Appendix C — MARCspec tutorial

QA Catalogue uses Carsten Klee’s specification, MARCspec - A common MARC record path language (version 0.16beta+2) for addressing a particular data element in a MARC21 or UNIMARC record. It can be used in filtering, extraction and Shacl4Bib expression. The following provides some examples.

Typographical conventions:

# represents a space (e.g. in the indicator positions)
<number> represents a number
. represents a character mask (fits to any charater)
<A|B> represents list of options (A or B)
+ represents repetition (the previous character or character group is repeatable)
(...)+ represents a repeatable character group

C.1 Get the Leader

MARCspec expression: ldr or LDR

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`LDR 02157cas a2200517Ka 4500`	`LDR`	`02157cas a2200517Ka 4500`
	ldr	`02157cas a2200517Ka 4500`

C.1.1 Get a position in the leader

MARCspec expression: ldr/<number+|#> or LDR/<number+|#>

A number means the Nth position of the Leader string (starts from 0). The special character # means the last position.

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`LDR 02157cas a2200517Ka 4500`	`LDR/6`	`a`
	LDR/#	`0`

C.1.2 Get a position range in the Leader

MARCspec expression: ldr/<number+>-<number+|#> or LDR/<number+>-<number+|#>

A number means the Nth position of the Leader string (starts from 0). The special character # means the last position.

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`LDR 02157cas a2200517Ka 4500`	`LDR/0-4`	`02157`

C.2 Get a Control Field

MARCspec expression: 00<number>

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`001 010000178`	`001`	`010000178`
`003 SIRSI`	`003`	`SIRSI`

C.2.1 Get a Control Field position

MARCspec expression: 00<number>/<number+|#>

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`001 010000178`	`001/0`	`0`
	`001/#`	`8`

C.2.2 Get a position range in a Control Field

MARCspec expression: 00<number>/<number+>-<number+|#>

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`001 010000178`	`001/1-#`	`10000178`

C.3 Get a Data Field

MARCspec expression: <number><number><number>

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`080 ## $a821.124`	`080`	`080 ## $a821.124`

C.3.1 Get a Data Field - with masking

MARCspec expression: <number|.><number|.><number|.>

Where . (dot character) represents any number

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`020 ## $a010000178` `080 ## $a821.124<br>084 ## $a014`	`0.0`	`020 ## $a010000178` `080 ## $a821.124`

C.3.2 Get an Indicator

MARCspec expression: <number|.><number|.><number|.>^<1|2>

Where 1 and 2 represent the first and second indicator.

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`080 ## $a821.124` `084 ## $a014`	`080^1`	`#`

C.3.3 Get an Subfield

MARCspec expression: <number|.><number|.><number|.>$<character>

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`245 15 $aThe “winter mind” :` `$bWilliam Bronk and American letters /` `$cBurt Kimmelman`	`245$a`	`The “winter mind” :`

C.3.4 Get multiple Subfields

MARCspec expression: <number|.><number|.><number|.>($<character>)+

MARC21 record	MARCspec	returns
`245 15 $aThe “winter mind” :` `$bWilliam Bronk and American letters /` `$cBurt Kimmelman`	`245$a$b`	[ `'The “winter mind” :'`, `'William Bronk and American letters'` ]