Need some muscle here....

[Rellwood]

I want to see a change in the edit metadata fields. I would like to have the ability to select which fields (or columns) are being displayed to be edited.

I have the unfortunate burden of being the proud owner of a library that has grown to almost 80 columns. I keep paring them down, but with multiple libraries and changes over the years, I keep ending up with a ton of columns.

You can only imaging how long it takes to edit a single book when every column (needed or not) is being offered to be edited and in many cases two choices, one to change and one to remove.

Instead of boring you with the whys, I will just ask if someone would be willing to --with developer guidance--- change the GUI to allow the user to select which fields are shown in the edit metadata fields.

I envision a drop down in the configure menu that allows the user to tick off which columns are selected for editing.

I submitted a bug report and was replied with the suggestion to ask if someone would want to do this, with Kovid's guidance if needed.

I am embarrassed to say I actually proposed paying for it to be done, but I quickly learned that the developers do this out of the joy they get rather than the money, and would lose that joy if they started taking requests...

I however am still willing to pay if someone needs that incentive.

I REALLY want to see this feature. Perhaps this could be a plug-in? I have no idea how these things work. However, if you are interested let me know.

[DaltonST]

Trivial. My Job Spy Plug-in GUI Tool "Protect/Unprotect Custom Columns" will accomplish what you are asking.


DaltonST

[DaltonST]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

Trivial. My Job Spy Plug-in GUI Tool "Protect/Unprotect Custom Columns" will accomplish what you are asking.

Currently, you can only select one (1) custom column prior to each click of the "save" button. I see now that I should change it to allow multiple selections. It never occurred to me that 80 custom columns might be involved. It still works as-is, of course, just not as quickly as it could for your scenario. Stay tuned.

DaltonST

[Rellwood]

You're kidding me?

I always thought job spy was basically a redundant thing that just let me know the progress a job was taking..

I need to look into this.

Let me see how this plug in works...

In the most fantastical, unicorns-pooping-burgers-and-cash world, I would have the GUI edit metadata field set up two ways....

First, I would have the ability to create tabs that contained fields that I choose...

I want to edit my books for incoming processing? A tab that shows the date added, Amazon Date Added, KU date added, source, type, and read status... this helps me to bypass all the other fields that I don't need. I would have a goodreads tab that has the GR date added, GR Date Read, Bookshelves, average rating, exclusive shelf, review....that kind of stuff

Then there is the cleaning up the book tab that has the genre, style, and other book specific info.

In addition to having tabs, it would be great to simply not have some columns ever show up...the custom columns that are simply long remarks that hold the icons I created rules for. Page number, ADE page number, Word, Word/pg...you get my point here?

So if this can happen, then that plug in would be really, really useful.

Kovid suggested that he would help as he could, just re open the bug report and he would look into it? I am not sure, but I think you can get his attention by opening the bug report I made to alert him. Unless he is cruising around here and is reading this....

As far as why I have so many columns, its simple. I keep deleting them and then when I do a copy from an old or other library, I add them back is as requested. I end up with five columns that have slightly different ways of saying the same thing. I have so many redundant columns, and columns with a single piece of information that is randomly used but missed if not there. I sometimes use columns as catch-alls to hold information on a temporary basis. Over the course of my e-book life I have created no less than 100 calibre libraries. Many times they are created simply to see what is in a file that has books in it. This is why I keep getting those old columns.


I almost wish I could allow the books being imported into the library be deleted from the files they were taken from so I don't keep going back to the same old libraries importing books that I didn't know I already imported. This is also how I ended up with tens of thousands of books. columns and books multiply like rabbits....

Anyway,

if you can fix that plugin or create one similar to what I am asking, I would be more than happy to donate to your cause.

[DaltonST]

You may be interested in this post:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...2&postcount=25

Please donate to Calibre if it is of use to you.


DaltonST