Convert to Comma-Separated List Tool

Occasionally, there may be a need to take a list of record identifiers (such as control numbers, barcodes or ISBNs) from an Excel spreadsheet and import them back into Polaris for bulk editing.  This can be accomplished by converting the list of records to a comma-separated list and building a power search in the Find Tool.

To convert an Excel list to a comma-separated list, use the Pinnacle List Converter.

1. Copy the list of record identifiers from Excel, and paste them into the Enter List of Items box.
2. Optional: If building a power search of control numbers or ISBNs, select the cn={...} or ISBN={...} option.  This will automatically format the output as a Polaris Power Search.
3. Optional: If any of the entries in the list contain non-numeric data (letters, spaces, symbols), it may be necessary to select Wrap text in Quotes.
4. Click the Convert button.  The list of items will be displayed in the box on the lower half of the screen.
5. Use this comma separated list in a Power Search or SQL search in the Polaris Find Tool.
   • Generally, power searches follow this format:
     • Control Numbers: CN={1111, 2222, 3333, 4444}
     • Barcodes: BC={30401000123, 31967000123, 31560000123}
     • ISBNs: ISBN={97800111, 978000222, 978000333}

The Polaris Find Tool has a maximum of about 4,000 characters per search.  Accounting for commas, spaces, and other formatting, this works out to approximately 400 control numbers at a time.  If trying to search a list that has more than 400 records, it will be necessary to split the list into multiple searches.