Edit multiple items at once

Geremia
I would like to be able to select multiple Zotero items and change, e.g., their Item Type, Author, etc. thanks
  • adamsmith
    edited September 7, 2013
    this has been planned for a long time and is on the medium-term agenda, if we're luck it might make it into Zotero 4.2, more likely the major version after.
  • Geremia
    excellent ☺
    thanks
  • shivams
    For now, one could do that using the Javscript API as mentioned here: https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/client_coding/javascript_api

    Just install the ExecuteJS plugin in Firefox and then open a new tab and open Zotero there. Now, use ExecuteJS to execute your custom JS which modifies all the required items at once.
  • pbzamora
    used the code below, didn't work. any guidance will be appreciated
    __________________________________________

    var fieldName = "itemType";
    var oldValue = "Book";
    var newValue = "Journal Article";

    var fieldID = Zotero.ItemFields.getID(fieldName);
    var s = new Zotero.Search;
    s.addCondition(fieldName, 'is', oldValue);
    var ids = s.search();
    if (ids) {
    for each(var id in ids) {
    var item = Zotero.Items.get(id);
    var mappedFieldID = Zotero.ItemFields.getFieldIDFromTypeAndBase(item.itemTypeID, fieldName);
    item.setField(mappedFieldID ? mappedFieldID : fieldID, newValue);
    item.save();
    }
    alert(ids.length + " items updated");
    }
    else {
    alert("No items found");
    }
  • pbzamora
    SyntaxError: missing ( after for
  • adamsmith
    for each doesn't exist in Firefox anymore.

    You could try

    for (var i in ids) {
    var item = Zotero.Items.get(ids[i]);

    I think that should work.
  • pbzamora
    Thanks adamsmith!

    I changed the lines as instructed, got rid of the "for each" error

    getting this one instead:
    Error: Invalid field 'itemType" for base field in ItemFields.getFieldIDFromTypeAndBase()

    I wanted to change multiple entries that have "Item Type" field "Books" to "Journal Article"

    Thanks again!

    Peter
  • adamsmith
    edited December 1, 2015
    ah sorry for not spotting that. Those should be "book" and "journalArticle" respectively. See http://aurimasv.github.io/z2csl/typeMap.xml for a full list.

    edit: though it's also possible that this basic method just doesn't work for item types; I don't know that part of the code well enough.
  • pbzamora
    yes those variables were changed, but still got:
    Error: Invalid field 'itemType" for base field in ItemFields.getFieldIDFromTypeAndBase()


    var fieldName = "itemType";
    var oldValue = "book";
    var newValue = "journalArticle";

    var fieldID = Zotero.ItemFields.getID(fieldName);
    var s = new Zotero.Search;
    s.addCondition(fieldName, 'is', oldValue);
    var ids = s.search();
    if (ids) {
    for (var i in ids) {
    var item = Zotero.Items.get(ids[i]);
    var mappedFieldID = Zotero.ItemFields.getFieldIDFromTypeAndBase(item.itemTypeID, fieldName);
    item.setField(mappedFieldID ? mappedFieldID : fieldID, newValue);
    item.save();
    }
    alert(ids.length + " items updated");
    }
    else {
    alert("No items found");
    }
  • bwiernik
    Try this:

    var oldValue = "book";
    var newValue = "journalArticle";

    var s = new Zotero.Search;
    s.addCondition('itemType', 'is', oldValue);
    var ids = s.search();
    if (ids) {
    for (var i in ids) {
    var item = Zotero.Items.get(ids[i]);
    item.setField('itemType', newValue);
    item.save();
    }
    alert(ids.length + " items updated");
    }
    else {
    alert("No items found");
    }


    If that doesn't work, then I don't think that itemType can be changed with a simple bit of code.
  • pbzamora
    Hi bwiernik

    the code gave me this message: "itemType" is not a valid itemData field.

    thanks to you and adamsmith for trying!

    I guess I will be spending the next hour changing entries.


    Peter
  • telehans
    fail with Error: Invalid field 'itemType" for base field
    with following script :(

    var fieldName = "itemType";
    var oldValue = "journalArticle";
    var newValue = "report";
    var fieldID = Zotero.ItemFields.getID(fieldName);

    var items = Zotero.getActiveZoteroPane().getSelectedItems();

    await Zotero.DB.executeTransaction(async function () {
    for (let item of items ) {
    let mappedFieldID = Zotero.ItemFields.getFieldIDFromTypeAndBase(item.itemTypeID, fieldName);
    item.setField(mappedFieldID ? mappedFieldID : fieldID, newValue);
    await item.save();
    }
    });

    return items.length + " item(s) updated";
  • qqbb
    For batch editing of item types through Zotero's JavaScript API, see this discussion.

    You could also use the Zutilo add-on, which now provides a "Paste item type" function.

    The Zutilo functions for batch editing of item metadata are: "Copy item fields", "Paste into empty item fields", "Paste non-empty item fields", "Paste all item fields", and "Paste item type". They are explained in Zutilo's Command reference. Use cases are discussed in the Usage notes.
  • qqbb
    You should keep in mind that changing the type of Zotero items can give rise to data loss for some fields. Currently, only valid fields are preserved. See this discussion.
  • telehans
    yes, it works with Zutil menu command "Copy item fields" and "Paste item type", thanks a lot!
  • telehans
    and also work with following script for selected items, refs https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/78245/i-need-javascript-code-to-change-a-lot-items-type

    var fieldName = "report";
    const zoteroPane = Zotero.getActiveZoteroPane();
    const selected = zoteroPane.getSelectedItems();
    for (const item of selected) {
    item.setType(Zotero.ItemTypes.getID(fieldName));
    await item.saveTx();
    }
    return selected.length + " item(s) updated";
  • Zorozero
    "this has been planned for a long time and is on the medium-term agenda". It's 2022. Any news of "Search and Replace"? Please. Implement. It. How to replace hundreds of items' attributes? KR
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