[Search] Show non-null #desc books only?

[Sabardeyn]

I've been trying to perform a search from the GUI's search field that will display all books that have no content in the description field (#desc). Basically I'm trying to limit the books displayed to only those that need that field to be filled out (via cut & pasted metadata from a 3rd party website).

I've tried assorted variants of desc: blank, empty, _empty, etc but the result is always 0 matching books.

The closest I can come is not desc:"Description" which, quite surprisingly, only lists books that actually includes the exact word "Description" in the field (which is placed there by the cut & pasted metadata). So it's the exact opposite of what I want.

Perhaps I'm doing something wrong?

[DaltonST]

Originally Posted by Sabardeyn

I've been trying to perform a search from the GUI's search field that will display all books that have no content in the description field (#desc). Basically I'm trying to limit the books displayed to only those that need that field to be filled out (via cut & pasted metadata from a 3rd party website).

I've tried assorted variants of desc: blank, empty, _empty, etc but the result is always 0 matching books.

The closest I can come is not desc:"Description" which, quite surprisingly, only lists books that actually includes the exact word "Description" in the field (which is placed there by the cut & pasted metadata). So it's the exact opposite of what I want.

Perhaps I'm doing something wrong?

@Sabardeyn:

Assuming that the Description field is a custom column, try: #desc:False

The '#' is in the Search\Lookup Name of any custom column.



DaltonST

[BetterRed]

@Sabardeyn - if you're referring to the built in column then it's name is 'comments' - note, no '#' on built in columns.

Or do it the lazy man's way, viz:



BR

[Sabardeyn]

Thank you both for the replies. I have been mistakenly using #desc when I should be using desc. However performing these searches desc:empty, desc:_empty, desc:false right now results in no matching records displayed.

Following BR's suggestion to use the Quality Check plugin, I get a result stating there are 1903 records which have no comments. Sampling those 1903 records, I'm getting the expected results; only records with absolutely nothing in the built-in desc field are listed.

But something is wrong. There appears to be a constant null result on any desc search, regardless of keyword and/or search term used.

This is on a database of Manga. The 3rd Party website where I get info is Bleach's entry at MangaUpdates, is one example entry. Note at the end of the Manga Updates' Description section (top left) of the page, it mentions an award called "Shogakukan". I figured that word was sufficiently unique to perform a quick search with a small number of results. I tried, just to be thorough, desc:Shogakukan, desc:"Shogakukan", and desc:"=Shogakukan"... and each search showed that there was no matching records - despite having 84 Bleach related records, 81 of which include complete copies of the Bleach page from Manga Updates. So there should have been an 81 record match to that search.

Yet I'm getting nothing. I'm going to update Calibre (I'm using v2.40), double check, and then update this message.

[theducks]

the standard field name is comments

if you have a field desc, it is custom and needs the hash


PS I haven't a clue where I gleaned this info. I think at one time the name showed in either the Template list or the column order list

[Sabardeyn]

Using the right field name, for some strange reason, makes things work correctly. Whodda thunk it?

That resolves things. Thanks theducks and everyone else for the assistance.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

PS I haven't a clue where I gleaned this info. I think at one time the name showed in either the Template list or the column order list

It's called Comments in Metadata Edit dialogue, the Advanced Search (binoculars to left of search bar) offers 'comments' in the pull down list of column names.

IMO the phrase "Advanced Search" is something of a misnomer, it is more like a "Search Wizard". "Advanced" suggests complexity, tortured syntax, and obscure semantics, whereas most Advanced Searches can be done by clicking a few buttons

BR