Fred Slota

Here's the scenario. I currently am using Custom Field 4 to hold some of my information I'm recording about Connected Covers. I'm cleaning up some of my temporary notes. I currently have a few issues with "test" in CF4. So, I use regular (not advanced) search for Custom Field 4 contains "test", and get 11 returns - 5 issues have the single word "test", and 6 have my current entries about one of the connected covers, "6-ptych covers across Contest of Champions 1/D, 2/A, 3/B, 4/C, 5/B, 6/B". I click the header for Custom Field 4 to sort, bringing my 5 "test" entries to the bottom of the grid. I scroll to the first one in row 7, click the CF4 cell, scroll to the bottom of the grid and shift click on the CF4 cell. I have now highlighted the CF4 cells of the last 5 rows. And I press the DELTE key. The intention being to delete the word "test" from those 5 issues. But, what I get instead is 3 "test"s deleted, and 2 "6-ptych covers across Contest of Champions 1/D, 2/A, 3/B, 4/C, 5/B, 6/B" deleted. When the grid was first sorted by CF4, the issue numbers were in this order: 1/D, 2/A, 3/B, 4/C, 5/B, 6/B (the Contest of Champions) and 13/C, 13/D, 14/C, 14/D, 14/F (the 5 "test"s). After the deletes, still sorted by CF4, the issue numbers were in this order: 4/C, 6/B, 13/D, 14/D, 14/F (the 5 with CF4 deleted), then 1/D, 2/A, 3/B, 5/B, 13/C, 14/C. I believe this is the process that happened. First it deleted in row 10, 14/D, and resorted. Then it deleted in new row 9, 13/D, and resorted. Then it deleted in new new row 8, 6/B, and resorted. Then it deleted in new new new row 7, 4/C, and resorted. Then is deleted in new new new new row 11, 14/F, and resorted.

Titles, Notes, Item Title, Artist, Cover Artist, Cover Inks, Editor, Inker, Letterer, Writer al currently clean. Cleaned and submitted 33 from Storylines, 16 from Appearances, 133 from Item Description, and 17 from Colorist.

But first, let's start with the invisible member, the space. No initial spaces. In any field. LIKE " %" No final spaces. In any field. LIKE "% " No double spaces. (Even after sentences.) In any field. LIKE "% %" Spacing around punctuation best handled on a mark-by-mark basis. Any other rules?

Starting a ComicBase style guide. It is my intention/hope that this will lead to regularization of usage in the program and in the data, which will lead to consistent usage and reliable functionality. I intend to collect information about basic English use, basic ComicBase use, usual spacing, differences in different fields, differences in ways the program handles them, and search syntaxes. I hope to be able to clean the current database of inconsistencies and that this can be carried forward. Feel free to join in on the… fun? Punctuation (by primary use English (not CB) use; hey, I had to organize this somehow) Separators Comma , Semicolon ; Colon : Terminators Period . Ellipses … Question ? Exclamation ! Horizontal lines Em Dash — En Dash – Hyphen - Minus - Other Vertical Lines Slash / Backslash \ Pipe | Quotes Apostrophe ‘ Quotation “ ” Foot ' Inch " Groupings Parenthesis ( ) Brackets [ ] Braces { } Pointed Brackets < > Less than/Greater than < > Currency Dollar $ Other Other Tilde ~ At @ Number # Percent % Carat ^ Ampersand & Asterisk * Plus + Bullet • Other

No, you're right, I meant Regular find.

Ummmmmm... my head hurts. There are 10 covers with a background map image, each map segment shows one of the 10 realms War of the Realms 1/A, 2/B, 3/C, 4/C, 5/B, 6/B War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery 1/A War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas 1/B War of the Realms: Punisher 1/C War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men 1/A The map appears to be similar to the image I found at https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Glossary:Ten_Realms The covers appear to fit together as this 10-ptych, left-to-right, top-to-bottom?

5/B is a wrong cover scan, duplicate of 5/C 5/B should finish a 5-ptych from 1/A-4/A

Advanced Find, Item Description, 'contains', "Unknown" - 1,298 found. Okay so far... Advanced Find, Item Description, 'is', "Unknown" - 1,298 found. Hmmm? I would have thought that 'is' would have searched for = "Unknown" and 'contains' would have searched for LIKE "%Unknown%", but apparently not?

Tyler Kirkham diptych. Regular, 32/J & 33/J Virgin 32/??? & 33/K Any info on a virgin variant for #32?

Diptych 28-29 by Valerio Giangiordano B&W virgin, 28/T (scan) & 29/I (scan) virgin, 28/R (no scan) & 29/Q (scan) standard, 28/Q (no scan) and 29/???? Any info on the standard variant for #29?

Diptych with The Amazing Spider-Man #800, variation P with title, variation V46 virgin. Venom (4th Series) has 5 variants 1/V32 is the virgin variation. good, good... 1/S is the base, /V and /Y are 2 different signed versions with COA /V30 also exists, no scan, but claims both Francesco Mattina and Will Sliney as Cover Artists. I don't know if /V30 should exist. I'm unclear on signed issues, among which, I'm unclear who's signed each (different sigs in the cover scans)

Same Cover Artist, Same Cover Scan, two different Item Descriptions. Diptych with Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #4/S - same Cover Artist, third Item Description. Which is the correct Vampirella? Which is the correct Store?

Okay, I obviously overthought how clear the intention was. My suggestion would not decrease the number of variants, any more than the existence of the Cover Artist field does. Let me grab two Item Descriptions... Venomized #1/O, ID = Unknown Comics Variant Cover by Tyler Kirkham Web of Venom: Wrath #1/C, ID = Unknown Comic Books C2E2 RVariant Cover by Stephanie Hans They would both continue to be Variant O and Variant C. They would both have Cover Artists of Tyler Kirkham and Stephanie Hans. They would now also have Store Variants of Unknown Comics and Unknown Comic Books. The direct benefit is, like with Cover Artist, you would be better able to detect alternate spellings. And thus better able to reliably search by store variant.

There is a triptych across Thor (5th Series), Immortal Hulk and Tony Stark: Iron Man by Kaare Andrews There is a little confusion in Tony Stark. 1/F is, I think, meant to be the proper fully dressed version, to go with the 1/C of Thor and 1/F of Hulk. The Item Description has the "Party" id, but the Cover Artist is uncredited. 1/V29 is, I think, a dupe, but with the Cover Artist. 1/V27 is also, I think, meant to be the proper virgin variant, to go with the 1/I of both Thor and Hulk. Again, the Item Description has the "Party" id, but the Cover Artist is uncredited. but it has an unexpected cover scan, a more monochrome version of #1. 1/V30 is also, I think, a dupe, but with the Cover Artist.

Same cover scan. It is part of a 6-ptych across 45/A, 46/B, 48/B, 47/B, 49/C and then this one. 45/A credits Matt Martin for the cover. 46-49 have no cover credits. 50/B credits Marat Mychaels, while 50/D credits Matt Martin. Ideas?

First pass, starting in on 'T' about 1275 issues identified, for about 390 connected covers, including about 280 issues that had no indication of their being part of connected covers.

Batman #50/G has 24 printings (skipping 3rd?) ??? Superman #50/F has 23 printings ??? Me thinks most of these should be variants, not reprints of a single variant.

This suggestion would not change the variation letter system. I see it like Cover Artist, a field that could be indexed and provide support for consistency of data entry.

Star Wars #31/C Item Description notes "Mile High Exclusive Mike Mayhew Connecting Variant Cover (Connects w/ Mile High Variants of Screaming Citadel 1, Star Wars 32 & Doctor Aphra 7 & 8)" Star Wars #32/C is the Mile High variant, Cover Artist is apparently a copy error "John Tyler Christopher", when cover bears artist signature "Mayhew". But, I don't see an Mike Mayhew or Mile High variants for Screaming Citadel #1 or Doctor Aphra #7 or 8. Any ideas?

Clarification - I have no proof on any of these. However, my assumption, based on the usual practice, is the 5-ptych was intended to be released in all three forms, as three different first-print variants. It might be that they never existed.

Star Wars (2nd Series) #1/V, Darth Vader #1/O, Princess Leia #1/N Star Wars #1/W is a B&W sketch cover. Are there Darth Vader and Princess Leia B&W covers?

Similar 38/A, although this looks to dupe the main issue, 38, and not the special cover, 38/SC. Possibly/probably more.

Hmmm, identical covers, Identical stunt title. 36 has a UPC typical to the rest of the title, 75960601165003611, says "Direct Edition" over the UPC, cover price $1.95 3/SC has a UPC typical to the rest of the title and following #36, starting 75960601165003621, says "Direct Edition" over the UPC, cover price $1.95 36/A has a UPC atypical to the rest in the title, 07148601165110, does not say "Direct Edition" over the UPC, and with a cover price of $1.50. 36/A seems a bit sus, but the UPC would indicate it should have a place... somewhere...

After I typed the previous, I considered that's what you meant. Thank you.

Any idea which are left vs. right? I think this is the first connector I found with no scans. Bummer.