Can anyone lead me to where I can learn what the actions mean rather than spending time in trial and error? I was hoping the module would have a manual like the rest of Omeka, but no such luck.
I have some old html knowledge from over a decade ago when I owned my own site and created it from scratch as well as some very light experience with script that was available in the early 2000s. I am not new to WordPress or similar site-building, and I understand how to use the regular batch editing offered in Omeka S, but most of the vocabulary in the Bulk Edit module is completely foreign to me. I have spent days in Google searches trying to understand, but I can only get a vague idea of what regex is and a few other definitions. I am not understanding displacing values and how it works or what is means to string or explode.
Hi, I suggest that you describe the issue you are facing, the expected result and the reason why you think this module could help you. I think it could be a good way for you to learn the concepts you are missing, because you will receive informations directly applicable to your use case 
Check forums or the Bulk Edit GitHub for examples. Start with regex basics and look up how “displace values,” “string" and “explode” are used in the module.
I spent a full day searching the forums first, but none of the topics provided much help or instruction.
The module has already been a big help. I already understood how to remove values from a property, cleaning, copying and displacing values. Since it took some time for my post to be approved by admin, I uploaded some dummy items and found replacing values to be less complicated than my internet and forum search assumed. I cannot even determine if the other options would be of use if I have no idea what their purpose is, I have so many other tasks on my plate I cannot take off a week to simply test and play with actions I do not understand.
As an example of where I am clueless: My assumption is that the explode value moves every subject or relation to a single line rather than paragraph, but omeka is already doing that, something I wish it would not. That must mean I am wrong in my assumptions.
The merge values as uri and label only allows me to choose a property and not add a uri or label, so I cannot fathom whether or not it would be a time save. I had hoped that filling and updating metadata would be a time savor, but it seemt to only allow me to append or remove an owner, but once I choose an owner I am not even given the choose to append or remove. I could go on in a post that is entirely too long.
Hi Sheralyn,
I’m poised to give a talk on Omeka for the usergroup at my organization, and the focus will be on bulk editing, modification, importing, and exporting. I would deeply appreciate any specific description of your struggles you are able to provide, so that I can improve my talk. In exchange, I’ll answer any questions I can, and provide you with my slide deck when I’m done with it.
Thank you, cnorton,
I would interested in seeing that!
I am struggling with regex. I understand the concept, but unlike the old days of a trial website that would allow you to play with the concepts in real time without any damaging changes, I have no way of really understanding how best to use it. I have also found in some tests with dummy items that it does not work as I have thought it would in Omeka based on my reading.
For instance, I have several photographs from the same event scattered across our archive collections because they came in from different donors at different times. That means they all have different archival numbers which we use to connect the Omeka items to our DAM. Originally the event name was part of the metadata description taken from our DAM that was created by previous archivists. All that metadata was uploaded by CSV upload to Omeka, but now with the Bulk Edit module, that information is redundant. I had assumed I could remove key phrases from the description of all associated photographs so it could be replaced with a new Omeka text item to create linked resources. However, nothing I have tried on dummy items works.
I was also hoping to be able to merge values, but that portion allow me to indicate what label or URI I wish to assign the merge.
Why is Fill and update metadata only offering to remove or append an owner and why does it only allow me to select an owner and not offer me a way to choose to append or remove that owner?
Lastly, I have been trying to search for the meaning of exploding values, but I cannot find anything online that matches what the options are in Omeka and I cannot find any helpful information in the forums. My assumption by the word alone is that it moves each property in a value to its own line, but that does not seem to be working, nor am I finding a purpose for doing so. I can only surmise my assumptions are wrong and it does something entirely different.
Just as an initial scan here, most of the exploding values is likely best done via CSV import and bulk export. You can export your metadata, manipulate it in spreadsheet form, then do an “update” import with CSV import to make your changes, rinse, repeat. I’ll look through this in more depth when I have time, thanks for giving me some insight.
I had no idea this was possible nor do I have any idea how to do that. I know how to upload metadata with a .csv spreadsheet. I have seen somewhere that I can export data, but I have not seen anything about being able to update this way without deleting the original items which would also delete the media and the sites and sets they are associated with. Since I have to watermark everything first, this seems like more trouble than it is worth. I hope I am wrong.
I understand there is much I will have to do the long way, but anything I can do in bulk will help immensely.
You might want to check out the End User Manual for documentation for modules created and supported by the Omeka team, including the CSVImporter and Exports: Omeka S User Manual
Sharon,
The user manual is always my first go to. I hate asking for questions only to find I already had the answers in front of me. The instructions for this module are not included in the manual. It seems the manual has not been updated recently. I have used the search function to review any parts of the manual concerning this module. It is mentioned but only by what it can do and not how to do it.
Hi Sheralyn,
The user manual is absolutely updated with every release of every version of the core software and every module created by the Omeka Team (you can identify these by our logo in the module listings). The issue you are having is Bulk Edit is created by a third party. We cannot guarantee if or how those modules work; you need to depend on their individual developers.
At any rate, I was suggesting the manual specifically in relation to your unfamiliarity with CSVImport and Exports, which are Omeka Team modules.
Bests,
Sharon