Ln,FN to FN LN changes - Does it exist

[nynaevelan]

Didn't their used to an option when editing in bulk to switch from LN,FN to FN LN? I remember using it before but now I cannot find it either in bulk or when editing individually. Has this option been removed?? Or am I having a senility moment??

[Manichean]

I think that option is called bulk search & replace. I certainly don't remember there being a button or selection that does it one-shot without user input.

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by Manichean

I think that option is called bulk search & replace. I certainly don't remember there being a button or selection that does it one-shot without user input.

I don't see it in there, and for the record I wasn't looking for anything to do it for me. I vaguely remember being able to select the books and there being a checkbox to use to switch from ln,fn to fn ln but maybe I am remembering this from another program. I definitely know it wasn't in search & replace because I do not use that due to my lack of knowledge with regex.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by nynaevelan

I don't see it in there, and for the record I wasn't looking for anything to do it for me. I vaguely remember being able to select the books and there being a checkbox to use to switch from ln,fn to fn ln but maybe I am remembering this from another program. I definitely know it wasn't in search & replace because I do not use that due to my lack of knowledge with regex.

The Bulk Edit : Search and replace tab is missing?

For Single Authors only


(.+), (.+)$
\2 \1 There is a space between

[Manichean]

Originally Posted by theducks

(.+), (.+)$
\2 \1 There is a space between

For clarification: The first line is the search expression, the second is the replacement text, and you'll need to switch the dialog to regex mode.

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by theducks

The Bulk Edit : Search and replace tab is missing?

For Single Authors only


(.+), (.+)$
\2 \1 There is a space between

This will take it from ln, fn to fn ln??

[nynaevelan]

Thank you both, that is exactly what I needed. Big kudos to you.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by nynaevelan

Thank you both, that is exactly what I needed. Big kudos to you.

The Paren's contents are called back reference
the .+ is a wild card
so we have back reference #1 up to the first Comma space
Then we have back reference #2 to the end-of-line , the $

We replace them with \2 \1
The contents of back reference #2 (literal)space contents of back reference #1

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by theducks

The Paren's contents are called back reference
the .+ is a wild card
so we have back reference #1 up to the first Comma space
Then we have back reference #2 to the end-of-line , the $

We replace them with \2 \1
The contents of back reference #2 (literal)space contents of back reference #1

Thank you, I actually understand what you mean.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by nynaevelan

Thank you, I actually understand what you mean.

I'm glad someone did. All that was Greek to me.

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

I'm glad someone did. All that was Greek to me.

Most of it usually is to me also, but in this instance I was able to understand what he was trying to tell me. That of course does not mean I am proficient enough to attempt to create my own regex expression.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by nynaevelan

I don't see it in there, and for the record I wasn't looking for anything to do it for me. I vaguely remember being able to select the books and there being a checkbox to use to switch from ln,fn to fn ln

I use regex often, but, FWIW, I also vaguely recall a checkbox for swapping FN, LN. There's still one in the Add Books Preferences setup, but I think there was also one in metadata edit before S&R came along. In a sense, it became a tiny subset of the power supplied by S&R, so it became redundant, but only for those who are comfortable with S&R. (OTOH, maybe I'm confused, too, and I'm thinking of the swap author/title checkbox still found in bulk metadata edit).