Is there a way to get Metadata search and replace to follow its directions?

MarjaE · 10-01-2020, 01:21 PM

So I'm trying to take the prefixes from my titles, copy them to a new prefix column, and eventually remove them from the titles. Yes, that's complex. So I'm doing this one small step a... no! no! why???

And this being Calibre there's no undo option.

I had listed:

"Search Field"

"Search For" with the prefix to search for, and its variations (different numbers)

"Replace With" with the same prefix to paste

"Destination Field" #prefix

It just took every title, and copied every title onto the prefix column. In some cases, I'd manually copied the prefixes into the field, and removed them from the titles, and lost that work... and lost my references too...

Is there some way to get it to pay attention to the search functions?

MarjaE · 10-01-2020, 01:28 PM

Yes, there's the result indicator, but I ignored that because (1) I did not intend any change in the source field in this step, and (2) it was only showing results that the search would not pick up, so it wasn't showing anything relevant.

MarjaE · 10-01-2020, 01:30 PM

Also, trying to at least remove the prefixes from the titles where it's already copied everything. But in 4.23, regex search an replace doesn't seem to allow users to replace the searched-for phrase with nothing.

theducks · 10-01-2020, 02:21 PM

search (for_to_be_discarded_value) (.+?)
(pass1copy to field) \1

(pass2 title) replace \2

You capture what you want to keep (and use that for the replace)
Pass 1 sets puts your vale into the target
Pass 2 cleans up the title

MarjaE · 10-01-2020, 03:24 PM

Sorry, how would you do that? I don't see any scripting options under "Search and Replace" in 4.23.

theducks · 10-01-2020, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarjaE

Sorry, how would you do that? I don't see any scripting options under "Search and Replace" in 4.23.

saved Searches.
Set it up once, (target and \1 save it as Pass 1
edit the view (change the target to Title and set to \2 ) save it as Pass 2

theducks · 10-01-2020, 03:56 PM

You need to use The Search and Replace feature of the Bulk mode of the Metadata editor

MarjaE · 10-01-2020, 04:21 PM

I've been using it, it's been going haywire.

If I use *Character Mode* I can't use [0-9] for numbers in a series, and I can't copy the relevant value to #prefix, but I can delete the relevant value from title by replacing it with nothing.

If I use *Regex Mode*, I can use [0-9], and I can't copy the relevant value but can accidentally copy all of every single title to #prefix whether it fits the search or not, and I can't delete the relevant value from title.

P.S. If I don't have any numbers in sequence, I can use bulk + Custom Columns to paste a common code, then Bulk Search and Replace to remove the matching code from Title.

10-01-2020, 01:21 PM	#1
MarjaE Guru Posts: 924 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	Is there a way to get Metadata search and replace to follow its directions? So I'm trying to take the prefixes from my titles, copy them to a new prefix column, and eventually remove them from the titles. Yes, that's complex. So I'm doing this one small step a... no! no! why??? And this being Calibre there's no undo option. I had listed: "Search Field" "Search For" with the prefix to search for, and its variations (different numbers) "Replace With" with the same prefix to paste "Destination Field" #prefix It just took every title, and copied every title onto the prefix column. In some cases, I'd manually copied the prefixes into the field, and removed them from the titles, and lost that work... and lost my references too... Is there some way to get it to pay attention to the search functions?

10-01-2020, 04:21 PM	#8
MarjaE Guru Posts: 924 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	I've been using it, it's been going haywire. If I use Character Mode I can't use [0-9] for numbers in a series, and I can't copy the relevant value to #prefix, but I can delete the relevant value from title by replacing it with nothing. If I use Regex Mode, I can use [0-9], and I can't copy the relevant value but can accidentally copy all of every single title to #prefix whether it fits the search or not, and I can't delete the relevant value from title. P.S. If I don't have any numbers in sequence, I can use bulk + Custom Columns to paste a common code, then Bulk Search and Replace to remove the matching code from Title. Last edited by MarjaE; 10-01-2020 at 04:39 PM.

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10-01-2020, 01:28 PM	#2
MarjaE Guru Posts: 924 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	Yes, there's the result indicator, but I ignored that because (1) I did not intend any change in the source field in this step, and (2) it was only showing results that the search would not pick up, so it wasn't showing anything relevant.

10-01-2020, 01:30 PM	#3
MarjaE Guru Posts: 924 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	Also, trying to at least remove the prefixes from the titles where it's already copied everything. But in 4.23, regex search an replace doesn't seem to allow users to replace the searched-for phrase with nothing.

10-01-2020, 02:21 PM	#4
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,802 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	search (for_to_be_discarded_value) (.+?) (pass1copy to field) \1 (pass2 title) replace \2 You capture what you want to keep (and use that for the replace) Pass 1 sets puts your vale into the target Pass 2 cleans up the title

10-01-2020, 03:24 PM	#5
MarjaE Guru Posts: 924 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	Sorry, how would you do that? I don't see any scripting options under "Search and Replace" in 4.23.

10-01-2020, 03:56 PM	#7
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,802 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	You need to use The Search and Replace feature of the Bulk mode of the Metadata editor

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