Bulk MDE (Custom) and Column Value (Custom)

[MerlinMama]

I have two questions, both to do with custom columns, but not really related to each other, except that they are about custom columns:

1. Is there any way to have my "Long text, like comments, not shown in tag browser" custom column appear in the Bulk MDE - Custom Metadata?
   
2. Is it possible for my "Text, but with a fixed set of permitted values" custom column to NOT have a blank value? I would like one of the permitted values to be chosen as default.

[DaltonST]

Originally Posted by MerlinMama

1. Is there any way to have my "Long text, like comments, not shown in tag browser" custom column appear in the Bulk MDE - Custom Metadata?

@MerlinMama:

My MCS plug-in has the backhanded capability to perform the function that you are looking for.

See the attached example.

Note the intentional limitation highlighted in the example: it only will execute the changes for books that are both Marked AND Selected. It is designed to be an integral part of MCS, not to be a generic replacement for MDE. Hence, the word "backhanded".

The list of books that MCS selects are the only books for which this function will work. You cannot manually mark and manually select random books. You must use MCS to search and find the ones you wish to change first. Of course, you could search broadly, so all your books were "marked" by MCS, and then select only the ones you wished to change.

The ToolTips for that Tab provide more information.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=261712


DaltonST

[MerlinMama]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

@MerlinMama:

My MCS plug-in has the backhanded capability to perform the function that you are looking for.
[...]
The list of books that MCS selects are the only books for which this function will work. You cannot manually mark and manually select random books.
[...]
DaltonST

Thanks for the tip, but I don't think that would work if I can't manually mark and select my own books to bulk edit. It is not too often that I edit multiple files that need identical notes, although not all that rare either...6 or 7 times out of 10, I will have at least two that are the same, or similar enough that I'll put the same note. I will keep MCS in mind though for future consideration.

[DaltonST]

You missed the "Of course, you could search broadly, so all your books were "marked" by MCS, and then select only the ones you wished to change".

Example: search for Authors that are not blank.

[MerlinMama]

Hmm, okay. I'll wait and see if there are other options since I wouldn't use the plugin for anything else, and it isn't really designed for this. I have enough plugins right now I barely use, waiting a bit won't hurt anything.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by MerlinMama

Is there any way to have my "Long text, like comments, not shown in tag browser" custom column appear in the Bulk MDE - Custom Metadata?

No, use Search and Replace to clear them or give them a common value. If the common value is formatted text try this ==>> do one in Single MDE, copy the html to clipboard, and paste that into the Replace with box in Bulk MDE.

Originally Posted by MerlinMama

Is it possible for my "Text, but with a fixed set of permitted values" custom column to NOT have a blank value? I would like one of the permitted values to be chosen as default.

All I can suggest is a saved search or VL for empty column and Bulk MDE to set the default value. Or sort on the column and Bulk MDE on the empties.

And advantage of editing metadata data in the book list is that its easy to get things like this right when books are first added - especially if you add into an intake library.

BR

[MerlinMama]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

No, use Search and Replace to clear them or give them a common value. If the common value is formatted text try this ==>> do one in Single MDE, copy the html to clipboard, and paste that into the Replace with box in Bulk MDE.

No that does not work. No matter how many books I select, it will only 'replace' if there is already something in the column. Not helpful for my purposes.

All I can suggest is a saved search or VL for empty column and Bulk MDE to set the default value. Or sort on the column and Bulk MDE on the empties.

And advantage of editing metadata data in the book list is that its easy to get things like this right when books are first added - especially if you add into an intake library.

BR

Which is what I do now...when I add a book, I change that value to what I want. It would, however, be nice to be allowed to choose whether or not to have a blank value is all. All these little steps add up to a lot of time!

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by MerlinMama

No that does not work. No matter how many books I select, it will only 'replace' if there is already something in the column. Not helpful for my purposes.

What about a regex search for .* I'm sure that's what works for me when I need to plug a common values into a bunch of long text columns - empty or not? I always test it though

Originally Posted by MerlinMama

Which is what I do now...when I add a book, I change that value to what I want. It would, however, be nice to be allowed to choose whether or not to have a blank value is all. All these little steps add up to a lot of time!

For these sort of columns I number the values so the default value is first, then when I tab into the blank cell in the book list, I tap down arrow, and tab to the next cell - one key stroke per book.

BR

[MerlinMama]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

What about a regex search for .* I'm sure that's what works for me when I need to plug a common values into a bunch of long text columns - empty or not? I always test it though

Doesn't seem to, if there is nothing there already, it remains blank.

For these sort of columns I number the values so the default value is first, then when I tab into the blank cell in the book list, I tap down arrow, and tab to the next cell - one key stroke per book.

BR

Yep, but none would be better

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by MerlinMama

Doesn't seem to, if there is nothing there already, it remains blank.

Works for me



BR

[MerlinMama]

I don't even understand.

The only thing I changed in the definition of my custom column is the heading position. I had 'No heading' and changed it to 'Heading above the text'. I didn't want to change from HTML to plain text, because I need it to be HTML.

After the restart, I tried and it worked. With the same (.*) I'd been trying all along. I had also tried *(.*)* -- which is what my email program showed your recommendation to be LOL. I didn't understand it, but I was willing to try anything earlier.

So, now at least I can get this to work, which is a huge plus. I just wish I could understand it!!

[BetterRed]

I just changed my Came From column to No header, and the same bulk S&R worked just the same.

Regex is very fiddlesome, easy to make a mistake. The outer '*'s in the email probably came about because I bolded the regex string

BR

[MerlinMama]

Well, whatever I was doing, and I'm under no illusions that it was something I was doing, all is working now. I have no problem doing a S&R for this rather than a regular Bulk MDE, so long as it works!

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by MerlinMama

Well, whatever I was doing, and I'm under no illusions that it was something I was doing, all is working now. I have no problem doing a S&R for this rather than a regular Bulk MDE, so long as it works!

If it's something you'll use regularly Save it - I have more than a dozen saved S&R specs, very handy both for reuse, and for 'how did I do this last time' memory joggers.

BR

[MerlinMama]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

If it's something you'll use regularly Save it - I have more than a dozen saved S&R specs, very handy both for reuse, and for 'how did I do this last time' memory joggers.

BR

Yeah, I have a long list too.