Custom Column made from Comments

[slantybard]

I tried looking through the help manual and searching the forums, but haven't been able to find out how to create a custom column that shows the books comments in the main interface. I suspect it is obvious and that I am trying too hard to figure it out

All my books contain a description/blurb in the comments section of the edit book metadata window. I would like this info to show up in a column in the main interface so that I can see the beginning of the comments or hover over so that I can see the comments instead of having the "show book details" panel open.

If anyone can either provide instructions for me or link to forum instructions that would be appreciated.

[BetterRed]

If you just want indication in the list that a book has Comments then you could add an icon to a column (e.g. Title) viz:



If you want more than that you could do something like this.

Create a Comments like custom Column - e.g blurb/Blurb



Move Comments to Blurb



Clear Comments (I prefer to do this separately after eye-balling the previous step)



The problem is: Blurb is marked up HTML text, but the book list columns are 'plain' text so the result can be very messy - which is why Comments cannot be shown in the book list.

To overcome that I cloak the Blurb column with an icon with no text. My primary objective was to edit the Blurb from the book list rather than the Metadata Edit panels.

BR

[slantybard]

Thanks so much for the reply. I was wondering why comments can't be a default column and the issues with HTML make sense.

I have a couple of follow up questions if you don't mind:
1. Is there a downside to keeping the comments after copying them to #blurb? I ask because I use the OPDS content server to transfer books to MapleRead and the comments show up when I am browsing MR on my iOS devices and I think if I deleted the comments, then they wouldn't show up while using MR.

2. Is there a repository of custom icons that forum users have made for sharing?

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by slantybard

2. Is there a repository of custom icons that forum users have made for sharing?

I've found that FatCow's web icons has a nice assortment that render well in Calibre. (The download link for the zip is broken but Wayback Machine has it.)

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by slantybard

Thanks so much for the reply. I was wondering why comments can't be a default column and the issues with HTML make sense.

I have a couple of follow up questions if you don't mind:
1. Is there a downside to keeping the comments after copying them to #blurb? I ask because I use the OPDS content server to transfer books to MapleRead and the comments show up when I am browsing MR on my iOS devices and I think if I deleted the comments, then they wouldn't show up while using MR.

2. Is there a repository of custom icons that forum users have made for sharing?

1. - no idea, suck it and see.

2. - column icons are not .ico files, they're PNGs. IIRC - 128x128 square ones are optimal. I fossick around sites like https://findicons.com/pack.

I think I got that one from chaley - sometimes I go to deviantart.

BR

[slantybard]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

1. - no idea, suck it and see.

2. - column icons are not .ico files, they're PNGs. IIRC - 128x128 square ones are optimal. I fossick around sites like https://findicons.com/pack.

I think I got that one from chaley - sometimes I go to deviantart.

BR

Thanks everyone for your responses. I tried leaving the blurb and comment but then realized that if I alter one, I will need to alter the other (or over-write using regex the new version). I ended up trying to use only the #blurb and that seems to be showing up OK with MR on my iOS devices, so I have cleared the comments and left only the blurb. Your solutions are very appreciated!!