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

[D..]

Thanks for the info on the Calibre Shelves, works well. Only problem I have is that since I updated the Kobo Touch firmware, I am back to problems with the metadata and listing the authors in alphabetical order! I didnt change the plug in on Calibre but now Kobo lists the authors are all over the place despite my inputting the authors and author sort on Calibre. Please, could anyone say exactly what we need to input on Calibre for Kobo to list the authors alphabetically under the Library - Authors listing? Would be very grateful, thanks

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by D..

Thanks for the info on the Calibre Shelves, works well. Only problem I have is that since I updated the Kobo Touch firmware, I am back to problems with the metadata and listing the authors in alphabetical order! I didnt change the plug in on Calibre but now Kobo lists the authors are all over the place despite my inputting the authors and author sort on Calibre. Please, could anyone say exactly what we need to input on Calibre for Kobo to list the authors alphabetically under the Library - Authors listing? Would be very grateful, thanks

I can't say I have seen a problem with sorting by author on the device. What firmware version are you using? And can you give an example of the authors displayed on the device and what the order is. I think three or four names and the order they are in would be good to start with.

[PeterT]

I wonder if this is the issue where the initial sort on a shelf does not match what is displayed?

Try changing the sort order to what you want, regardless of the selected value.

[TechniSol]

My thanks to all that have contributed to this thread, it made setting up automatic shelves and series much easier. I ended up using:

{series}{series_index:0>2s| #| - }{title}

for the plugboard.

The titles end up displayed in the library and on the shelves as:

The Dresden Files #01 - Storm Front

or

series #09 - title

with no series info it defaults to title only.

I also did the #myseries stuff pointed out in the thread and now have automatic(well you have to enter series info in the metadata) bookshelves for my series. Way Cool!

[D..]

Hi, Thanks for replying. I have the latest update, version 2.1.5. In Library, by Author inp;ut via Calibre where I always input the surname first - on the Touch listed are - Riley Amber, Hanson Caroline x 2 boos, Cody Christine, Dark Dannika, Sylvan Dianne. When Input author sort on Calibre I put eg Riley, Amber, Cody, Christine. It seems to be mixing up christian & surnames even though on Calibre there are always surnames first. Shelves are fine, working a treat!. Thanks

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by D..

Hi, Thanks for replying. I have the latest update, version 2.1.5. In Library, by Author inp;ut via Calibre where I always input the surname first - on the Touch listed are - Riley Amber, Hanson Caroline x 2 boos, Cody Christine, Dark Dannika, Sylvan Dianne. When Input author sort on Calibre I put eg Riley, Amber, Cody, Christine. It seems to be mixing up christian & surnames even though on Calibre there are always surnames first. Shelves are fine, working a treat!. Thanks

As far as I can tell, the Kobo devices are sorting the author as "Lastname, Firstname". But, it is being a bit clever with the name. If it finds a comma in the name, it is assuming the name is "Lastname, Firstname". But, if there are no commas, it is "Firstname Lastname". And if there is only one word in the name, it is "Lastname". If what you have typed above for the author names is exactly what is displayed, the the device is doing what it has been told to do.

I think something in how you are entering the names in calibre is the problem. Calibre calculates a "sort author" from the author entered. The default is that if you enter "Firstname Lastname" it will sort as "Lastname, Firstname". Exactly what is displayed can be changed by choosing different columns or using tweaks, but the stored format is best left as "Firstname Lastname".

[D..]

Hi, I understand what you are saying, but all of my books are listed on Calibre as author last name first name and then author sort last name, first name. When I first used my Touch I had problems with listing them in alphabetical order and someone on this forum very kindly told me the plug-in to use on Calibre. Since then, it worked a treat and I never altered it. Only after the upgrade have things gone haywire and I still dont understand how it can be "clever i.e. There are four book by Armentrout J.L. they are all in the same folder on the Kobo [pc explorer view] but in the Kobo library 3 are listed together and 1 much later. How can it change one book when all author and author sorts on Calibre are exactly the same?
I suppose what I am trying to achieve is how to load books from Calibre [I only use Calibre and not the Kobo Desktop]& get them listed in the Kobo library alphabetically, surname first. I have a few hundred books and although I do not put them on the Touch all at once, I usually have a few dozen and unless they are in author surname alphabetical order, I find it hard to find a particular author without trawling through many pages. Sorry to keep coming back, but I think Calibre is such a good program, I really would like to master this, even if it means going through the metadata of a few hundred books and amending something to get it right - or amending the plug in. Thanks again

[PeterT]

Have you tried to reselect the sort order on the Kobo? Even though it might say By Author at the top, tap that and RESELECT By Author.

There is an outstanding bug with Kobo where the sort on screen does not match the selected sort option when a new view (or shelf) is opened.

[D..]

Tried resorting by choosing sort by title and then back to sort by author, which made no difference. I am listing the Kobo library by author list - initials to show you how they are listed, using the surname initial first - RA,HC,HC,CC,DJ,DD,SD,MH,CJ,PJ,CK,LK,MK,AK. As you see, they jump around from surname initial to christian name initial. I have the Calibre plugboard as author sort first as I have had it for ages with no problems. Should I experiment with the plugboard and try just author instead of author sort or is that just going to mix them up more?

[PeterT]

My settings are as follows:


Adding Books: Swap author firstname and last name NOT CHECKED
Saving books to disk: Save template

{authors}{series:| - |}{series_index:0>2s| - |} - {title}

Tweaks: Author sort name algorithim

author_sort_copy_method = 'invert'

author_name_suffixes = ('Jr', 'Sr', 'Inc', 'Ph.D', 'Phd', 'MD', 'M.D', 'I', 'II', 'III', 'IV', 'Junior', 'Senior')

author_name_prefixes = ('Mr', 'Mrs', 'Ms', 'Dr', 'Prof')

author_name_copywords = ('Corporation', 'Company', 'Co.', 'Agency', 'Council', 'Committee', 'Inc.', 'Institute', 'Society', 'Club', 'Team')

Plugin: save template

{author_sort}/{series}{series_index:0>2s| - | - }{title}

Saving books to disk: save template

{authors}{series:| - |}{series_index:0>2s| - |} - {title}

metadata plugboard:

epub:KOBOTOUCH  {series:re(([^\s])[^\s]+(\s|$),\1)}{series_index:0>2s| - | - }{title} title

A typical book with me would appear in metdata editor as:

Title: Devices and Desires
Title Sort: Devices and Desires
Author(s): Baroness P. D. James
Author sort: James, Baroness P. D.
Series: Inspector Adam Dalgliesh
Number 8.0

On the Kobo the book shows up (in By Author) after books by Marie-Annick Courtier, Kevin Donovan and Paul Hunter, but before books by Phil McGraw, Ian Rankin and Elizabeth Richards.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by D..

Tried resorting by choosing sort by title and then back to sort by author, which made no difference. I am listing the Kobo library by author list - initials to show you how they are listed, using the surname initial first - RA,HC,HC,CC,DJ,DD,SD,MH,CJ,PJ,CK,LK,MK,AK. As you see, they jump around from surname initial to christian name initial. I have the Calibre plugboard as author sort first as I have had it for ages with no problems. Should I experiment with the plugboard and try just author instead of author sort or is that just going to mix them up more?

I think I am missing something with what you are doing and seeing. So, instead of abbreviating things, can you go to the library list on the device, sort by author and copy the author names EXACTLY as displayed and in the order displayed. Or post a photo of the screen. That way we can be sure we know exactly what you are seeing and can work out what is wrong.

And to check: you have a plugboard setting the author field in the epub to {author_sort}? In the terms Peter used:

epub:KOBOTOUCH  {author_sort} authors

or

epub:any device{author_sort} authors

Or are you doing something different? Are you using any other plugboards?

[D..]

Well I think I am getting nearer as I have been trying out difference plugboards. The latest one seems to put the authors in alphabetical christian name order. The plugboard is - epub:KOBO = ([{author_sort}/{title}] -> authors)
As I said I have all the authors surname first and then christian name in Calibre metadata, both in author and author sort [with a comma in sort]. To be honest with these plugboards I dont understand them properly and I have entered "add new plugboard" as epub and then tried Kobotouch nothing in destination and then tried authors and author sort in source. Nothing seems to change when I press add plugboard. The files on explorer now show the books going in directly to the Kobo & not in author's folders. Here is the listing I have taken from the Kobo library -
By Author
Robertson Ashley
Hanson Caroline
Cody Christine
Rain CrystanSax Cynthia
Daniels JC
Dark Dannika
Sylvan Dianne
Martine HannaCarey Jacqueline
Prime Jaz
Francis Jenna Kay
Armentrout Jennifer L
Battis Jes
Cooper Karina
Locke Kate
Kerr Katherine
Meding Kelly
Ashley Kristen
Armentrout Jennifer L
Howard Linda
Moore E.S.
As I said it seems now the christian name initial decides the list until you get to authors with initials and the same author being treated differently in one case, although I cant see any difference on the metadata. The problem seems to be it taking the surname initial first every time.

[PeterT]

What version of Calibre please? If it is 0.9.1 or above the plugboard is incorrect; it should be epub:KOBOTOUCH not epub:KOBO

[D..]

As I said at the start of my request, it is only changed after the latest firmware update, but I cannot find how to instal the latest plugware for the Touch. Sorry to sound stupid but how do I change it - I try add plugboard - choose epub, then Kobo Touch and then enter. Nothing changes. Does the destination need completing and if so, what do I put in there to make it change over. Would be grateful to know how, in future as well, to do this correctly. Thanks

[PeterT]

The plugware gets updated with Calibre....