[GUI Plugin] Check Books

[thiago.eec]

Check Books allows you to check your library books with ACE and EPUBCheck. Unlike the ACE/EPUBCheck Editor Plugins, this one works in the main calibre interface, so you can save the result and reports to custom columns.

Main Features:

• Check the selected books with ACE or EPUBCheck
• Save the result (pass or fail) to a custom column
• Save the reports to a folder, cloning calibre library structure (Autor > Book title > Reports), then add a link to a custom column. P.S.: If you are using calibre 6.16 or later, you can save the reports to the book's 'data' folder, inside the calibre library.
• Choose the report format (ACE: JSON/HTML/Both; EPUBCheck: JSON/XML/XMP)
• Choose the language to generate your reports
• Auto update ACE and EPUBCheck
• Bulk operation: you can check your whole library at once

Requirements:

• calibre 5.00 or later
• Node.js 10 or later
• ACE

Installation Steps:

1. Download the attached zip file and install the plugin/add to context menu or toolbar/restart Calibre as described in the Introduction to plugins thread.
2. Click on "Customize plugin" on the menu and set up your custom columns. This option is also available via the Preferences->Plugins dialog once you select it within the list.
3. With calibre 5.35 or later, you can create each custom column with just two clicks, directly from plugin's configuration dialog. Do not close the configuration dialog until you have finished creating your columns, so you only restart calibre once.

Latest calibre version tested: 7.8

Version History:

Spoiler:

Version 0.1.8 - 17 Jun 2023
- Bug fix: ACE newer versions (1.2.8+) sometimes fail to complete the check of some books (when checking multiple itens). Those books are then incorrectly marked as invalid. Until this bug is corrected by ACE, the plugin was modified to rerun ACE on books that fail like that. It happens under the hood, so the user doesn't have to do anything.

Version 0.1.7 - 23 Apr 2023
- Bug fix: ensure EPUBCheck files were unpacked before running the first update check.

Version 0.1.6 - 22 Apr 2023
- Added an option to save the reports to the book's 'data' folder, inside the calibre library (calibre 6.16+ only).

Version 0.1.5 - 21 Jan 2023
- Bug fix in the update check mechanism.

Version 0.1.4 - 18 Aug 2022
- Allow not choosing a Report Column, so no report will be saved to the hard drive. This can be useful for those only interested on the Pass / Fail result.

Version 0.1.3 - 10 Aug 2022
- Add support for themed versions of icons (-for-dark-theme / -for-light-theme)

Version 0.1.2 - 11 Jul 2022
- Add support for automatic Dark and Light theme change

Version 0.1.1 - 30 May 2022
- Add a check for Node.js installation.

Version 0.1.0 - 03 Mar 2022
Initial release of Check Books plugin

[DNSB]

Was responding to a message in another thread and reminded me that when I tried installing Check Book, I could never get the customization dialog to run. calibre just hung on a spinning cursor.

I just retried it today and with calibre 5.43, Windows 11 Pro x64, still no joy until I installed node.js and ace from Daisy's ACE installation page. Perhaps that should be part of the documentation.

[thiago.eec]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Was responding to a message in another thread and reminded me that when I tried installing Check Book, I could never get the customization dialog to run. calibre just hung on a spinning cursor.

I just retried it today and with calibre 5.43, Windows 11 Pro x64, still no joy until I installed node.js and ace from Daisy's ACE installation page. Perhaps that should be part of the documentation.

Hi, @DNSB.

That's odd. I can't replicate this issue.

The config dialog is not tied to Node.js or ACE installation in any way. The only check made when opening it for the first time is related to EPUBCheck: it checks if your Java is 32 or 64 bits. This check is made only once.

It may cause a small delay when opening the config dialog for the first time. But it's just couple of seconds, anyway.

Now, about Node.js and ACE installation requirement. I'll add this to thread. Thanks for noticing it. Also, I added a warning message to the user when Node.js is not installed. As for ACE, there was already a message for it.

I'll release the patch in a few minutes.

[thiago.eec]

Version 0.1.2 - 11 Jul 2022

- Add support for automatic Dark and Light theme change

[thiago.eec]

Version 0.1.3 - 10 Aug 2022

- Add support for themed versions of icons (-for-dark-theme / -for-light-theme)

[Springbok]

I have a question regarding the epubcheck part of your plug-in which I've been testing for a couple of days.
If I undestand correctly the EPUBCheck report column should contain a link to the report file beeing produced after the plug-in is run. I click on the contains and I don't get to the report. Clicking on it opens the calibre editor (not the book editor though).

Is it something I am doing wrong or I miss something in the setup?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Springbok

I have a question regarding the epubcheck part of your plug-in which I've been testing for a couple of days.
If I undestand correctly the EPUBCheck report column should contain a link to the report file beeing produced after the plug-in is run. I click on the contains and I don't get to the report. Clicking on it opens the calibre editor (not the book editor though).

Is it something I am doing wrong or I miss something in the setup?

The Calibre editor is the eBook editor. Also, you would be best to use the epubckeck plugin for the editor. It gives you a list of errors and you can click on them to go to where the error is. It's better then getting a report.

[Springbok]

Jon,
I know about the possibility to run the epubcheck plugin from the Calibre ebook editor (or from Sigil for that matter). I use it quite often.
The idea behind the Check Books plugin is that I can use it in batch straight from the calibre interface. This is useful for checking a bunch of books in the library.
I am trying to understand the use of "EPUBCheck report" column.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Springbok

Jon,
I know about the possibility to run the epubcheck plugin from the Calibre ebook editor (or from Sigil for that matter). I use it quite often.
The idea behind the Check Books plugin is that I can use it in batch straight from the calibre interface. This is useful for checking a bunch of books in the library.
I am trying to understand the use of "EPUBCheck report" column.

What would work best (IMHO) is if the epubcheck report column could just be a Y/N column so you know if there are errors or not and if so, you would not need to see the errors as you can run epubcheck from the editor and fix them there.

[thiago.eec]

Originally Posted by Springbok

I have a question regarding the epubcheck part of your plug-in which I've been testing for a couple of days.
If I undestand correctly the EPUBCheck report column should contain a link to the report file beeing produced after the plug-in is run. I click on the contains and I don't get to the report. Clicking on it opens the calibre editor (not the book editor though).

Is it something I am doing wrong or I miss something in the setup?

You can't click on links directly on the main book list.
The link is clickable on the Book Details panel. It appears at the end of the comments.

[thiago.eec]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The Calibre editor is the eBook editor. Also, you would be best to use the epubckeck plugin for the editor. It gives you a list of errors and you can click on them to go to where the error is. It's better then getting a report.

He means the comments editor.

Also, like @Springbok already said, the purpose of this plugin is not the same of the Editor plugin.

Some professional workflows require an ACE or EPUBChek report as an input. Also, you can scan your library and mark the books that need work. So, you will open an check only those that do have problems, instead of opening every book to check.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What would work best (IMHO) is if the epubcheck report column could just be a Y/N column so you know if there are errors or not and if so, you would not need to see the errors as you can run epubcheck from the editor and fix them there.

The plugin uses two columns: one stores the link for the report, and the other one is a Y/N column, representing PASS or FAIL.

[Springbok]

Originally Posted by thiago.eec

You can't click on links directly on the main book list.
The link is clickable on the Book Details panel. It appears at the end of the comments.

OK, I've got it, thanks.

PS. I must add 'comment editor' to my calibre terminology list. Until I have started playing with Checkbooks plugin I didn't even know that such program exists.

[Springbok]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What would work best (IMHO) is if the epubcheck report column could just be a Y/N column so you know if there are errors or not and if so, you would not need to see the errors as you can run epubcheck from the editor and fix them there.

This is more less the way I have been testing the plugin so far. But I always prefer to check with the author what is the rationale behind certain features of the program. Now I am perfectly clear.

[thiago.eec]

Version 0.1.4 - 18 Aug 2022

- Allow not choosing a Report Column, so no report will be saved. This can be useful for those only interested on the Pass / Fail result.

[thiago.eec]

Version 0.1.5 - 21 Jan 2023

- Bug fix in the update check mechanism.