Data manipulation and analysis are far easier than you might imagine-in fact, using tools that come standard with your desktop computer, you can learn how to extract, manipulate, and analyze data (and metadata) of any size and complexity. In this handbook, a data wizard will familiarize you with easily digestible but powerful concepts that will enable you to feel confident working with data. With his expert guidance, you'll learn how to use a single-word command to sort files of any size by any criteria, identify duplicates, and perform numerous other common library tasks; understand data formats, delimited text and CSV files, XML, JSON, scripting, and other key components of data; undertake more sophisticated tasks such as comparing files, converting data from one format to another, reformatting values, combining data from multiple files, and communicating with APIs (Application Programming Interfaces); save time and stress through simple techniques for transforming text, recognizing symbols that perform important tasks, a Regular Expression cheat sheet, a glossary, and other tools. Library technologists and those involved in maintaining and analyzing data and metadata will find this resource essential.