How do I copy tags to comments?

[loviedovie]

Hi

I tried the method below which does not work.

- multi edit

-search and replace

- search field - tags

- search for .* (regex)

- replace with empty

- destionation - comments

- apply

It does not copy it.

[theducks]

Tags is not really a single value field, it is a list (each tag is really a linked record in the underlying DB)

[loviedovie]

Originally Posted by theducks

Tags is not really a single value field, it is a list (each tag is really a linked record in the underlying DB)

Well sure, but I have only single tag for the record.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by loviedovie

Well sure, but I have only single tag for the record.

But your REGEX is for a single field value

As you can see, this works

[loviedovie]

@theducks

Thanks for the help. DO you know the help url for these patterns? I tried searching but I could not get to anything regarding special uses like this.

[BetterRed]

@loviedovie - I think you'll need to use a program mode template to populate a custom column, of type 'Column built from other columns', see ==>> The calibre template language

In particular see these functions ==>> list_item(val, index, separator) and strcat(a, b, ...).

You might find something similar in here ==>> Plugboard, template, and custom composite column recipes

Curious - why do you want to put the Tags in Comments ?

BR

[chaley]

@loviedovie: note that theducks' solution will replace the comment. If that isn't what you want then you can change the "Mode" box to prepend or append the tag(s) to the comments.

[loviedovie]

@BetterRed

Thanks for the links. Very helpful.

I do not like the tags that came with the books but I do not want to get rid of them, so the comments section sounded like a good place to store them.

@chaley thanks for the tip.


Btw what does "\1" stand for in theducks's solution"

[chaley]

Originally Posted by loviedovie

Btw what does "\1" stand for in theducks's solution"

Take a look at All about using regular expressions in calibre. Groups (parenthesized search expressions) and group references are explained there.

And to answer your question: the \1 means the contents of the first parenthesized expression in the search pattern, which in this case is everything.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by loviedovie

@BetterRed

Thanks for the links. Very helpful.

I do not like the tags that came with the books but I do not want to get rid of them, so the comments section sounded like a good place to store them.

@chaley thanks for the tip.


Btw what does "\1" stand for in theducks's solution"

Why not copy them to a Custom Tags Column? That way the still behave like tags.
FWIW, I have a custom tags column just so I can exclude that columns tags from the Tags that show in the Jacket and on the Contentserver

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

Why not copy them to a Custom Tags Column? That way the still behave like tags.

@loviedovie I too would move them to an "oldtags\Old Tags" custom column, rather than polluting Comments for similar reasons - plus:

Comments is a downloadable column hence there's a chance you could lose anything you put in it. Such as when you discover a metadata site that has Comments that you really, really like

Having an "Old Tags" column would also allow you to easily dispense with the column entirely, should you decide its not worth having - editing them out of Comments would only be possible with some fancy regex.

And you would have have ability to easily and selectively clear "Old Tags" for individual or groups of books,

BR

[loviedovie]

Hi

Thank you all for great recommendations. Great help here.