to download Comments from a third party site then my data will not be overwritten.
I can edit the Book Notes column from the book list in a dedicated resizable Editor window.

I cloak the column with an icon, the presence of which indicates that Book Notes has something in it.

I display Book Notes in the Book Details sidebar just above Comments, links to web pages, files, folders or other applications are clickable from there.

I use a third party snippets manager to paste commonly used text such as your See my blog for my review of this book at: .

Added : and of course I can use Bulk Edit Find and Replace to make global changes to Book Notes - I've done that a couple times to enforce consistency in the layout of Book Notes.

BR

haino · 02-24-2015, 09:08 AM

@BetterRed.
Thanks for your reply. Sorry I have only just got around to looking at this.

Think I understand the significance of cloaking the Book Notes column with an icon to indicate that the column has something in it but how do I do it

Thanks
haino

BetterRed · 02-24-2015, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haino

@BetterRed.
Thanks for your reply. Sorry I have only just got around to looking at this.

Think I understand the significance of cloaking the Book Notes column with an icon to indicate that the column has something in it but how do I do it

Thanks
haino

@haino - see Preferences->Look and feel->Column icons

Cloaking is my technobabble for the Set the icon with no text option

See attachment

BR

haino · 02-24-2015, 11:49 AM

@Better Red
Thanks for your reply.
I have added the icon to my Book Notes column
How do I now bulk add text e.g See my blog at ... to selected books
Sorry but I am new to this and appreciate your help

Thanks
haino

BetterRed · 02-24-2015, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haino

@Better Red
Thanks for your reply.
I have added the icon to my Book Notes column
How do I now bulk add text e.g See my blog at ... to selected books
Sorry but I am new to this and appreciate your help

Thanks
haino

@haino - after F2 on the icon in the book list, do this

Click image for larger version

Name: Capture.JPG
Views: 305
Size: 49.5 KB
ID: 135254

Enter the url to your blog page and a description, click OK. If you've put Notes into Preferences->Look and Feel->Book details then you should see it there as a clickable link.

BR

eschwartz · 02-24-2015, 12:25 PM

Bulk Edit metadata has an append mode for Search and replace. If the unique urls are already associated in a calibre column, you could S&R it into the appropriate link tag to append to the comments column.

haino · 02-24-2015, 12:25 PM

@BetterRed

Thanks again
Not sure if I did something wrong but link only appear in one of the selected books.

Here's what I did
I selected 3 books, hovered the muse over the book icon on one of the selected books then pressed F2
I then entered the link and clicked okay. The link replaced the icon in one of the selected books but not in the other 2.
The link appear in the sidebar in Comments but only for one of the 3 books

Did I do something wrong?
Thanks

BetterRed · 02-24-2015, 12:40 PM

@haino - in the book list editing is one book at a time

So, copy the HTML from the book you edited into the clipboard. Then select the books where you want to have same link and select Edit Metadata. In Search and Replace select column #notes (or whatever you called it), Search for nothing and Replace with the HTML you copied into the clipboard.

BR

haino · 02-24-2015, 02:13 PM

@BetterRed
Sorry I am just not getting this.
I selected 2 books went to Edit Metadata and selected the Search and Replace tab
Entered details as the screenshot below.

http://prntscr.com/69c92y

The link did not appear in the Book Notes of either of the 2 books.

I then tried one book that already had a link and one without and entered the original link in "Search For". The link was change for the book which already had a link but wasn't added to the book that had none.

Finally, in desperation I actually typed the word nothing in the Search For box with the link in the Replace with box.
Unsurprisingly, that didnt work either

I am obviously doing something wrong. Feel like I am so close to mastering it. Sorry to be a nuisance but I do not like to give up.

Thanks

eschwartz · 02-24-2015, 03:24 PM

Use Regular Expression (not Character match) search mode, and Destination Mode = "Append to field" (uncheck "Split Result").

Then enter content in the search field, since we are appending it is irrelevant what you search for unless you want to use it in the replacement.

Search for:

Code:

.*

Replace with:
whatever you want.

haino · 02-24-2015, 03:56 PM

@eschwartz
Thanks for your reply. That didnt work either
This screenshot shows what I did but the link never appeared in the booknotes

http://prntscr.com/69dxx1

I tried it with the word "the" in the Search For box and tried again with the Search For box blank. That didnt work either

Am I trying to do something which isn't possible.

I have created a custom long text column
I have cloaked the column with an icon which appears in the column in the booklist
There is no text or html code in the Book Notes when I open metadata so I am not searching for something to replace as there is nothing there to replace
Following your instructions above it should not matter what I enter in the Search for box as I am appending to the existing even though there is no "existing"

Thanks
haino

02-11-2015, 11:24 AM	#1
haino Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: none	Bulk Add Comments Hi Is it possible to add the same comment or note to the Comments section for a number of ebooks without removing the book description which is of course different for each book For example if I want to add a note with link something like See my blog for my review of this book at (link) I would want to add the note to the books I have read and reviewed. Then when I produce a Catalogue of all books the note only appears after the book Description where I have added it. I know it can be done individually but if I can do it in bulk for those already read and reviewed it would save a lot of time. Hope this makes sense. Any (not too complicated) help would be appreciated Thanks in advance

02-11-2015, 03:34 PM	#5
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,608 Karma: 29710338 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@haino - I have a long text (i.e like comments) custom column (booknotes/Book Notes) for this sort of thing, it has two advantages, if I want to download Comments from a third party site then my data will not be overwritten. I can edit the Book Notes column from the book list in a dedicated resizable Editor window. I cloak the column with an icon, the presence of which indicates that Book Notes has something in it. I display Book Notes in the Book Details sidebar just above Comments, links to web pages, files, folders or other applications are clickable from there. I use a third party snippets manager to paste commonly used text such as your See my blog for my review of this book at: . Added : and of course I can use Bulk Edit Find and Replace to make global changes to Book Notes - I've done that a couple times to enforce consistency in the layout of Book Notes. BR Last edited by BetterRed; 02-11-2015 at 03:40 PM.

02-24-2015, 03:24 PM	#14
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Use Regular Expression (not Character match) search mode, and Destination Mode = "Append to field" (uncheck "Split Result"). Then enter content in the search field, since we are appending it is irrelevant what you search for unless you want to use it in the replacement. Search for: Code: .* Replace with: whatever you want. Last edited by eschwartz; 02-24-2015 at 04:15 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Comments - batch add?	mezme	Calibre	6	02-22-2015 08:32 PM
Bulk Edit - Justify Metadata Comments	lazorbeam	Library Management	8	01-25-2015 05:48 PM
Is it possible to edit metadata in bulk for columns with long text, like comments?	GustavoB	Library Management	3	04-14-2013 09:39 PM
Bulk Edit of comments using regex	PeterT	Library Management	2	07-25-2012 08:10 AM
Bulk Edit Comments column	Jade Aislin	Library Management	0	10-27-2011 03:18 AM

02-11-2015, 11:31 AM	#3
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Yes, use the last tab in the Bulk Edit Metadata window (Search and Replace). There is an option to append the results to the current content.

02-11-2015, 11:37 AM	#4
haino Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: none	Thanks for your prompt replies. I have found the Append the results option. Hadnt noticed it before. Thanks again

02-24-2015, 09:08 AM	#6
haino Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: none	@BetterRed. Thanks for your reply. Sorry I have only just got around to looking at this. Think I understand the significance of cloaking the Book Notes column with an icon to indicate that the column has something in it but how do I do it Thanks haino

02-24-2015, 11:49 AM	#8
haino Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: none	@Better Red Thanks for your reply. I have added the icon to my Book Notes column How do I now bulk add text e.g See my blog at ... to selected books Sorry but I am new to this and appreciate your help Thanks haino

02-24-2015, 12:25 PM	#10
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Bulk Edit metadata has an append mode for Search and replace. If the unique urls are already associated in a calibre column, you could S&R it into the appropriate link tag to append to the comments column.

02-24-2015, 12:40 PM	#12
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,608 Karma: 29710338 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@haino - in the book list editing is one book at a time So, copy the HTML from the book you edited into the clipboard. Then select the books where you want to have same link and select Edit Metadata. In Search and Replace select column #notes (or whatever you called it), Search for nothing and Replace with the HTML you copied into the clipboard. BR

02-24-2015, 02:13 PM	#13
haino Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: none	@BetterRed Sorry I am just not getting this. I selected 2 books went to Edit Metadata and selected the Search and Replace tab Entered details as the screenshot below. http://prntscr.com/69c92y The link did not appear in the Book Notes of either of the 2 books. I then tried one book that already had a link and one without and entered the original link in "Search For". The link was change for the book which already had a link but wasn't added to the book that had none. Finally, in desperation I actually typed the word nothing in the Search For box with the link in the Replace with box. Unsurprisingly, that didnt work either I am obviously doing something wrong. Feel like I am so close to mastering it. Sorry to be a nuisance but I do not like to give up. Thanks

02-24-2015, 03:56 PM	#15
haino Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: none	@eschwartz Thanks for your reply. That didnt work either This screenshot shows what I did but the link never appeared in the booknotes http://prntscr.com/69dxx1 I tried it with the word "the" in the Search For box and tried again with the Search For box blank. That didnt work either Am I trying to do something which isn't possible. I have created a custom long text column I have cloaked the column with an icon which appears in the column in the booklist There is no text or html code in the Book Notes when I open metadata so I am not searching for something to replace as there is nothing there to replace Following your instructions above it should not matter what I enter in the Search for box as I am appending to the existing even though there is no "existing" Thanks haino