Edit same field for multiple items
Hi,
Is there any way to select multiple items and edit a particular field for all of the selected items?
I've just added a butch of papers from a conference, which I like to store in collections. I got all the papers as PDFs on a USB. I then import them into Zotero. However, when I use "Retrieve meta data from PDF" then it doesn't retrieve all the fields that should be there. If I go to the database website (dl.acm.com) where the paper is located, and press the "save to zotero"-button, then it gets all the necessary and correct information. I therefore need to bulk edit 50ish items' proceedings field with "Proceedings of the The 15th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children". Could do it one by one, but seems like a waste of time.
I know of tagging music files, that software such as MP3Tag allows you edit the same field/tag for multiple items at the same time.
Is there any way to select multiple items and edit a particular field for all of the selected items?
I've just added a butch of papers from a conference, which I like to store in collections. I got all the papers as PDFs on a USB. I then import them into Zotero. However, when I use "Retrieve meta data from PDF" then it doesn't retrieve all the fields that should be there. If I go to the database website (dl.acm.com) where the paper is located, and press the "save to zotero"-button, then it gets all the necessary and correct information. I therefore need to bulk edit 50ish items' proceedings field with "Proceedings of the The 15th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children". Could do it one by one, but seems like a waste of time.
I know of tagging music files, that software such as MP3Tag allows you edit the same field/tag for multiple items at the same time.
OK, so I guess the best is simply to delete the PDF attachments from the library items.
It would also seem to be preferable to go to the actual literature database, rather than using google scholar to save a reference in Zotero. Google Scholar seems to miss data, like the proceedings field. This doesn't have to do with Zotero (I think), but would you say that it is a correct assumption?
For loads of things, not least:
Authors initials with and without a 'dot'
Missing fields
etc
etc
etc
There are so many things I would do.
e.g. the language-to consolidate, Englisch, English, en, engl. to english would be great
**
Edit: I just checked out the JavaScript you provide. It is so super easy - nothing that needs knowledge.
Thank you for this workaround
Just go to the Tag Selector (View -> Layout -> Tag Selector) and Right-Click the tag you want to edit and choose "Rename Tag...".
I also agree: to bulk edit item fields without scipt would be a nice feature in Zotero.
https://github.com/willsALMANJ/Zutilo
With Zutilo, a great number of mass editing tasks can be accomplished in a relatively simple manner. For some functions you need to use a text editor for editing the JSON data that are copied to the clipboard.
The relevant functions are: "Copy item fields", "Paste into empty item fields", "Paste non-empty item fields", "Paste all items fields". They are explained in the documentation:
https://github.com/willsALMANJ/Zutilo/blob/master/docs/COMMANDS.md#item-menu-functions
Use cases are discussed here:
https://github.com/willsALMANJ/Zutilo/blob/master/docs/USAGE.md#item-field-modification-functions
Currently, changing the item type of many items at once seems not supported.
I think I moaned about this years ago, and it astonishes me that it still has not been added. I love zotero, but.... having just added a special issue of a journal, where the metadata does not pick up title of journal, year of publication, and now having to go in and do it all manually.... grrrr.
2) Bulk operations
(This is not counting the iOS app, which is developed separately)
But no promises on any ETA there -- could well still take a good amount of time.
I'm aware that the much-awaited bulk / batch edit feature has been in the works for some years now. (Ticket #364)
In the meantime, I would request the developers to take a look at the bulk editing implementation in TagScanner, a nifty tag editing tool for music files.
Basically it works by allowing the user to lock a field's value and then save the same value across selections, effectively updating that/those field(s) for all the selected records.
Given Zotero's design, I think this model of bulk editing would not only work particularly well with Zotero but will also keep things quite user-friendly.
As a long-time user of Zotero, I eagerly look forward to the implementation of the bulk / batch editing feature! Thank you!
Kicking in another voice for the bulk edits. I've been watching this thread since adopting Zotero for myself in 2019. The lack of bulk editing is the primary feature that keeps me from upgrading my storage or trying to implement Zotero company-wide. It's much too frustrating when adding more than a few documents at a time.
That said, I'm taking another look at Zutilo. I previously thought its usefulness was limited because it only had "copy ALL item fields" and "paste ALL item fields". I just learned today that you could edit the JSON text in a notepad to include only the fields you want. Nice trick; will hugely speed up my workflows.
***Still doing the bulk edit dance***
for example:
i have a ton of items i would like to delete what's in the URL field because it's superfulous
i also have a ton of items i would like to move what's in the URL field to "link-to-URI" attachments that i could use for my reference but won't go into bibliographies