Editing Actions: Insert, Copy, Paste, etc.
- Minjie Chen
This page covers menu options and keyboard shortcuts for editing fields in the MDE, in particular instructions on how to select one or more fields for copying, cutting, pasting, and deletion.
Insert a field
F8
Insert a subfield delimiter
F9
Copy and paste plain text
Use the standard cut (Ctrl+X), copy (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) options for cutting, copying, and pasting plain text.
Copy, paste, and delete fields
Under the MDE menu option Editing Actions
(The shortcuts for cutting/copying/pasting fields were released in August 2022.)
Copy or cut a field
1. Place the cursor anywhere in the field to select it (it doesn’t matter if the cursor is positioned in the field tag or indicators or subfields).
You don’t need to highlight the text of that field to select it. Actually you can’t highlight an entire field. A highlight breaks at the borders of field tag, indicator, and subfield boxes.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+C or Ctrl+Shift+X to copy/cut the entire field.
Paste a field
1. Place the cursor below where you’d like to insert the field
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+V to paste.
You don’t need to create a blank field first in order to paste a field.
All fields will be ordered numerically by the field tag upon the Save action, so don't worry too much if the pasted field isn't inserted exactly where you would like it to be.
Copy or cut multiple fields
1. Press and hold Ctrl while clicking on the fields of interest one by one.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+C or Ctrl+Shift+X to copy/cut the selected fields.
Mac users: You will have to select fields one at a time, as Ctrl+click is the right-click command on a Mac. A workaround is to access Alma via Remote Desktop, therefore running it in a Windows environment.
Paste multiple fields
Place your cursor anywhere in the record and press Ctrl+Shift+V. The fields will be pasted in order of the field tag automatically.
Delete one or more fields
After you have selected one or more fields, press Ctrl+F6 to delete.
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