Guide to Collections Management with calibre (Touch / Glo / Mini /Aura)

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by vjjustin

A quick question; is there any way to delete all the collections ONLY in Kobo? I know we can delete collections individually from kobo by long pressing each collection, but is there anyway to do it for all at once either through device or through calibre?

I have automatic collection management enabled in calibre but was trying some automatic folder management while sending books to kobo. So, now I have many collections with wrong book count. This is not getting fixed during regular calibre connect.

The only way I know to fix this is to delete all the collections in kobo and next time when I connect calibre/metadata will create all collections for me with correct book count, this has worked in the past. But I have around 100 collections and it will take a lot of time.

The count shown in the collections list is done when the collections list is built. If you are seeing anything other than the correct number of books, it means that some data in the database are inconsistent and that means something bad happened. My first thought, as compurandom suggested, is a corrupt database. You can check that with any SQLite database management tool, or my Kobo Utilities plugin in calibre. If it is corrupt, you will need to restore a backup or sign out of the Kobo account on the device and let it create a new database.

If the database isn't corrupt, but the data is inconsistent, you will probably need to use some SQL to fix things. The driver in calibre will maintain the collections, but it only makes changes for books that are in the calibre library and matched to books on the device. If the count for a collection is wrong, that means there is an entry in the database that points to a book not actually on the device. The collection management code in the driver won't do anything in this situation.

The simplest solution is to sign out of the Kobo account and back in. This will rebuild the database, download any synced books and collections, and import the sideloaded books. The next time you connect to calibre it will rebuild the collections.

The next way is using SQL as mentioned above. I'll help if you need it, but if your response to my suggestion is "Use what?", then don't try it.

Having said all that, have you restarted the device? That might fix it as it means the database is reread.

[compurandom]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Having said all that, have you restarted the device? That might fix it as it means the database is reread.

I forgot about that -- it is possible for the in-memory copy of the database to be corrupt but the on disk version to be OK. In that case, restarting fixes it. I had that happen once.

If restarting doesn't fix it, then a wrong count is a sign of something deeper wrong in the database. Repairing indexes might fix it. If it doesn't, then short of a program to verify the semantics of the database vs. the the books on the device and all the books, not just the ones calibre knows about, you're going to have more problems later that are just easier to fix by rebuilding the database from scratch.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by compurandom

I forgot about that -- it is possible for the in-memory copy of the database to be corrupt but the on disk version to be OK. In that case, restarting fixes it. I had that happen once.

Usually it is the other way round. The file is corrupt and changes can't be save. When it is reread during a restart, older and probably inconsistent data is read.

If restarting doesn't fix it, then a wrong count is a sign of something deeper wrong in the database. Repairing indexes might fix it. If it doesn't, then short of a program to verify the semantics of the database vs. the the books on the device and all the books, not just the ones calibre knows about, you're going to have more problems later that are just easier to fix by rebuilding the database from scratch.

Repairing the indexes is unlikely to fix it. There isn't an index that could be causing this.

But yes, the sooner it is fixed the better. And if isn't, it will probably get worse and if the firmware can't read it at all, it will reset the database and prompt to be setup.

[vjjustin]

Sorry forgot about this, .

In my case, this problem happens when I change the file name (title) and send the new file to kobo and before disconnecting also delete the original file. When this happens the kobo will consider it as two separate files and collections will show an additional file. But the difference is only in the collections and no other impact. This happens only if deletion and addition happens together; if you disconnect and add, the collections show correct values.

I ended up comparing every collection in kobo with calibre and deleting (in kobo) whatever showed difference. Logging out of kobo might have been easier, I believe. Also, restarting doesn't seem to fix it.

The database itself is okay. I did check with the kobo utilities, just to be sure.

A big thank you for the help.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by vjjustin

Sorry forgot about this, .

In my case, this problem happens when I change the file name (title) and send the new file to kobo and before disconnecting also delete the original file. When this happens the kobo will consider it as two separate files and collections will show an additional file. But the difference is only in the collections and no other impact. This happens only if deletion and addition happens together; if you disconnect and add, the collections show correct values.

I ended up comparing every collection in kobo with calibre and deleting (in kobo) whatever showed difference. Logging out of kobo might have been easier, I believe. Also, restarting doesn't seem to fix it.

That doesn't sound right. If you delete a book using calibre, then the driver will remove the collection entries for it. And if you add a book, it should add the collections entries. If you resend a book, and it ends up with a different file name, you will have two books. Calibre will see them as two copies of the same book, but the device will have two books. There should be collection entries for both books. And if you delete a book and then add it in the same session, all the entries for the book should be removed and then added.

And, if the collections don't end up correct after all the adds and deletes in a session, unplug the device, let it do its work and then connect again. The collection management will be done at this point for the books on the device that are in the calibre library. That should fix any inconsistencies from the above.

[Kuram]

I need help understanding part of the process for setting up the collections. As per the wiki: https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kob...nd_Collections


Specifically for the "Driver / calibre Configuration" section, what is the relevance of the custom column? Could I not simply setup the stock Series column alone to be the "collection" that the Kobo device uses?

In the area for shelf info, type #myshelves, series.


This will ensure that calibre places books onto shelves listed in the myshelves calibre column and a shelf based on the book's series name

I don't understand the distinction here.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Kuram

Specifically for the "Driver / calibre Configuration" section, what is the relevance of the custom column? Could I not simply setup the stock Series column alone to be the "collection" that the Kobo device uses?

Yes, you could use series, but if somebody wants to use another setup, custom column is the starting point.

Originally Posted by Kuram

I don't understand the distinction here.

The meaning is: The book will be in the collection defined by series AND in the collection defined by the custom column #myshelves.

[Kuram]

If I understand correctly, it would be a method to put a book into several different collections at once, then?

For example I could have Sanderson's Mistborn and The Stormlight Archives novels in their respective collections based on the series name, and then also have all of the novels combined into a custom column-defined series in #myshelves named Cosmere.

[Terisa de morgan]

Yes, you are right. You can define as many columns as you like to be transformed in collections, separated by comma

[compurandom]

Or you can use a tag valued column like the directions explain, and put a book in as many shelves as you want using just a single column.

[Kuram]

I'd rather handle it automatically through the series I've already got. I notice though, after trying it out this evening... Kobo collections don't seem to track the index number of the collection? Is there a way around that? The different sort options don't allow me to do this. When happened to be browsing the overdrive catalog through my Kobo, I noticed that the books were showing the series + index number so I am probably missing something.

[Terisa de morgan]

Collections are not numbered, so they cannot track the index. But if you want that series and index appear in the list, the best way for sideloaded books, is to handle metadata automatically in calibre and connect the reader a second time after sending the book and the ereader has processed it.

[Kuram]

I'm sorry, I don't really understand how I'd do that. Would I use metadata plugboards to add the index to the title? Calibre already (seems to) track the index of the series in brackets.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Kuram

I'm sorry, I don't really understand how I'd do that. Would I use metadata plugboards to add the index to the title? Calibre already (seems to) track the index of the series in brackets.

You would have to set:

• "Preferences → Import/export → Sending books to devices" to "Automatic Management"
• Check "Update metadata at the device -> Set series information" at Kobo driver.

and then the process is:

1. Send a book to the ereader
2. Eject the device
3. After the device has processed the book (you're already again at the home page), connect it again to calibre
4. After calibre finishes to process the books in device eject again the ereader

Now, at the library view, you should see an additional information for each book: series and number in series.

Anyway, perhaps this is better explained at the Kobo Driver thread, as it is not related at all with shelves/collection.

[Kuram]

Thank you. I think I may have accidentally come across this, as I noticed some of my books now had the series + index right under the title after I restarted from patching it.