Reading progress

[kumaryu]

Is there a way to synchronise the reading progress on every given book that you're reading on more than one ebook readers?

I want Calibre to synch my prgress between different ebook readers. I realise this is possible on proprietary desktop apps but I would be interested in seeing Calibre do it across different readers. Different formats would be difficult but between same formats....

[kumaryu]

Even on the same reader, having an independent method of doing so based on Calibre would be attractive.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by kumaryu

Even on the same reader, having an independent method of doing so based on Calibre would be attractive.

That is assuming that all your reader apps kept progress exactly the same way

Since most don't

There would need to be progress retrieval code for each device
add to that, You would need to identify the book-format being progressed.

Now you would need to determine all the needs of the target device, Match and Locate the Title, and transcode the progress values, then update the devices progress tracker

Between Kindles (and apps) work because all Kindle apps play by the same rules (or Amazons servers make the adjustments)

[kumaryu]

Originally Posted by theducks

That is assuming that all your reader apps kept progress exactly the same way

Since most don't

There would need to be progress retrieval code for each device
add to that, You would need to identify the book-format being progressed.

Now you would need to determine all the needs of the target device, Match and Locate the Title, and transcode the progress values, then update the devices progress tracker

Between Kindles (and apps) work because all Kindle apps play by the same rules (or Amazons servers make the adjustments)

True. But if the user is using a Kindle, they're most likely to be using .mobi/.azw formats with all the "benefits" that they confer. A centralised progress sync would be of greatest use to those on non-mobi formats with "open" readers (eg. Kobo. Nook and Adroid devices), using .epub.

And I agree that reading status would be tracked differently on different readers but that is precisely the reason why a neutral, third-party application like Calibre would be the perfect place to centrally manage the conversion and sync.

I guess what I have in mind is a way to completely bypass proprietary desktop applications when syncing reading status between devices. The effort to cover all formats and all devices would be difficult but concentrating on a handful of most popular (epub) platforms and reader apps would be a start.

[davidfor]

Syncing reading position between Kobo devices isn't that hard. The details are stored in the database on the device and can be read and changed easily. Storing this in custom columns isn't that hard either.

It might not be that hard for epubs and ADE based readers. The format that Kobo uses for the current position appears to be in the same as what the PC based ADE uses. If this is the same as for other ADE based readers, the issue would be whether the place this is stored is accessible.

Otherwise, there would need to be a translation between them. I had a brief look at doing this between the Kobo format and the calibre reader a while ago, but haven't returned to it.