#Please insert up references in the next lines (line starts with keyword UP)
UP	sp_search.hlp
UP	gene_search.hlp
UP	security.hlp

#Please insert subtopic references  (line starts with keyword SUB)
SUB	tags.hlp

# Hypertext links in helptext can be added like this: LINK{ref.hlp|http://add|bla@domain}

#************* Title of helpfile !! and start of real helpfile ********
TITLE		Modify fields of listed

OCCURRENCE	ARB_NT/Species/Search and Query/More Functions/Modify fields of listed
		ARB_NT/Genome/Search and query/More Functions/Modify fields of listed
		ARB_NT/Genome/Experiment/Search and query/More Functions/Modify fields of listed

DESCRIPTION	Finds and replaces substrings within fields/tagged subfields of
		all listed species/genes. The entries within the selected
		fields of all listed species/genes can be modified either
		individually or	globally.

SECTION Target field

		Select the target field to modify by pressing the button in the upper part of the window.

		Target field related options:
                * 'Accept conversion errors':
                  - if checked, accepts modifications like writing "hello" to a
                    numeric field (which will be written as '0')
                  - otherwise arb will abort with an error in such cases (Note
                    that writing a string like "4711" to numeric fields will work w/o error)
                * 'Allow overwrite of species ID':
                  - normally writing to field 'name' is not permitted, because doing so is
                    dangerous and may destroy access to your data.
                  - if checked, arb will write the name field. Please make sure the written
                    values are unique. If the same value is used for e.g. two species, you
                    will loose access to one these species.

SECTION Expert options

                * 'Use Tags' allows to tag entries or modify only tagged parts of entries. See LINK{tags.hlp} for details.
                * 'Double Pars' causes the result of the 'Command' to be interpreted and executed as command once again (special; in doubt don't use)

SECTION Command

		Three different languages can be used to modify an entry:

		SRT:	indicated by a leading ':' character
		ACI:	indicated by a leading '|' character
		REG:	indicated by sourrounding '/' characters

	Details:

		REG: Simple Regular Expressions (not for beginners)

			'/Search RegExpr/Replace String/'  or
			'/Search RegExpr/'

			(see LINK{reg.hlp} for more details)

		SRT: Replaces substrings

                        Syntax: ':old_string=new_string' (see LINK{srt.hlp} for more details)

                        Example: remove all spaces with SRT ': ='

			Different search/replace commands can be performed
			simultaneously and have to be separated by ':'

                                      ':search1=replace1:search2=replace2:  ...  :searchn=replacen'.

			'*' and '?' are wild cards for multiple and single
                        characters, respectively.

		ACI: More sophisticated string manipulations

                     Read LINK{aci.hlp} for more information.

SECTION		Predefined commands

		Clicking on one of the predefined commands in the list at the bottom 
		of the window 
 	 	 * will set the content of the 'Command' field and
		 * may change the selected target field (!!!)

SECTION		Defining custom commands

		You may add new commands by editing one of the files:

			$ARBHOME/lib/sellists/mod_fields.sellst

			$ARBHOME/lib/sellists/mod_gene_fields.sellst

		You should save this file to another location when
		installing new versions of ARB or it will be overwritten.

		A better way is to create your own list(s). All list
		matching 'mod_fields*.sellst' will be loaded, where
		'mod_fields.sellst' is loaded.

                If you have created any scripts which might be useful for
                other ARB users send them to LINK{devel@arb-home.de}.

EXAMPLES	':p?r=p?1w'	 replaces 	par to paw
						pbr to pbw
						pcr to pcw ...

		':p??r=p?2?1r'	 swaps the two letters between p and r

		':a*=b*1'        replaces only the first 'a' by 'b'

		':?* *=?1. *2'	 Replaces the first word by its first
				 letter + '.'

		':\:=\n'	 replaces all ':' by <newline>

		':*=*1 *(key1)'	 appends the database field <key1>

		':*=*1 *(key1|nothing found)'
				appends the database field <key1>
				if <key1> does not contain entries
				append 'nothing  found'

		1. Global modification: Replace 'spec.' by 'sp.' within
			the field full_name of all listed species:

			Press:		'MODIFY FIELDS OF LISTED SPECIES'
			Select Field:	'full_name'
			Type Command:	':spec.=sp.'
			Press:		'GO'

		2. Individual modification: Append the particular entries
			of fields 'title' and 'journal' to that of the
			fields 'author' of all listed species if there
			are any entries:

			Press:		'MODIFY FIELDS OF LISTED SPECIES'
			Select Field:	'author'
			Type Command:	':*=*1 *(title) *(journal)'
			Press:		'GO'

NOTE		Undo does work.

WARNINGS	Be careful if search or replace string contains
		special characters (such as ':').

BUGS		No bugs known