Library Management: various questions not worth their own thread

[ownedbycats]

Thanks! I didn't realize it was possible to embed if-thens into the switch_ifs.

[Comfy.n]

Hi!

I have this custom column '#last_viewed' (Date type), which gets updated by JS+ plugin upon opening any titles in the library.

Now I'm thinking it might be interesting to have something like a "Long text, like comments" column that could store every #last_viewed timestamp, perhaps separated by line breaks or spaces.

Then I see two issues: 1 - Long text columns can't do template language, and 2 - If this actually could be feasible using a "Column built from other columns", which can receive template language input, I have no idea how to reference custom columns as *I* can't do template language.

[ownedbycats]

Here's a modified copy of my Mark as Read action chain.

1. Sets #lastread (datetime) to current datetime.
2. Sets #percentread (integer) to 100.
3. Increments #timesread (integer) by one.
4. Prompts to set rating (rating).
5. Copies the date from #lastread to #readdates (taglike) as 'MMM d yyyy' - (Jan 16 2024). Changing the format should be simple if you prefer something else.

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Here's a modified copy of my Mark as Read action chain.

1. Sets #lastread (datetime) to current datetime.
2. Sets #percentread (integer) to 100.
3. Increments #timesread (integer) by one.
4. Prompts to set rating (rating).
5. Copies the date from #lastread to #readdate (taglike) as 'MMM d yyyy' - (Jan 16 2024). Changing the format should be simple if you prefer something else.

Ah that's awesome, thanks ObC!

Just in case someone wants to implement your chain, I suggest you edit your instructions like this:

5. Copies the date from #lastread to #readdates (comma separated text, like tags)...

I had created #readdate instead of #readdates and got a validation message. Also, I needed to exclude that last step "Refresh book view", which for some reason would give me an error, but now the chain works fine! For the timestamp I've added 'hh:mm', looks nice to me, thanks.

Actually I do most often open the books by double-clicking them on cover grid view, so I'll wait to see if there's some other possibility besides running the chain. (yet I can also train myself to always hit a shortcut key)

edit: this time I've added an action to View book as the first step on the chain, and removed the rating prompt. Now I think if there was an option to assign the double-click action on library view to run this chain, I would definitely go with that.

[shinykari]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

Ah that's awesome, thanks ObC!

Just in case someone wants to implement your chain, I suggest you edit your instructions like this:

5. Copies the date from #lastread to #readdates (comma separated text, like tags)...

I had created #readdate instead of #readdates and got a validation message. Also, I needed to exclude that last step "Refresh book view", which for some reason would give me an error, but now the chain works fine! For the timestamp I've added 'hh:mm', looks nice to me, thanks.

Actually I do most often open the books by double-clicking them on cover grid view, so I'll wait to see if there's some other possibility besides running the chain. (yet I can also train myself to always hit a shortcut key)

edit: this time I've added an action to View book as the first step on the chain, and removed the rating prompt. Now I think if there was an option to assign the double-click action on library view to run this chain, I would definitely go with that.

I have a similar set up to OBC, including the "prompt to rate," but I finally got annoyed with having to select a rating. Instead, I built a single hidden Action Chain called Read/Rate that includes all the steps except the star rating, then created five different Action Chains that A) call that first chain, then B) change the rating to the specified star rating. These all go in a sub menu in Action Chains (called, uncreatively, Read/Rate), so I can rate a book 1-5 stars with a single mouse click.

[capink]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

Now I think if there was an option to assign the double-click action on library view to run this chain, I would definitely go with that.

Here you go.

Originally Posted by capink

You can use the Book List Double Clicked event to change the default action to any calibre action you want, by using the Event Manager to connect the event to a whatever chain you want. For more on this, see this post.

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by capink

Here you go.

wow, that works!! This was actually the first time I opened the Event Manager dialog, didn't know what I was missing!

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by shinykari

I have a similar set up to OBC, including the "prompt to rate," but I finally got annoyed with having to select a rating. Instead, I built a single hidden Action Chain called Read/Rate that includes all the steps except the star rating, then created five different Action Chains that A) call that first chain, then B) change the rating to the specified star rating. These all go in a sub menu in Action Chains (called, uncreatively, Read/Rate), so I can rate a book 1-5 stars with a single mouse click.

You should be able to de-duplicate this with a chain variation - see attached.

I think this requires the action_chains_experimental = True to be enabled in Calibre Preferences > Tweaks > Plugin Tweaks.

[retro]

I'm afraid I have some baked in habits I can't seem to break. I update the comments in all my books manually. Up until about a year ago, I could ctrl c & ctrl v, and get plain text most of the time, but that changed and I get weird html I don't like. I can right click and 'paste and match style' which works like I want it too.

Is there a tweak to make paste and match style my default?
Thanks!

[chaley]

Originally Posted by retro

I'm afraid I have some baked in habits I can't seem to break. I update the comments in all my books manually. Up until about a year ago, I could ctrl c & ctrl v, and get plain text most of the time, but that changed and I get weird html I don't like. I can right click and 'paste and match style' which works like I want it too.

Is there a tweak to make paste and match style my default?
Thanks!

I don't know of any tweak or option in calibre. However, there are utilities that live on the task bar (assuming windows) that operate on the clipboard, converting html to plain text with a single click. Then paste it into calibre.

I use PureText that works well for me.

[retro]

Originally Posted by chaley

I don't know of any tweak or option in calibre. However, there are utilities that live on the task bar (assuming windows) that operate on the clipboard, converting html to plain text with a single click. Then paste it into calibre.

I use PureText that works well for me.

That's an interesting utility. I'll try it out.
Thanks!!

[BetterRed]

↑ ↑ ↑ ✔

I use Clipboard Fusion.

Some applications, e.g. word processors, blog post editors, can strip the markup when you do the paste. without changing the clipboard contents.

BR

[ownedbycats]

Calibre also has two plugins (Clean Comments & Comments Cleaner) that strip extraneous HTML tags out. I use the latter in several metadata-cleanup Action Chains.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Calibre also has two plugins (Clean Comments & Comments Cleaner) that strip extraneous HTML tags out. I use the latter in several metadata-cleanup Action Chains.

Anyone adding Comments Cleaner should check the defaults!

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by shinykari

I have a similar set up to OBC, including the "prompt to rate," but I finally got annoyed with having to select a rating. Instead, I built a single hidden Action Chain called Read/Rate that includes all the steps except the star rating, then created five different Action Chains that A) call that first chain, then B) change the rating to the specified star rating. These all go in a sub menu in Action Chains (called, uncreatively, Read/Rate), so I can rate a book 1-5 stars with a single mouse click.

I like your icons for the Read/Rate chain, although I don't have a rating stage on my chain.