book detail window

[Robert Fischer]

I've been using this great program since the first Calibre versions.
Back then I made a tutorial myself (V 1.14) with lots of detail snaps.
Back then, the so-called “book detail window” (below the list window) was arranged with four columns across the entire width:
On the far left the cover image, then author, format etc., then the author's names, EPUB etc. and on the right (from about the middle) the “explanatory text”.
This layout has now been changed: The entire left half is available for the (small) cover image, with the 3 other columns crowding the right. So you always have to scroll down to read more of the text.
I find this “stupid” - but I can't find a way to change the layout.
I have suitable snapshots here that illustrate what I mean. But maybe I could send you the pictures by e-mail.
It would be great if you knew a solution to my (small) problem.
Kind regards and many thanks in advance.
Robert
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

I've been using this great program since the first Calibre versions.
Back then I made a tutorial myself (V 1.14) with lots of detail snaps.
Back then, the so-called “book detail window” (below the list window) was arranged with four columns across the entire width:
On the far left the cover image, then author, format etc., then the author's names, EPUB etc. and on the right (from about the middle) the “explanatory text”.
This layout has now been changed: The entire left half is available for the (small) cover image, with the 3 other columns crowding the right. So you always have to scroll down to read more of the text.
I find this “stupid” - but I can't find a way to change the layout.
I have suitable snapshots here that illustrate what I mean. But maybe I could send you the pictures by e-mail.
It would be great if you knew a solution to my (small) problem.
Kind regards and many thanks in advance.
Robert
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Well, while I have Book Details show on the right, I've been wanting to suggest an additional option in the way they're laid out in Wide UI mode.

Need time to express more precisely what would suit my preferences, but roughly I'd say I would prefer that my Author Bio custom column could be optionally displayed on the left panel instead.

The Author's Bio can be as long as Comments, so I can't see both on the same pane, unless I use a trimmed Comments field above the Author Bio, or scroll down.

I must note that I find Calibre brilliant, as it is in fact the most user-customisable software I ever known. BTW, I guess this thread belongs in Calibre main forum, not in Recipes.

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

I've been using this great program since the first Calibre versions.
Back then I made a tutorial myself (V 1.14) with lots of detail snaps.

You mean screenshots?

[theducks]

Try the floating Info pane (I call it that because the shortcut is 'i' )

BTW Preferences: Look & Feel: Book details (side bar) allows you to do some adjustments

[Comfy.n]

OP mentioned "3 other columns crowding the right", I see only two in Narrow layout



I could use a third column in Narrow view just for the Author's Bio. Is this doable, currently?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

. . .

This layout has now been changed: The entire left half is available for the (small) cover image, with the 3 other columns crowding the right. So you always have to scroll down to read more of the text.
I find this “stupid” - but I can't find a way to change the layout.
. . .

BR

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Attachment 210629

BR

oh I see, I think the cover "cell" must have been unintentionally oversized in the OP's case

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

Need time to express more precisely what would suit my preferences, but roughly I'd say I would prefer that my Author Bio custom column could be optionally displayed on the left panel instead.

Quoting myself just to clarify a bit further. Of course the left panel is the Tag Browser dedicated space on the UI, but I wondered if it would be possible to somehow overlay it optionally with a second Book Details panel, by clicking a toggle button such as the ones on the status bar.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

OP mentioned "3 other columns crowding the right", I see only two in Narrow layout

Lost in DeepL translation perhaps.

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

Attachment 210628

I could use a third column in Narrow view just for the Author's Bio. Is this doable, currently?

I don't understand why anyone would want Author Notes to be displayed in Book Details… other than 'just because'. What do you do for books that have multiple authors.

The 'detached' book details panels can show a different set of columns to the 'embedded' book details panel. They are keyboard focus aware non-modal dialogue boxes, one 'locks' onto the currently selected book, while the other one follows the book list.

Keyboard focus aware means you can tab through the column values (current gets a dotted box) and hit enter… e.g. Tab to the Publisher value and press Enter will do a search for that Publisher. If you Tab to a Link or Note icon the URL or Note will spring to life… see attached image.

And being non-modal means you can give focus to the main window and start a Conversion, check a Tweak, or edit some metadata and the book details panel will stay where it is… perhaps on a different monitor.

BR

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

What do you do for books that have multiple authors.
BR

I don't mind the Bio not showing when there are multiple authors, as that's obviously unfeasible. What I mean is somehting like this:

[Comfy.n]

BTW, I can't thank enough Kovid, Chaley, Dunhill and others who worked on making that Author Bio column possible. I love it.

Also, I'm aware that the detached info panel can have a different set of fields, however I'd like to see all info at once, when selecting a row. Bio on one side, maybe some other fields that don't take much space; on the right, the usual ones.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

Quoting myself just to clarify a bit further. Of course the left panel is the Tag Browser dedicated space on the UI, but I wondered if it would be possible to somehow overlay it optionally with a second Book Details panel, by clicking a toggle button such as the ones on the status bar.

Add the Book details Action to a toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcuts.



Those are custom shortcuts.

Note where the Book details button is. I'm not sure when, but I'm pretty sure it has moved since I installed calibre - i.e. I did something that moved it, I never click those buttons so I only just noticed. That's 7.16, I'm hanging out for Kovid's Qt workaround for the Tab key issue, one wonders if this is Yet Another Qt Glitch.

BR

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Note where the Book details button is.

BR

Well I'm on latest preview but I'm pretty sure it's always been there. In my ideal UI, there would be two of them: one for the right Book Detais pane and another toggle button for the "second BD" panel on the left, which would optionally show up in place of the Tag Browser

TAB glitch didn't affect me so much as I use more often the single-click editing feature from Action Chains.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

Well I'm on latest preview but I'm pretty sure it's always been there. In my ideal UI, there would be two of them: one for the right Book Detais pane and another toggle button for the "second BD" panel on the left, which would optionally show up in place of the Tag Browser.

Hmmm… I think you're right, it has always been last… why did I think otherwise?

I'd prefer to hide the Layout menu/buttons in the status bar entirely. I never want to hide the Search bar, I never want to see the cover browser and I use Ctrl+Alt+T/D/G/Q to show/hide Tab browser, Book details, Book grid, and Quickview. There's a Layout action toolbar/menu item if I ever need it.

BR

[kovidgoyal]

@Comfy.n: No there is no way to display selected columns in a separate panel.