Author/Authors sort and appearance in home-file

[chaot]

Against chronic arm pain nobody can help you here!
Patience! Everything will come to an end.

[eschwartz]

You shouldn't have ever needed to go into Preferences?

And you don't need to type every {author} and {author_sort} -- just the ones that are different from the default calculation:
FN, LN <--> LN, FN




If you want to use all {authors} as {author_sort}, without recalculating, go to Preferences ==> Advanced ==> Tweaks
And check out the Tweak for "Author sort name algorithm".

It has a "copy" option which uses the FN LN {authors} value as-is.

[MarjaE]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

You shouldn't have ever needed to go into Preferences?

And the author column shouldn't have kept disappearing...

And you don't need to type every {author} and {author_sort} -- just the ones that are different from the default calculation:
FN, LN <--> LN, FN

I'm trying to get a consistent standard for author sort in each library, different in a history library than a fiction library. In a history library, I could use a mix of n, and n, cn, pn, and ln, fn, and ln, fn, depending on the authors. In a fiction library, I just can't deal with a mix of n and ln, fn, so I'm standardizing everything on either n, or fn, ln.

If you want to use all {authors} as {author_sort}, without recalculating, go to Preferences ==> Advanced ==> Tweaks
And check out the Tweak for "Author sort name algorithm".

It has a "copy" option which uses the FN LN {authors} value as-is.

I can't really make sense of the tweaks, but thanks.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by MarjaE

I have coordination problems and chronic arm pain

except with me it's my pretzel-like fingers, consequently I use mouse as a little as possible.

Having said that, and because I don't normally have the Tag browser open, on the odd occasion I need to change the Author sort value I usually right click the author name in the book details sidebar and select Manage...

The keyboard shortcut (kb short) to open the Tag browser its Shift+Alt+T. And as of the latest release (1.41) you can configure kb shorts for various Tag Browser features - these are my shortcuts:



In Manage Authors there is a Search bar and a Find button, and for the three columns - Author, Author sort, and Link - the F2 key can be used to edit the existing value.

BR

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by MarjaE

And the author column shouldn't have kept disappearing...

Did you accidentally select "Hide category _____"
There is another right-click option beneath that, to re-show a hidden category.

I'm trying to get a consistent standard for author sort in each library, different in a history library than a fiction library. In a history library, I could use a mix of n, and n, cn, pn, and ln, fn, and ln, fn, depending on the authors. In a fiction library, I just can't deal with a mix of n and ln, fn, so I'm standardizing everything on either n, or fn, ln.

Sounds like you really want that tweak then.

I can't really make sense of the tweaks, but thanks.

1. Select your tweak. -- "Author sort name algorithm"
2. Modify the tweak value. -- set to "copy"
3. Apply the new value to the tweak.
4. Save the Tweak Preferences and exit.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words:

[chaot]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

In Manage Authors there is a Search bar and a Find button ...

... Find button ... (Alt+I)

... and for the three columns - Author, Author sort, and Link - the F2 key can be used to edit the existing value.

I would like to reiterate that the shortcut assignments/use of Fx keys varies on different keyboards, depending on language. On spanish keyboards F2 key doesn't function here!?

Originally Posted by eschwartz

They say a picture is worth a thousand words:

Right! Pictures and/or paths!

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by chaot

I would like to reiterate that the shortcut assignments/use of Fx keys varies on different keyboards, depending on language. On spanish keyboards F2 key doesn't function here!?

Not only spanish keyboards - US too

Ah-ha - Actually it depends on how you get to Manage Authors:

• If you get there by the context menu of a specific author in the right sidebar or in the Tag Browser then that specific Author Name field is already opened for editing.
  
  I am habituated to immediately hitting Escape, and tabbing to the Author Sort or Link cells and hitting F2. I can't imagine that I would ever use Manage Authors to change an Author Name, only the Sort Name and Link.
  
  I also like to get out of edit mode ASAP because its too easy to over type the current value, and because I want navigate the table with the arrow keys just as I do the book list table.
  
  My preference would be that the Author Name cell be current, but not open for edit - probably because I'm keyboard centric, mouseketeers tend to like things being done for them.
  
• If you get there via the Alter Tag Browser route then you land in the Search box. from then on the author table behaves much the same as the book list table - including the use of F2 to open a cell for edit.