Search/Replace ID?

[OldLincoln]

I understand the reasons for not automatically changing the mobi-asin to amazon, but is it possible to do a search ("mobi-asin") and replace ("amazon") as the ID of selected books, without changing the actual number?

I must do this before I download metadata for selected books or it mostly returns the wrong book. Yes I just tested it on ver 1.1.0 selecting the first 20 books and the very first one was wrong. Since I began manually replacing the ID (mobi-asin) with ("amazon") it never once had an error.

I see where I can search and replace several field entries but not ID identifiers themselves. If this is not possible please just say so. I love Calibre and am in it every day as reading is my "retirement job". When asked what I do, I tell people I'm a "bookkeeper".

[kovidgoyal]

Sure you can, choose the

search field identifiers,
identifier type: mobi-asin
the search for expression (.*)
the replace expression \1
destination field: identifiers
destination identifier type: amazon

This will copy all mobi-asin ids to amazon ids in books that have mobi-asin ids.

[OldLincoln]

I've been giving this a solid try and am close but hit a bump. I'm selecting books, go to Edit Metadata in Bulk. I select the following:

Search Field: identifiers
Identifier Type: mobi-asin
Search For: .*
Replace With: .*
Identifier Type: amazon

NOTE: These are all the fields I see. I don't know where to apply the "\1" you show for replace expression as there isn't a field.

My entries result in the the following:
On books that have a mobi-asin, it adds the amazon ID with the same number as the mobi-asin and leaves the mobi-asin in place.

On books with an amazon ID but not a mobi-asin ID it deletes the amazon ID.

I can use this by checking each book for the mobi-asin id or just take a chance since they all seem to have it. But if feels incomplete and I wonder if that "\1" is crucial. Am I entering this in the right place? I do want it to only modify the books selected, not the entire library.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by OldLincoln

I've been giving this a solid try and am close but hit a bump. I'm selecting books, go to Edit Metadata in Bulk. I select the following:

Search Field: identifiers
Identifier Type: mobi-asin
Search For: .*
Replace With: .*
Identifier Type: amazon

NOTE: These are all the fields I see. I don't know where to apply the "\1" you show for replace expression as there isn't a field.

My entries result in the the following:
On books that have a mobi-asin, it adds the amazon ID with the same number as the mobi-asin and leaves the mobi-asin in place.

On books with an amazon ID but not a mobi-asin ID it deletes the amazon ID.

I can use this by checking each book for the mobi-asin id or just take a chance since they all seem to have it. But if feels incomplete and I wonder if that "\1" is crucial. Am I entering this in the right place? I do want it to only modify the books selected, not the entire library.

Use

Search Field: identifiers
Identifier Type: mobi-asin
Search For: (.*)
Replace With: \1
Identifier Type: amazon

Note the parentheses in the search for expression. They are important.

And yes, this S/R will create a new identifier "amazon". It won't delete the identifier "mobi-asin". You need to do that in a second-pass S/R, changing the destination identifier type to mobi-asin and removing the \1 from replace with.

[OldLincoln]

Search Field: identifiers
Identifier Type: mobi-asin
Search For: (.*)
Replace With: \1
Identifier Type: amazon

I did the above and it works as stated - thanks.

The delete as follows did not work

Search Field: identifiers
Identifier Type: mobi-asin
Search For: (.*)
Replace With:
Identifier Type: mobi-asin

It didn't appear to do anything, but unless it's a problem I think I can just leave the mobi-asin as an additional ID.

Thanks for all your help. This will save me a lot of time.