# Manage field names and content

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/manage-field-names-and-content/4151>\
**Category:** Features\
**Created:** [January 15, 2024, 9:56am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/manage-field-names-and-content/4151 "2024-01-15T09:56:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ThibaultSauzedde](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/thibaultsauzedde/32/1564_2.png) [@ThibaultSauzedde](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ThibaultSauzedde)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2024, 9:56am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/manage-field-names-and-content/4151/1 "2024-01-15T09:56:13Z")

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Hi,

I would like to use **Edit → Manage field names and content** to append the content of a field to an other one which is not empty. For now, I can only overwite the content of a field by a new one.

Is it possible to add this feature?

The final need is to set the content a field from others custom fields like:

institution = Inst. {service}/{laboratory}

Thanks,

* * *

Please vote if you support this proposal:

_Poll ([view on site](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/manage-field-names-and-content/4151/1))_

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**Author:** ![HoussemNasri](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/houssemnasri/32/1399_2.png) [@HoussemNasri](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/HoussemNasri)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/manage-field-names-and-content/4151/2 "2024-01-17T14:27:44Z")

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Just for context the **Manage field names and content** was renamed to **Automatic field editor** in newer versions, but it remains accessible within the **Edit** menu.

As for the feature request, I can think of multiple use cases where this would be useful. The implementation effort will vary extremely based on what approach we decide to go with.

I’m wondering if we can somehow integrate/reuse the [layout template syntax](https://github.com/JabRef/layouts.jabref.org/blob/master/Gene/Gene.layout) for the implementation of the feature. Cc @koppor.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThibaultSauzedde](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/thibaultsauzedde/32/1564_2.png) [@ThibaultSauzedde](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ThibaultSauzedde)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 1:56pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/manage-field-names-and-content/4151/3 "2024-01-19T13:56:01Z")

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The [layout template syntax](https://github.com/JabRef/layouts.jabref.org/blob/master/Gene/Gene.layout) would be great!

The possibility of having a field that is updated automatically according to a layout template after each modification of the library could also be very interesting for my case.