Easiest method for bulk-setting SeriesID

[ownedbycats]

As stated in post #11, that does not update the SeriesID. It only updates Series.

[Skaak]

Originally Posted by PeterT

There is a setting in the device driver configuration to "update purchased books" on the metadata tab. Does setting that make any difference?

I checked, and this setting was admittedly not checked for me in the KoboTouchExtended preferences. I set it, ejected the device, and reconnected it (to ensure the metadata sync occurred; I have trouble getting it to fire off manually outside of connection events). Didn't make any difference (I was successfully able to update the series name prior to this setting being enabled, but despite being named the same--and treated as the same series in Calibre--on the device the books are still shown as in two different, now identically-named series). Thank you for the suggestion, though! Hopefully this setting will make other metadata edits more transparent when I associate purchased books with local Calibre records.

[Skaak]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I've resorted to manually editing the database with SQLiteStudio. I copy the series name into the SeriesID column.

Occasionally a sync will set the SeriesID back to the original one. Annoying, but thankfully it doesn't happen a lot.

After poking around with a bit of trepidation in the .kobo/KoboReader.sqlite file, I was able to successfully match the IDs and merge my books into a single series. Thanks!

I need to figure out who to pester to get this properly implemented in the normal synching behavior; it's vexing that a metadata sync will update the name but not the ID.

[ownedbycats]

I haven't seen any weird effects of using this SQLite query, but backup first to be safe.

UPDATE content
SET SeriesID = Series;

[milady133]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I haven't seen any weird effects of using this SQLite query, but backup first to be safe.

UPDATE content
SET SeriesID = Series;

That works if you don't synch with the Kobo store. I don't think you would break anything if you update it with your values, but it would get overwritten next time Kobo synchs the book information.
As for @skaak suggestion of getting it integrated the update of that column in Kobo Utilities, due to Kobo updating it, I don't think it would be practical. I update manually that column putting the values Kobo uses in the store for downloaded books of the same series, and in some cases, I had to let two different values, mostly when I mixed American and UK editions of a series.

[ownedbycats]

Syncing with the store doesn't always reset it. I'm not sure what triggers it to split apart into a dozen series again, though adding a new book to the series sometimes (but not 100%) does it.

Unfortunately, Kobo Utilities is not maintained anymore since davidfor's passing so it's all community patches. My python isn't quite good enough to attempt it myself.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Syncing with the store doesn't always reset it. I'm not sure what triggers it to split apart into a dozen series again, though adding a new book to the series sometimes (but not 100%) does it.

Unfortunately, Kobo Utilities is not maintained anymore since davidfor's passing so it's all community patches. My python isn't quite good enough to attempt it myself.

Can you check in the database the ContentType inside content table for purchased books? Because the query is restricting, I believe, to ContentType=6. If purchased books have other contentType, at least series is not analyzed.

[ownedbycats]

I'm seeing ContentType=6 on both store books and sideloads.

[Terisa de morgan]

Then, in theory, it should update all of them. If I'm able this weekend (or some point this week), I'll try to enable debug and see what's happening with the series.

[ownedbycats]

I suspect that the SeriesID never gets changed by the Kobo driver or Utilities once it's first set - when changing the name of a sideloaded series and then syncing metadata, the SeriesID remains unmodified.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Syncing with the store doesn't always reset it. I'm not sure what triggers it to split apart into a dozen series again, though adding a new book to the series sometimes (but not 100%) does it.

While I'd need to further test it, I think that adding or removing a book to a collection might also revert a modded SeriesID when it syncs with the server. I use a 'to be read' collection, I noticed books recently on it got split off.

The SQLite query from #19 put everything back in order.