Bookpedia: convert checkbox to regular field?

[vanderdecker]

Is there a way to either convert a checkbox field (along with its values) into a regular field, or at least import from the one to a regular field in the same database?

The situation: quite a while ago, I'd created a "Complete series?" checkbox to do exactly that: tell me when a series is completed (or, rather, I've have them all). One of my motives here is keeping track of developing series, as there can often be a year or more between book releases and I might totally forget to keep an eye on new releases in that series, so using this field along with an "Incomplete series" Smart Collection will help me keep tabs.

But the drawback to a yes/no format became clear: what about standalone books? They obviously aren't incomplete series, but they'll never have the Complete Series checkmark. It might have been better to reverse things to begin with, to create an "Incomplete series" checkmark, but all things being equal I would like to create a yes/no/na version. A popup menu would be ideal, but we don't have those in BP, so I guess populating a field with one of those three items would work best.

So, how can I change that checkbox field (with its yes/no option) into a regular field with yes or no filled in, so I can go in and add n/a where applicable?

[Conor]

You could make the change directly in the SQL database, but I'll describe the way to do it entirely inside Bookpedia.

Show the check box column and click the column header to sort by value. Now click on the first none checked value and scroll down the the last none checked value. Hold down the shift key and click that last none checked value. This will select all the items in-between that would also not have been checked. Select "Book -> Edit" and find the new custom field that you would want to use and enter "No".

Now select the first book with a checked value, should be the next one after the current highlight, scroll to the bottom of the list and hold down shift again and select the last book to select all the checked values. Repeat "Book -> Edit" and find the new custom field and enter "Yes". At the same time you could also check the old check box field and leave it blank to have the check field be empty for all books to re-use for something else (although you can do this step later once you are can verify that the new field has the values that you expect).

Visit the Preferences -> Fields and click in the custom field name twice to edit the name and change the name of the new field to "Complete Series". Any of the custom fields will provide an autofill, that will make it easier to add "No", "Yes", "n/a" with a single letter press or mouse click if you want to use the pop up menu like a regular pop up.

P.S. Two smart collections based on the check box value can also be used instead of sorting the column in step one (I mention that as you might have these smart collections already set up).

[vanderdecker]

Thanks; I should have thought of that solution myself.