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#1 |
Deviser
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[GUI Plugin] Author Book Count
This plugin updates a new custom column for the total number of books written by each author. This is done for every book in your library. It provides functionality that standard Calibre does not provide, specifically the ability to search using queries constructed with integers for an integer custom column. Example: ((#abc_numeric:">6") and (#abc_numeric:"<47")). Also, its normal ABC column in the Tag Browser has full Tag Browser functionality based specifically on ABC.
Also see: "Author Book Count Hierarchy", a plugin designed for perusing complex Co-Author relationships, not just ABC counts. Main Features ABC: This plugin updates a custom column for the total number of books for an author for each book of each author in your library. It always updates all books in the open library. The results are displayed in the left browser pane under "ABC". A menu selection to "Read Instructions" is available. Installation Notes:
Execution Notes:
Special Notes:
Version History: Spoiler:
Last edited by DaltonST; 01-08-2023 at 04:58 PM. Reason: New Version 2.2.3 |
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#2 |
Enthusiast
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multiple authors
I like the plugin.
Of course, it would be nice if you could account for multiple authors. Aren't you essentially collecting this information anyway? Since ABC is a single text field, can't you just list counts for authors in order of id, separated by commas, e. g. Mikado, Rogers & Hammerstein, ABC= "7, 9" => "Rogers, Hammerstein"? Of course, I ask out of ignorance, as I am not a programmer, and haven't the slightest idea how you are doing the counting, and perhaps it would necessitate a few additional passes, thereby taking a bit longer, but it seems to be fast enough anyway. Steps: list individual authors assign a count to each, including wherever they appear for each book, assemble ABC value by stringing together values for each authors in order. Is that much different than what you do now? Any, nice plugin. It has come in quite handy. If the ABC were clickable in the book details, that would be a plus, of course... |
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#3 |
Deviser
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Calibre > Preferences > Look and Feel > Book Details
Glad you like it.
The instructions tell you how to customize Calibre for Book Details: "If you don't want to see the count in the Book Details view, go to Calibre > Preferences > Look and Feel > Book Details and customize the view to your taste." You must have turned it off, because the default is "on". This plugin handles only the first author for the single custom column, which is ""text, with column shown in the tag browser". Adding multiple author counts in the existing column would be confusing to the user, to say the least. After I finish building another new plugin, I will think about adding an optional second new custom_column to deal with multiple authors in such a way that it will be intuitive to use. |
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#4 | |||
Enthusiast
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confusing?
Wow that was a quick reply!
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![]() I'll point out that not all users will have come to the forum and read your instructions first, clear as they are. Many of us install from within Calibre, and don't see the special directions til after we install it. I installed the plugin, it didn't work, naturally, and left it at that for a long time til on a whim I tried again when I had a little time to spare. Others might not have. Quote:
![]() ![]() comma separated hyperlinked values, with tooltips indicating which author, and clickable individually for each author. Simple and intuitive. You very likely have better ideas, but I'd settle for that. ![]() ![]() Last edited by asllearner; 07-22-2014 at 12:23 PM. |
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#5 |
Deviser
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ABC Release 1.1.0 Uploaded
Author Book Count Release 1.1.0 is now available. It has an Adobe Acrobat .pdf instruction file linked to a sub-menu of the main icon. The instruction file is also attached to the primary post of this thread. Technical changes for the upcoming Calibre 2.0 release were also implemented.
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#6 | |
Ex-Helpdesk Junkie
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Quote:
Also, PDF ![]() ![]() |
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#7 |
Well trained by Cats
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#8 |
Deviser
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Forum Rules Disallow Zip Attachments Except For The Plugin Itself
My choice of .pdf was not at all arbitrary.
The reason there is a .pdf file attached to this thread is that the Forum Rules disallow any zip attachments except for the PI itself in order to not confuse the scraper that automatically updates the PI Index. A .pdf file is a single file, and does not need to be zipped. Neither do .rtf or .docx documents, for that matter. When I converted the original MS Word document in which I wrote the instructions into HTML, multiple files were produced due to the images contained in the instructions. I cannot zip them per the Forum Rules. So, I converted my MS Word document to .pdf instead. Hence the attached .pdf file. I did try converting the Word docx into a single-file .mht format that could simply be attached to this thread, but the result was a 1.1 megabyte .mht file instead of a 292KB .pdf file. Within the PI itself, I could certainly use HTML instead of .pdf, since I can extract the HTML files just as I do the .pdf file when the user clicks on the "read instructions" sub-menu icon. It just seems like punishment to have to have 2 different formats because I cannot add an "HTML_Instructions.zip" file to this thread. I am working on a new plugin that has an 18 page Word document filled with screen snippets and Powerpoint graphics. That PI has the same issue as this one. Also, I hope the Forum Rules concerning max-size of attachments is not bumped against for that PI, since even as a .pdf (and not .mht) it still will be over 1mb in size. Regarding your suggestion to embed the viewer in the gui, I launch the instructions file (in both plugins) in a sub-process of the operating system that is independent of Calibre so that the instructions can be read even if Calibre is exited. That is why it is not embedded in the gui per you suggestion. Again, my decision was not arbitrary. |
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#9 |
Ex-Helpdesk Junkie
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The only things in the PDF that aren't in the OP are the pictures. Why not just attach the pictures? No need for the PDF in the thread.
I doubt anyone needs to view the PI help outside of calibre. |
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#10 |
Deviser
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Attaching Dozens of Images to OP Because Only 1 Zip Allowed by Forum Rules ???
You suggestion to attach the images to the OP and not make them available within the PI itself is not scalable at all to larger and more complex PIs that have large instruction manuals. My upcoming PI has dozens of images embedded within text, and they form a cohesive whole. Uploading them per your suggestion and expecting the users to download all of them, and then rearrange them in logical sequence, and then read them in the exact sequence they are intended to be read in, would be wishful thinking, and also quite abusive to the users themselves.
You opinion "I doubt anyone needs to view the PI help outside of Calibre" implicitly contradicts your first post that "PDF is a horrible format which invariably invokes laggy viewers". The instructions require the new users of the PI to Restart Calibre two (2) times, because there is a Custom Column involved. If the instructions were not a sub-process of the operating system, they would be closed when Calibre restarted. The user would suffer "lagginess" unnecessarily because the instructions would have to be reopened ("with lagginess") after Calibre restarted. That is not true for using an external viewer that is independent of Calibre, and remains open while Calibre restarts. You opinion "I doubt anyone needs to view the PI help outside of Calibre" also is flatly incorrect when it comes to more complex PIs that involve the use of other PC tools (such as MS Excel or OpenOffice Calc or Google Docs) simultaneously with the perusal of the instructions. Calibre may not even be running for long periods of time when they need to perform PI-related tasks outside of Calibre. In short, your comments and suggestions are either (a) not scalable to more complex PIs with more complex instructions; or (b) impractical; or (c) abusive to the users. Again, my decisions about the instructions were not at all arbitrary or capricious or based on speculation or "doubts". The root criterion that forced the .pdf instruction file format is the Forum Rule about multiple zip files in the Original Post. If the Forum Admins ever change that Rule, I will then convert all of my MS Word instructions into HTML rather than Adobe's Portable Document Format. Regardless of the format, the viewer will be an external sub-process to Calibre for the reasons cited above. It might even be Calibre's ebook Viewer itself, which of course is an external sub-process to Calibre, and remains open when Calibre closes, as it should. |
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#11 |
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New Plugin: "ABC Hierarchy" Released
Dear asllearner,
Please see https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=243873 for the new ABC Hierarchy plugin that I wrote based upon your post. DaltonST Last edited by DaltonST; 08-04-2014 at 04:28 PM. Reason: New Plugin: "ABC Hierarchy" |
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#12 |
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See new attached image showing how ABC can be used simultaneously with ABCH to yield 3 different views of your Authors.
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#13 |
eBook Junkie
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I've been trying to give this a whirl and it works as intended however now that I have results I am not able to perform any numeric searches on the column. For example if I use #author_book_count:5, I of course get results with all that have a 5 in the column. If I try to search #author_book_count:>=5, I get nothing. Is there some change I have to make in Calibre in order for this to allow me to search based on numbers?? Does this make sense to you?
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#14 |
Grand Sorcerer
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I think the issue is that the column added is TEXTUAL and not NUMERIC.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a template function that would allow the creation of a custom column based on that one which would be numeric. |
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#15 | |
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ABC Is Used From The Tag Browser
Quote:
ABC was designed to be used from the Tag Browser, not through searching. The column should be hidden as stated in the instructions, and the type of column should be as shown in the example in the instructions. ABC actually is not an integer; it is text. That is why the instructions indicate the need to change the Tweaks within Preferences to sort text as numeric so it sorts properly. If you click in the Tag Browser for "ABC [nnnn] 5", the Calibre-built search criterion in the search bar becomes #author_book_count:"=5". For more complex operators, you need Regular Expressions, see http://drmfree.calibre-ebook.com/search for the Calibre requirement for syntax when using REs within Calibre, and then http://www.zytrax.com/tech/web/regex.htm for a tutorial on REs. The very fast and easy way to get your results is not through searching, but by CNTL + double-clicking each of the ABC subgroups in the Tag Browser from 1 through 4 so they have a red minus sign. The search bar will automatically be populated with "not #author_book_count:"=1" and not #author_book_count:"=2" and not #author_book_count:"=3" and not #author_book_count:"=4" and not #author_book_count:"=5"". (Be sure your Search Type option is set to "all of the items", and not "any of the items"). You can then save the search, or press CTL+* to create a Virtual Library. Regular Expressions can also become a Saved Search. Again, REs are explained at http://www.zytrax.com/tech/web/regex.htm |
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