Anyone know how to...desktop shortcut to open specific libraries directly

[jecilop]

UDPATE: solved as of Post #5.

GOAL:
Multiple desktop shortcuts of some sort that open the desired library directly. I'm on Windows.

Currently:
Calibre opens the last library used. I think there is a setting to open one library as the default, but even that doesn't work for what I need.

Once upon a time I requested this of @KovidGoyal. He said there may be a way for that but he couldn't/wouldn't something..I don't want to misquote him. He suggested I do something for it, but it was stuff I didn't know how to do.

Anyone out there know how to make this happen? I can't figure any type of additional path to add to the open calibre command of "C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe" to take me directly to a specific library. Other than that, I'm clueless.








WHY?
Given that a lot of people will question my need (some quite contrary as I've learned over time here), I'm including this. SKIP IF YOUR FINE WITHOUT A BACKSTORY.
I have one particular library that is VERY large - almost 80,000 entries, and that library was separated from another that is about a third this size. I have not been able to establish good criteria to divide the larger. The problem is that the very large library takes a LONG TIME TO OPEN. When I want to switch between libraries (there are more than these 2), it takes way too much time to do so and is very ineffecient. Still, neither opening the last library open or setting a default library work best for my needs.

I just want to be able to open a chosen library directly from the desktop when Calibre isn't yet open. I don't expect it to "change" libraries if one is already open.

[PeterT]

Have you looked at the help for calibre?

From https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...n/calibre.html I see

calibre
calibre [options] [path_to_ebook]
Launch the main calibre Graphical User Interface and optionally add the e-book at path_to_ebook to the database.

Whenever you pass arguments to calibre that have spaces in them, enclose the arguments in quotation marks. For example: “/some path/with spaces”

[options]
--detach
Detach from the controlling terminal, if any (Linux only)

--help, -h
show this help message and exit

--ignore-plugins
Ignore custom plugins, useful if you installed a plugin that is preventing calibre from starting

--no-update-check
Do not check for updates

--shutdown-running-calibre, -s
Cause a running calibre instance, if any, to be shutdown. Note that if there are running jobs, they will be silently aborted, so use with care.

--start-in-tray
Start minimized to system tray.

--verbose, -v
Ignored, do not use. Present only for legacy reasons

--version
show program's version number and exit

--with-library
Use the library located at the specified path.

As a WAG I would create a shortcut that included the --with-library switch and the required path.

[jecilop]

@PeterT,
This is a help BUT...It's the finished product I cannot get to. I've worked with this, but no true example means I get little things wrong. My trial-and-error isn't working out.

These are path variations I've tried, but they are not valid when attempting to save. These are desktop shortcuts I've attempted.

"C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe[--with-library][C:\Users\Username\Documents\_LIBRARY General\metadata.db]"

"C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe--with-library--C:\Users\Username\Documents\_LIBRARY General\metadata.db"

I think I'm confused somewhere, but I DO NOT KNOW WHERE.

NOTE: I don't know what WAG means...maybe Work-around...something...



The manual is both great and unhelpful.
I have a hard time with the searches NOT going to specific topics. I've found info more by luck than by search.
If you are a coder used to this, I'm sure it's easy to follow.
If you are computer savvy, a reader, persistent, and can learn easily but still don't do this all the time, there are definitely roadblocks.
If you are not technically savvy, it doesn't do much for a user past a couple of pages (and I say this from a teacher point of view).

The info is there. It's just not easy to reference or is incomplete where it could offer more.

[jackie_w]

@jecilop,

Create a windows .bat file using your text editor of choice containing a one-liner something like this (assuming you're using calibre 64-bit):

"c:\program files\Calibre2\calibre.exe" --with-library "d:\calibre\MyTestLib"

where the red bit is the Windows path to the directory containing the calibre library you want.

Edit: WAG, in this context, "Wild-ass guess", I think

[jecilop]

@PeterT, thanks again.
@jackie_w, Thank YOU!!! That worked perfectly...and NOW I understand how to work with command line info because of seeing this work and can do a lot more and connect more dots.

Thanks again!

[PeterT]

And yes... Jackie ailed the meaning of WAG

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by jecilop

I have one particular library that is VERY large - almost 80,000 entries, and that library was separated from another that is about a third this size. I have not been able to establish good criteria to divide the larger. The problem is that the very large library takes a LONG TIME TO OPEN.

Do you know why this library takes a long time to open?

Whilst 80,000 books is large I wouldn't consider it as being VERY large, I have a library with 143,000 books that opens in a few seconds which I don't regard as a LONG time.

BR

[MartyTX]

Originally Posted by jecilop

@PeterT, thanks again.
@jackie_w, Thank YOU!!! That worked perfectly...and NOW I understand how to work with command line info because of seeing this work and can do a lot more and connect more dots.

Thanks again!

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Now you'll be hooked connecting dots with batch (xxx.bat) files. They were useful back in the DOS days and are still useful today!

[PeterT]

One addition to the batch file could be to run calibre a second time with the -s switch to shut down the currently running version. You'd add that before the line that has the with-library option.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[jecilop]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Do you know why this library takes a long time to open?

Whilst 80,000 books is large I wouldn't consider it as being VERY large, I have a library with 143,000 books that opens in a few seconds which I don't regard as a LONG time.

BR

@BetterRed

I wish I knew. I too would think that 80,000 wasn't so bad. it used to be around 100,000 until I changed some ways of managing and split off some. It helped some until this one continued to grow. The larger is a mix of actual book entries and just metadata record entries (with covers). I do keep opfs in the book files also.
I'd rather the two libraries be combined with Virtual Lib's as the management method. Now, I have to duplicate the various rules between the two (library specific stuff). Still, especially with this new shortcut, it's been better to get to that group and not have to wait for the large to load unless I've forgotten and left it as the last open.
I can attest to this holding true even after the computer was wiped and Calibre and the library restored. It has taken progressively longer as it grew. This does, however, coincide with the various updates pre and post Calibre 2.0. But the small library opens almost immediately.
I've tested this many times with only necessary programs running and nothing in the background that also isn't necessary.
It takes more RAM to open as it gets larger. The metadata.db is 382mb.
The smaller, split-off one is only 13.2 mb. It opens quickly.

I've watched the Task Mgr for memory and cpu usage when these open.
At one point, the large one consistently took about 800,000 K of memory to open and stayed around that unless jobs were running.
That grew to about 1,000,000. Then 1,100,000. And now it hits about 1,300,000 K before it opens and stays there. That last 200,000 goes really slow but the CPU usage stays low around 35% and the memory around 65%. NOTE: this is with Chrome open and many tabs.
However, the last small part of the opening time/memory runs the CPU up and the memory to almost 100%.
Then, once open, it "settles" back to 21%CPU and higher memory usage since it's open (with Chrome). I cannot recall the number without.

I'm running an Intel i3 2.1Ghz with 8gb ram and 64-bit. While I'm sure a better setup would help, the only software that has been changed since buying it is Calibre.
The same 'longer opening time to larger library' held true on my pre to early 2.0 copy on a Pentium with 4gb of RAM and nothing else running. I don't even bother with Calibre on that one with anymore.

Calibre opens "in a flash" with the smaller library. Hit 245,000K memory and that's it. This is also with Chrome running the same.

I may be wrong, but it actually seems to be faster with these new shortcut paths. Again, could just be perception at the moment.

If you have any thoughts on why this is, i'm open to them. Thanks!

[Terisa de morgan]

Just a question: Do you have composite custom columns in the large library? Columns based on other columns?

[jecilop]

@Terisa
I have 4 columns that are built from others. They are counts and calculations.
Author Count, Tag Count, Reading Time, and Printed page Count estimation based on a once generated word count.

[sjfan]

Originally Posted by jecilop

@Terisa
I have 4 columns that are built from others. They are counts and calculations.
Author Count, Tag Count, Reading Time, and Printed page Count estimation based on a once generated word count.

That's probably why you're seeing things take so long. The composite ones can be very slow to generate. You'd be a lot better off performance-wise generating these as a batch (e.g. at import time) into static columns.

[jecilop]

Originally Posted by sjfan

That's probably why you're seeing things take so long. The composite ones can be very slow to generate. You'd be a lot better off performance-wise generating these as a batch (e.g. at import time) into static columns.

@sjfan
I think I get what you are saying. I'm just not in a position for one "working" library and one "final" library with static columns. I tried that for a time, but it proved inefficient for my needs.

I didn't realize it recalculated every time you open the library IF that is what you are suggesting. I thought it only did that if changes were made to affect the outcome.

@KovidGoyal, is it accurate that it does of the calculations again when opening?

[BetterRed]

@jecliop - assuming Kovid confirms that composite columns are recalculated when a library is opened (I think he will), then you, with help of chaley, might be able to leverage his Library Closed plugin Save Composite Custom Columns.

I don't use this plugin, but I believe Terisa deM does use it, maybe she could give an opinion.

BR