How to use python/shell scripts to edit the metadata of selected book(s) in calibre?

[patricorgi]

It seems to me calibre has made good use of python for many purposes. So I'm wondering it there is a way to edit the metadata, e.g. adding tags, of selected book(s) in calibre window using python script?

I know I can simply click "Edit Metadata" and use the interface to edit metadata but I'm here looking for a way of automation. (I'm using calibre on macOS and with applications like Keyboard Maestro or Alfred I can set a bunch of keyboard shortcuts to automate this process.)

Any help will be appreciated!

[PeterT]

See if https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...cli-index.html gives you ideas

[latepaul]

Can you elaborate on what type of edits you want to automate?

I have a couple of shell scripts I use but they are interactive - they prompt for values to put in certain fields.

I mostly use calibredb set_metadata or calibredb set_custom.

If you want to call your script from the calibre window though that implies writing a plugin I think. Unless Keyboard Maestro or Alfred can do screen scraping as well as provide hot keys. Because you would need a way to "read" the values associated with the current book and act upon it.

[capink]

Have a look at the Action Chains plugin and see whether it fulfills your needs. It also enables you to write python scripts by using the plugin's module editor to create custom actions. The advantage to this approach to the usual calibre-debug pyhton scripts is that it can read selections from gui and act on them.

For more on using python for calibre development, see the documentation here.

[patricorgi]

I'd like to perform the following actions:

1. Changing the Rating of currently selected book(s) with a hotkey, such as ⌘+1/2/3/4/5 for corresponding ratings.
2. Adding or switching between "Unread/Read/Reading" tags to currently selected book(s).
3. Obtaining the book name or author name and search it with a search engine. Now I have to click on the author name, copy it and paste on Google search bar. I want to use a python/shell script to automate this procedure.
4. ...

I can give more examples here but the fundamental idea is to manipulate the metadata (both original columns or custom columns) without using the Edit Metadata interface but with a python/shell script which is capable of reading/writing the metadata of CURRENTLY SELECTED book(s).

[ownedbycats]

1 be done from the book list with relatively few keystrokes. See the doubleclick_on_library_view tweak for more information.

2 can be action chained pretty easily. I have a 'mark as read' that sets #read:true, #percentread:100, #lastread: current time and pops up the rating dialog.

For 3 there's a plugin called Search the Internet though I don't remember if that can be hotkeyed.

[capink]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

1 be done from the book list with relatively few keystrokes. See the doubleclick_on_library_view tweak for more information.

No. 1 also can be done in Action Chains by making 5 different chains and assigning each one to keyboard shortcut. Each chain contains one action that changes the rating to a predefined value (Single Field Edit Action). You can even supplement —if you want— with other actions like automatically adding timestamps to a custom #last_rated date column.

No. 3 can be done by writing An action chains custom action, if you know python.

[patricorgi]

Originally Posted by capink

No. 1 also can be done in Action Chains by making 5 different chains and assigning each one to keyboard shortcut. Each chain contains one action that changes the rating to a predefined value (Single Field Edit Action). You can even supplement —if you want— with other actions like automatically adding timestamps to a custom #last_rated date column.

No. 3 can be done by writing An action chains custom action, if you know python.

This plugin is exactly what I need. Thank you so much!

[patricorgi]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

1 be done from the book list with relatively few keystrokes. See the doubleclick_on_library_view tweak for more information.

2 can be action chained pretty easily. I have a 'mark as read' that sets #read:true, #percentread:100, #lastread: current time and pops up the rating dialog.

For 3 there's a plugin called Search the Internet though I don't remember if that can be hotkeyed.

Yes, this plugin is the perfect solution for my needs. Thank you very much!