Penn State University Libraries - PSU Thesis PDF Title to WorkFlows Conversion

The PSU Thesis PDF Title to WorkFlows Conversion script (a.k.a. ThesisTitle) is used for converting text copied from a PDF file into a compatible text string that can be pasted into a WorkFlows bibliographic record. It is primarily used for copying the title found on a thesis PDF file found at the Penn State Electronic Theses and Dissertations (eTD) web site.

The script does the following:

• It obtains the data from the clipboard (the user first needs to copy it).
• It converts all known non-WorkFlows-compliant characters into appropriate substitutes.
• It converts all uppercase letters into lowercase, except for the first letter.
• It strips all carriage returns and converts all new line characters into spaces.
• It inserts a subfield b delimiter after the first occurrence of a colon followed by a space.
• It re-capitalizes a number of common words (the user will need to check over the whole string because it won't find every possible case).
• It places the finished string of data back into the clipboard making it readily available for pasting into a WorkFlows bibliographic record.
• The data it creates is compatible with both Unicorn Java WorkFlows and Symphony WorkFlows
  

Note: Macros available for download on this page are primarily for the use of the Cataloging and Metadata Services department of the University Libraries at the Pennsylvania State University. They are publicly available for users elsewhere, however please read the Copyright and Disclaimer Notice at the bottom of this page.

PSU Catalogers:

1. Copy the ThesisTitle.exe file from the W drive AutoIt Scripts folder and save it in your My Documents folder.
2. Open Windows Explorer, find the file you just downloaded, and drag it to the Quick Launch section of your Windows toolbar.
   

Other users:

Other users will need to compile the source code (see the Downloads section below) into an .exe file. After doing this, follow step 2 above.

The Quick Launch section can be seen below with the newly installed Thesis PDF text conversion script in the lower right corner. Your Quick Launch section may appear differently (one row instead of two, different selection of icons, and different order). You can drag the "T" icon to a more visible part of the Quick Launch section with your mouse.

1. Highlight the title from a PSU thesis, similar to the figure below.

2. Press Ctrl+C to copy the title into the clipboard.
3. Click on the ThesisTitle shortcut (dark red "T" icon) in the Quick Launch section of your Windows toolbar.
4. Move to your WorkFlows client. Position your cursor where you want the data to go. Paste it in by pressing Ctrl+V. The data from the figure above should appear as shown below.

5. Look over the data you just pasted into WorkFlows and make any additional corrections. This script will capitalize many common words, but won't be able to catch every possible word that needs to be capitalized or any with unusual capitalization practices (like "eBay").

The AutoIt scripts on this site have been written by Ken Robinson and are owned and copyrighted by The Pennsylvania State University. They may be freely used and modified for non-commercial usages as long as the author statement in the source code of each script is retained. These scripts may not be reproduced for profit or distributed in part or as a whole with any product for which a charge is made.

The Pennsylvania State University and the University Libraries disclaim any warranties of any kind, express or implied, that these scripts are error-free or fit for a particular purpose. By downloading any of these scripts, users accept all risks for the implementation and use of these scripts.