diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
index ef14c95b1d..e1ee4327f3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
@@ -321,7 +321,8 @@ class MetadataBulkDialog(QDialog, Ui_MetadataBulkDialog):
             if (f in ['author_sort'] or
                     (fm[f]['datatype'] in ['text', 'series', 'enumeration']
                      and fm[f].get('search_terms', None)
-                     and f not in ['formats', 'ondevice', 'sort'])):
+                     and f not in ['formats', 'ondevice', 'sort']) or
+                    fm[f]['datatype'] in ['int', 'float', 'bool'] ):
                 self.all_fields.append(f)
                 self.writable_fields.append(f)
             if f in ['sort'] or fm[f]['datatype'] == 'composite':
@@ -431,6 +432,8 @@ class MetadataBulkDialog(QDialog, Ui_MetadataBulkDialog):
                 val = mi.get('title_sort', None)
             else:
                 val = mi.get(field, None)
+            if isinstance(val, (int, float, bool)):
+                val = str(val)
             if val is None:
                 val = [] if fm['is_multiple'] else ['']
             elif not fm['is_multiple']:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/search.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/search.py
index 8e8fd09652..62a0f8a9f1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/search.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/search.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ __copyright__ = '2008, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
 import re, copy
 
-from PyQt4.QtGui import QDialog, QDialogButtonBox
+from PyQt4.Qt import QDialog, QDialogButtonBox, QCompleter, Qt
 
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.search_ui import Ui_Dialog
 from calibre.library.caches import CONTAINS_MATCH, EQUALS_MATCH
@@ -22,6 +22,28 @@ class SearchDialog(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
                              key=lambda x: sort_key(x if x[0] != '#' else x[1:]))
         self.general_combo.addItems(searchables)
 
+        all_authors = db.all_authors()
+        all_authors.sort(key=lambda x : sort_key(x[1]))
+        for i in all_authors:
+            id, name = i
+            name = name.strip().replace('|', ',')
+            self.authors_box.addItem(name)
+        self.authors_box.setEditText('')
+        self.authors_box.completer().setCompletionMode(QCompleter.PopupCompletion)
+        self.authors_box.setAutoCompletionCaseSensitivity(Qt.CaseInsensitive)
+
+        all_series = db.all_series()
+        all_series.sort(key=lambda x : sort_key(x[1]))
+        for i in all_series:
+            id, name = i
+            self.series_box.addItem(name)
+        self.series_box.setEditText('')
+        self.series_box.completer().setCompletionMode(QCompleter.PopupCompletion)
+        self.series_box.setAutoCompletionCaseSensitivity(Qt.CaseInsensitive)
+
+        all_tags = db.all_tags()
+        self.tags_box.update_tags_cache(all_tags)
+
         self.box_last_values = copy.deepcopy(box_values)
         if self.box_last_values:
             for k,v in self.box_last_values.items():
@@ -121,26 +143,34 @@ class SearchDialog(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
             return tok
 
     def box_search_string(self):
+        mk = self.matchkind.currentIndex()
+        if mk == CONTAINS_MATCH:
+            self.mc = ''
+        elif mk == EQUALS_MATCH:
+            self.mc = '='
+        else:
+            self.mc = '~'
+
         ans = []
         self.box_last_values = {}
         title = unicode(self.title_box.text()).strip()
         self.box_last_values['title_box'] = title
         if title:
-            ans.append('title:"' + title + '"')
+            ans.append('title:"' + self.mc + title + '"')
         author = unicode(self.authors_box.text()).strip()
         self.box_last_values['authors_box'] = author
         if author:
-            ans.append('author:"' + author + '"')
+            ans.append('author:"' + self.mc + author + '"')
         series = unicode(self.series_box.text()).strip()
         self.box_last_values['series_box'] = series
         if series:
-            ans.append('series:"' + series + '"')
-        self.mc = '='
+            ans.append('series:"' + self.mc + series + '"')
+
         tags = unicode(self.tags_box.text())
         self.box_last_values['tags_box'] = tags
-        tags = self.tokens(tags)
+        tags = [t.strip() for t in tags.split(',') if t.strip()]
         if tags:
-            tags = ['tags:' + t for t in tags]
+            tags = ['tags:"=' + t + '"' for t in tags]
             ans.append('(' + ' or '.join(tags) + ')')
         general = unicode(self.general_box.text())
         self.box_last_values['general_box'] = general
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/search.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/search.ui
index 7bb4c15363..6848a45506 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/search.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/search.ui
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
    <item row="0" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="label_5">
      <property name="text">
-      <string>What kind of match to use:</string>
+      <string>&amp;What kind of match to use:</string>
      </property>
      <property name="buddy">
       <cstring>matchkind</cstring>
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@
         </widget>
        </item>
        <item row="1" column="1">
-        <widget class="QLineEdit" name="title_box">
+        <widget class="EnLineEdit" name="title_box">
          <property name="toolTip">
           <string>Enter the title.</string>
          </property>
@@ -265,21 +265,21 @@
         </widget>
        </item>
        <item row="2" column="1">
-        <widget class="QLineEdit" name="authors_box">
+        <widget class="EnComboBox" name="authors_box">
          <property name="toolTip">
           <string>Enter an author's name. Only one author can be used.</string>
          </property>
         </widget>
        </item>
        <item row="3" column="1">
-        <widget class="QLineEdit" name="series_box">
+        <widget class="EnComboBox" name="series_box">
          <property name="toolTip">
           <string>Enter a series name, without an index. Only one series name can be used.</string>
          </property>
         </widget>
        </item>
        <item row="4" column="1">
-        <widget class="QLineEdit" name="tags_box">
+        <widget class="TagsLineEdit" name="tags_box">
          <property name="toolTip">
           <string>Enter tags separated by spaces</string>
          </property>
@@ -348,6 +348,23 @@
    </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
+ <customwidgets>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>EnLineEdit</class>
+   <extends>QLineEdit</extends>
+   <header>widgets.h</header>
+  </customwidget>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>EnComboBox</class>
+   <extends>QComboBox</extends>
+   <header>widgets.h</header>
+  </customwidget>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>TagsLineEdit</class>
+   <extends>QLineEdit</extends>
+   <header>widgets.h</header>
+  </customwidget>
+ </customwidgets>
  <tabstops>
   <tabstop>all</tabstop>
   <tabstop>phrase</tabstop>
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py b/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
index 07ea407460..ba218c3ecc 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
@@ -133,7 +133,15 @@ class CustomColumns(object):
 
         def adapt_bool(x, d):
             if isinstance(x, (str, unicode, bytes)):
-                x = bool(int(x))
+                x = x.lower()
+                if x == 'true':
+                    x = True
+                elif x == 'false':
+                    x = False
+                elif x == 'none':
+                    x = None
+                else:
+                    x = bool(int(x))
             return x
 
         def adapt_enum(x, d):
@@ -142,9 +150,17 @@ class CustomColumns(object):
                 v = None
             return v
 
+        def adapt_number(x, d):
+            if isinstance(x, (str, unicode, bytes)):
+                if x.lower() == 'none':
+                    return None
+            if d['datatype'] == 'int':
+                return int(x)
+            return float(x)
+
         self.custom_data_adapters = {
-                'float': lambda x,d : x if x is None else float(x),
-                'int':   lambda x,d : x if x is None else int(x),
+                'float': adapt_number,
+                'int':   adapt_number,
                 'rating':lambda x,d : x if x is None else min(10., max(0., float(x))),
                 'bool':  adapt_bool,
                 'comments': lambda x,d: adapt_text(x, {'is_multiple':False}),