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OCLC Support

Edit non-Latin records

Discover how to edit non-Latin records in Connexion client.

Editing functions supported

  • Find and Replace (Edit menu). Enter non-Latin script in both the Find What box and the Replace With boxes of the Find/Replace window.
  • Cut, copy, and paste (Edit menu). Cut, copy, and paste non-Latin script data.
  • When you move one of a paired field, the other field moves automatically (Edit > Move Field > Up or Down).
  • Validate records and characters (Edit menu)
    • Validates all characters in record as well as validating MARC structure and tags.
      • If the client finds an invalid character, an error message lists the tag and position of the character to help you find it, along with other errors found in the record.
      • The error message may give up to three positions per field for invalid characters. 
      • After correcting characters, you may want to validate the record again.
    • Also validates all Unicode characters including the original set of scripts supported.
  • Validate characters only. Validate characters separately from record validation (available for MARC-8 characters only; unavailable for all other Unicode characters including those in scripts that also contain MARC-8 characters). Use Edit > MARC-8 Characters > Verify.
  • Reformat (Edit menu). Rearranges fields in MARC tag order, including:
    • Displaying paired fields together, with the non-Latin script field on top.
    • Automatically adding field 066, if not already added, with text that indicates the presence and type of script.
  • Text strings (Tools menu). Use non-Latin scripts to create or edit text strings. See Create custom text strings for details.

Controlling headings unsupported

  • Controlled headings in bibliographic records are linked directly to the controlling authority record so that if the authority record changes, the heading is automatically updated in the bibliographic record also.
  • For non-Latin script records, however, only a heading in the Latin script field can be controlled (and subsequently updated if the authority record changes). If the controlled heading is updated, you may need to update the corresponding non- Latin script field manually to match the update.

Verify MARC-8 characters

To check the validity of characters separately from the validate records function (Edit > Validate or <Shift><F5>):

  1. Click Edit > MARC-8 Characters > Verify or press <Alt><E><8><V>.
    • The client changes the color of invalid characters to red by default (ora color you specify in Tools > Options > Record Display).
    • If no invalid characters are present, you get a message that verification is completed. Click OK or press <Enter> to close.

     Note: MARC-8 verification is inappropriate for all scripts that are outside of the MARC- 8 character set.

    If you are trying to catalog CJK characters to stay within MARC-8 characters, you can use an automatic converter (Edit > MARC-8 Characters > Convert to MARC-8 CJK) to convert them to equivalent MARC-8 compliant characters.
  2. Click MARC-8 Characters > Clear or press <Alt><E><8><C> to remove invalid character display (display all text in the default text color or the color you selected in Tools > Options > Record Display).
    • Click Tools > Options > Record Display for color options. The default color for invalid characters is red.

Convert invalid CJK characters to equivalent MARC-8 characters

When you verify CJK characters as MARC-8-compliant (Edit > MARC-8 Characters > Verify), and the client identifies invalid character(s), you can automatically convert the character(s) in the record to MARC-8-equivalent CJK characters:

  • Click Edit > MARC-8 Characters > Convert to MARC-8 CJK or press <Alt><E><8><J>. The client converts the characters and changes the color of converted characters to green (by default) or to a color you specify in Tools > Options > Record Display.

If you already know that a record contains invalid CJK characters, you can use the Edit > MARC-8 Characters > Convert to MARC-8 command without first using the Edit > MARC-8 Characters > Verify command.

 Note: The Library of Congress also has a CJK Compatibility Database on the Cataloging Policy and Support Office (CPSO) homepage to help with MARC-8 compliant or missing characters.

Link/unlink paired non-Latin/Latin script fields

The client automatically links two non-Latin script/Latin script fields that have the same tag number when you validate, reformat, save, or take an action on the record. The client always treats a non-Latin script field as the first of a corresponding pair.

You can link or unlink two non-Latin/Latin script fields with the same tag number.

Link fields

You can link fields through either of the following methods:

  • Place the cursor in the first field of a set of paired fields (the non-Latin data field), and then click Edit > Linking Fields > Link Fields or press <Alt><E><K><L> to link all paired fields. 
  • Right-click and then click Link Fields on the pop-up shortcut menu to link the two fields where the cursor is located.

When you link fields:

  • The client uses a bracket to display linked fields, as in the following example showing part of a CJK record:
    CJK record example
  • Printouts of records retain the brackets to indicate linked fields.
  • If you modify the tag of one of the linked fields, the tag for the other field changes, too.
  • If the cursor is in a linked field when you add a new field, the new field is added above or below the set of linked fields. Linked fields cannot be separated.
  • Moving a linked field moves the set of linked fields.
  • If you delete one field in a linked field set, the client keeps the other field and removes the link indicator (bracket).

 Caution: If Latin script and non-Latin script parallel fields are not linked, display of the non-Latin script in records downloaded to your local system may be affected. You can set an option to get a warning before the client exports records with unlinked non-Latin script fields in Tools > Options > Export.

Unlink fields

You can unlink fields through either of the following methods:

  • Click Linking Fields > Unlink Fields or press <Alt><E><K><U> to unlink all linked fields.
  • Right-click and then click Unlink Fields on the pop-up shortcut menu to unlink the pair of fields where the cursor is located.

Align right-to-left script data

By default, the client displays (and prints) right-to-left script data (e.g., Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac) in records aligned to the right. Toggle alignment for these scripts using View > Align Right.

Use Unicode formatting characters for bidirectional data

Valid left-to-right character strings (multiple digit numbers and punctuation) appear mixed in with right-to-left script data in right-to-left scripts. To ensure that this bidirectional data displays correctly, use Unicode formatting control characters.

The formatting control characters distinguish how to display mixed left-to-right and right-to-left data in right-to-left scripts. To insert a control character:

  1. Right-click in a field.
  2. Click Insert Unicode Control Character on the pop-up menu.
  3. Click a character.

Use CJK E-Dictionary

Use the CJK E-Dictionary (electronic dictionary) on the Tools menu to search or browse for information about:

  • A single CJK character
  • A group of related characters
  • Homophones matching a phonetic input code
  • A large set of characters in sequence by East Asian Character Code (EACC) or by Unicode value

See Use CJK E-Dictionary for more information.

Report errors in non-Latin scripts

You can use non-Latin script text in the message box of the Report Error window to report errors in non-Latin script records (Action > Report Error).