[GUI Plugin] Drop Search Results

[DaltonST]

[GUI Plugin] Drop Search Results

Summary:

Drag search result Name/Location lines from search software, such as 'Agent Ransack', to this plug-in's drop-target, and Drop them. DSR will automatically 'mark' the respective Books within Calibre, and update the GUI showing only those marked Books.

The Dropped search results must pertain to the current Calibre Library, of course.

If you use Windows 10 and cannot make drag-and-drop work for you, search the internet with the keywords "Windows 10 drag and drop administrator" for help.


Requires Minimum Calibre Version: 6.0.0


Version History:

Spoiler:

Version 1.0.14 - 2023-01-14 Qt.core.
Version 1.0.13 - 2022-04-13 Qt6 Compatibility; Minimum Calibre Version now 6.0.0 (5.99.8+)
Version 1.0.11 - 2020-12-21 Miscellany.
Version 1.0.10 - 2019-12-20 Technical changes after Python 3.8 testing with Calibre 4.99.2; Calibre minimum version 4.6 required.
Version 1.0.9 - 2019-04-25 Python 3 compatibility. Calibre minimum version 3.41.3 required.
Version 1.0.8 - 2017-05-10 Added an invisible menu to enable Preferences > Keyboard shortcut.
Version 1.0.7 - 2017-05-09 Tweak.
Version 1.0.6 - 2017-05-05 Allow themes with user-defined icons.
Version 1.0.5 - 2016-04-07 Technical changes.
Version 1.0.4 - 2016-03-17 Technical changes.
Version 1.0.3 - 2016-03-09 Scroll bars and other enhancements.
Version 1.0.2 - 2016-03-09 Drop Target made bigger.
Version 1.0.1 - 2016-03-09 Tweaks.
Version 1.0.0 - 2016-03-08 Initial release.

[BetterRed]

Suggestions : a) put a screen shot showing the PI's 'drop target' window in the first post, just as clarification b) give the Ransack 'drop target' window stay-on-top status.

But more importantly, it works with other search engines - I tested with X1 and Windows Search results, should work with File Locator too. Wonder if it will work with Spotlight on a Mac

Maybe it should be called 'Import Search Results'

Seriously, well done !!

Added : could you make the drop target window bigger - I missed it and the books were added

BR

[DaltonST]

Version 1.0.1 - 2016-03-09 Tweaks.


DaltonST

[DaltonST]

Version 1.0.2 - 2016-03-09 Drop Target made bigger.


DaltonST

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

Version 1.0.2 - 2016-03-09 Drop Target made bigger.

@DaltonST - And resizable!! If that was true before then doh

Plugin Index - PM me details if you want?

What about the name. It works with at least five search engines, I'm including Ransacks big brother File Locator Pro, and the Find files feature in the xplorer² File Manager which I've also tested.

If anyone's wondering why they all work, it's because they, along with DaltonST's plug-in, use the 'standard file list drag 'n' drop methods' built into Windows. If Your Favourite Search Engine doesn't work it'll almost certainly be because it doesn't use the standard methods...

BR

[DaltonST]

@BetterRed:

I'll get back with you after I consider this. BTW, Sydney is 17 hours ahead of me.


DaltonST

[DaltonST]

Version 1.0.3 - 2016-03-09 Scroll bars and other enhancements.


The prior name, 'Ransack', must be manually removed from Calibre via the normal Preferences > Plugins menu path.


@BR: could you please rename this mobileread.com thread; I cannot do that.




DaltonST

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

@BR: could you please rename this mobileread.com thread; I cannot do that.

Done

X1.com owe you a commission. I've been trialling their s/w for a week or so, ambivalent on whether to buy. The arrival of this PI has made my decision for me - superb timing on your part. Serendipity strikes a Homer

BR

[BetterRed]

I figured out how to have X1 Search do indexed content searching of ePUB's

A search for 'contingent convertible' over a library of 60,000 books found 400+ books in the 'blink of an eye'.

@DaltonST - still no request to add this PI to index - any reason for that?

BR

[DaltonST]

@BR:

Feel free.


DaltonST

[BetterRed]

As you well know, the long established convention is that the PI developer informs moderator(s) what they want in the index

BR

[tekwrite]

So do I use the drop search to find books in a Calibre library. Do you have any steps on how to use it? I opened the plugin up and dragged the library folder to it but nothing seems to happen.

[DaltonST]

@tekwrite:

See the Original Post. It says what DSR does and how to use it:

Drag search result Name/Location lines from search software, such as 'Agent Ransack', to this plug-in's drop-target, and Drop them. DSR will automatically 'mark' the respective Books within Calibre, and update the GUI showing only those marked Books.

The Dropped search results must pertain to the current Calibre Library, of course.

The key words are "from search software, such as 'Agent Ransack'."

Obviously, there is a lot of other "search software".

For Windows, there is Windows Search, X1, Agent Ransack, and more

Personally, I use "Everything" from http://www.voidtools.com/ for file name searches. It does not do "full text" searches as the others, but it is lightening fast and has a very minimal footprint to do what it does, and it does it perfectly in real-time.

For "full text" searches, I use AstroGrep from http://astrogrep.sourceforge.net/, because 99% of my full-text searches are searching the Calibre Python source code downloaded from github. AstroGrep is a great tool for doing so. It is the Windows version of the Unix utility. For the remaining 1%, I use Agent Ransack.

All of the above can be used with DSR.

Within Calibre itself, I use Multi-Column Search for full-text search of the contents of non-fiction ebooks. No need for DSR, since MCS is a Calibre plug-in. You can stay inside the envelope of Calibre to do the searching. MCS has an extremely small footprint for doing full-text searches since it uses a TXT format of books as a "virtual column". Convert an epub to text one time, and search it a thousand times. 1-time conversion to text "cost" is amortized over a great many searches. Text versions of epubs are tiny, so the disk space is trivial. Also, MCS has additional add-on functionality to Full Text searches that cannot be found anywhere outside of the Calibre envelope. Example: use of the powerful "Final Filter" option, plus the "All Authors' Books" option, simultaneously with the Full Text searches.

Up to you to choose what is best for you based on your personal preferences, and your personal search environment ("casual at home" or "your job depends on it since you do it all day every working day" in a business environment).



DaltonST

[BetterRed]

Could DSR be given a user configurable keyboard shortcut, that I can set via Preferences->Keyboard

Thanks BR

[DaltonST]

Version 1.0.9 - 2019-04-25 Python 3 compatibility. Calibre minimum version 3.41.3 is now required. Obviously, you must update to at least 3.41.3 Calibre first.



DaltonST