[GUI Plugin] Kobo Utilities

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by compurandom

Does it have to be a custom column? Why not any column?
For instance, I'd like to try the (not custom) tags column.

This option only offers me one column currently, and it isn't one I particularly care about.

As to other types to allow, how about "column built from other columns" type...
I'm also thinking word count (float) might be an interesting subtitle.

It has to be a custom column because that's the way I wrote it. And a text column for the same reason. And doing that was to get it out were people could see it. The subtitle was mentioned recently as someone wanted to clear it. Adding text custom columns was a simple extension as I was able to reuse code.

And while doing this, I actually removed code that I put in some time ago to put the tags in the subtitles. This was because of a discussion in the Kobo forum and I don't remember if I put out a beta with it. But, at the time, there was virtually no interest.

Just about any column type could make sense. The standard columns are not as useful except maybe the tags. I'm a bit loath to put all the columns into a drop-down to select. But, probably the way to do this is a template. I might change to a field where you can enter whatever template you want and open the template editor to make it a bit easier. That would also be a way to handle the comment/synopsis template as well.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by compurandom

By the way, I can see I'm really going to enjoy using the information I can make available with the comments template. That's a nice feature and it fixes some issues I have with the kobo.

While playing with the other new features, I realized that while the kobo touch driver's configure dialog looks fine and has all the options shown with room to spare, the extended driver's dialog comes up really small and I have to scroll it to see most of the options.

You can resize either configuration dialog to suit. And it will remember the sizes.

But, I also have something else planned for this. I just have to cleanup some code.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by compurandom

Don't know if you can suggest this to kobo successfully, but...

It would be really nice if kobo could add these features:

From the main screen, add view details to the long press menu so I don't have to go to a library view to get it

Guess what the first thing I suggested to them when the tiled interface appeared on one of my devices?

Similarly, from within a book, add view details to the menu.

Again, it's been suggested a few times.

On the view details page, add the tags list for a book, and let me click on one to jump to that category view.

Something like that would be good, but they don't handle tags at all.

At least, with your changes, I can now view the list of categories a book is in.

Glad you like them.

[compurandom]

Originally Posted by davidfor

I'm a bit loath to put all the columns into a drop-down to select.

Agree!

But, probably the way to do this is a template. I might change to a field where you can enter whatever template you want and open the template editor to make it a bit easier. That would also be a way to handle the comment/synopsis template as well.

Template editor in both places sounds like a great idea.

[344a]

I got a question on the "Update metadata in device library" plugin.
After I add some books to the sd card A in my device, I need to disconnect the device (I believe to flush the device database), and then connect the device again. Then the plugin can work.
Is it possbile no need to disconnect the device first?




.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by 344a

I got a question on the "Update metadata in device library" plugin.
After I add some books to the sd card A in my device, I need to disconnect the device (I believe to flush the device database), and then connect the device again. Then the plugin can work.
Is it possbile no need to disconnect the device first?

Sorry, but my immediate reaction is: Don't you think I would have thought of that before?

Yes, I know it's rude of me, but that was reaction.

The problem is the Kobo software works from a database. The database contains the details of all the books the device knows about. Something has to get that info into the database. That happens when you unplug the device and it processes the books. The update metadata updates the database. It can't do that until the database has been populated. Hence send the books to device, disconnect and let the device process the books and on the reconnect, calibre will see them properly.

Of course, the answer to the above is to create the database entries when sending the book rather than letting the device do it. Yes, that is possible, but impractical. And it isn't safe. I don't know exactly what goes into the database. I have reverse engineered chunks, but there are bits I don't know. And it changes with most firmware. The advantage of doing this is not justified by the work or the risk.

But, why would do you need to run update metadata just after sending the books to the device? You should only need this if the metadata in the calibre library has changed from what is on the device. Calibre updates the metadata in the book when it is sent to the device. That means when the books are processed, the latest metadata is put into the database. The only bit this can't handle is the series info. And the driver can do that update when you connect.

[howyoudoin]

davidfor, would it be possible to replace the series info section of the metadata on the device with something else (like number of pages in book)?

Alternatively, in the details view on the device, would it be possible to show page numbers (or something useful) instead of useless information (IMO) like the name of the publisher?

[344a]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Sorry, but my immediate reaction is: Don't you think I would have thought of that before?

Yes, I know it's rude of me, but that was reaction.

The problem is the Kobo software works from a database. The database contains the details of all the books the device knows about. Something has to get that info into the database. That happens when you unplug the device and it processes the books. The update metadata updates the database. It can't do that until the database has been populated. Hence send the books to device, disconnect and let the device process the books and on the reconnect, calibre will see them properly.

Of course, the answer to the above is to create the database entries when sending the book rather than letting the device do it. Yes, that is possible, but impractical. And it isn't safe. I don't know exactly what goes into the database. I have reverse engineered chunks, but there are bits I don't know. And it changes with most firmware. The advantage of doing this is not justified by the work or the risk.

But, why would do you need to run update metadata just after sending the books to the device? You should only need this if the metadata in the calibre library has changed from what is on the device. Calibre updates the metadata in the book when it is sent to the device. That means when the books are processed, the latest metadata is put into the database. The only bit this can't handle is the series info. And the driver can do that update when you connect.

Ok. It is fine. I thought Calibre could update the device database somehow.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by 344a

Ok. It is fine. I thought Calibre could update the device database somehow.

Calibre IS updating the database on the device. That is how the series info and collections get there when the device is connect and how the Update metadata function and lots of other functions in this plugin work. But, it is updating the details of books that are already in the database. It is not creating the details of those books in the database in the first place.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

davidfor, would it be possible to replace the series info section of the metadata on the device with something else (like number of pages in book)?

Alternatively, in the details view on the device, would it be possible to show page numbers (or something useful) instead of useless information (IMO) like the name of the publisher?

My reaction to this was: YUCK!

But, if that's what you want to do.

Yes, something like that would work. And it should already work for the publisher. If you use a metadata plugboard to send the book to the device, you can set the values of various fields, including the publisher. The plugboard will be used to update the book when it is sent to the device and hence it should be processed into the database and displayed in the details pane for the book. And, if you use the plugboard option of the Metadata updated, it should also update the publisher in the database according to the plugboard. Or at least I think it will. I can't test this at the moment, but from memory the code is written so it will work. Then you might be able to patch the firmware to show "Pages" instead of whatever is there now. But, if the published date is set, this has to be a date and will always be shown after whatever is in the publisher field in the database.

The series is a little harder. It is not an option in the plugboard, so it would have to be coded separately. As I said, yuck, because the series info is displayed in the library lists. And I do set the series. But I can sort of see creating it as a series "Pages" with the series index as the page count. Or series "Words" and the word count. In any case, setting this to something other than the series info, would require some extra code including a way to specify it.

Both of these could be handled via a template. And as I'm planning to change the way the subtitle and comments are handled, I could reuse that for the the series (but with two templates!) and publisher. But, I'd also feel like renaming the function to "Update metadata with whatever rubbish you want"

[Terisa de morgan]

For publisher I can confirm it works. I have a plugboard for sending the tags to the publisher field, and they shows in the details (it's a workaround while you include the details plugboard in the driver )

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by davidfor

My reaction to this was: YUCK!

But, if that's what you want to do.

Yes, something like that would work. And it should already work for the publisher. If you use a metadata plugboard to send the book to the device, you can set the values of various fields, including the publisher. The plugboard will be used to update the book when it is sent to the device and hence it should be processed into the database and displayed in the details pane for the book. And, if you use the plugboard option of the Metadata updated, it should also update the publisher in the database according to the plugboard. Or at least I think it will. I can't test this at the moment, but from memory the code is written so it will work. Then you might be able to patch the firmware to show "Pages" instead of whatever is there now. But, if the published date is set, this has to be a date and will always be shown after whatever is in the publisher field in the database.

The series is a little harder. It is not an option in the plugboard, so it would have to be coded separately. As I said, yuck, because the series info is displayed in the library lists. And I do set the series. But I can sort of see creating it as a series "Pages" with the series index as the page count. Or series "Words" and the word count. In any case, setting this to something other than the series info, would require some extra code including a way to specify it.

Both of these could be handled via a template. And as I'm planning to change the way the subtitle and comments are handled, I could reuse that for the the series (but with two templates!) and publisher. But, I'd also feel like renaming the function to "Update metadata with whatever rubbish you want"

lol, thank you

It's not that I don't want series info; just that knowing how long a book is without having to open it is more important to me. Imagine having a physical library, but you no longer have the ability of glancing at the shelves and knowing how long a book is when choosing one. That's how restricted I feel

I miss the little dots under the title in list view that my kindle keyboard had. Made life so easy. The only way I see to bring that information onto the kobo is to replace what exists there - the series info.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

lol, thank you

It's not that I don't want series info; just that knowing how long a book is without having to open it is more important to me. Imagine having a physical library, but you no longer have the ability of glancing at the shelves and knowing how long a book is when choosing one. That's how restricted I feel

I miss the little dots under the title in list view that my kindle keyboard had. Made life so easy. The only way I see to bring that information onto the kobo is to replace what exists there - the series info.

howyudoin, for knowing this I have a plugboard which adds the number of pages at the end of the title, so as I read kepub, the number of pages are in the title.

[anacreon]

I add the number of pages to the book summary with a pre-registered search and replace which I found in a French forum, PLUS I created two collections: one "ss" for short stories or collections of short stories (up to 50 pages) and "ms" for novellas (up to 150 pages).
I started more ambitious, with more categories, but found it too complex. It might work for you.

If you're interested in the pre-registered search, I could do a screen shot of it, but it is in French.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by anacreon

I add the number of pages to the book summary with a pre-registered search and replace which I found in a French forum, PLUS I created two collections: one "ss" for short stories or collections of short stories (up to 50 pages) and "ms" for novellas (up to 150 pages).
I started more ambitious, with more categories, but found it too complex. It might work for you.

If you're interested in the pre-registered search, I could do a screen shot of it, but it is in French.

I have a composite column that, if the number of pages is smaller than a limit, it adds a prefix to the tag (my collection) so I have "Romance / Suspense" for novels and "R: Romance / Suspense" for novellas (Relatos).