[Merischino]

I tried reading the FAQs, and did try searching through this forum for posts related to my questions, however it seems that folks here are all much less of a n00b to programming and coding to get around than I am. In fact, I am not at all comfortable with coding of any kind.

I am using Calibre library in concert with Stanza on an OS X 10.6.4 mac and an iPhone 3GS running ios 3.1.3.

I am able to import books into calibre. I am able to download from my computers library into the iPhone. So far, so good.

But... I have a considerable library, less than 2% of which I have brought into Calibre. I've spent the last 2 months trying everything (short of coding) to get the simple task of sorting by author done. And, it appears that it simply cannot be done. Adding books by a single author all at once, then changing the calibre metadata (distinct from the existing file's metadata) for each record so that the author's name is uniform in all instances before adding books from another author does not help.

I also can't sort reliably on any other category, but for simplicity I will limit this post to the fact that re-entering/correcting the "author" field doesn't do it. Re-entering/correcting the "author sort" field doesn't do it. Deleting the entire calibre library and starting from scratch doesn't do it.

What is the trick?

Things I'd like to do that seemingly *can* be done in calibre although I haven't been able to make it happen:

-Update all records with the series name and series number for all those books for which these fields are relevant.... and sorting on those.

-Making series information available and usable while on the device, in this case the iPhone using Stanza (although I also have Good Library and several other iphone programs that would suffice)

-Do something to correct the files in the Calibre library such that corrected author names, author sort fields, ISBN numbers and cover art which has been downloaded, etc. all get associated with the book file (my ideal view would be, this information gets put INTO the ACTUAL file so that the calibre metadata work does not have to get done over, and over, and over again as is my experience)

-Ultimately arrive at a Calibre library that does not have multiple folders for the same author, some with a comma, some with an underline, in the name, all with identical contents, and arrive at a Calibre library that does not have emply folders for every instance of incorrect author name that existed prior to being corrected

I don't need to go into my Calibre library as an access point for the books, but with a substantially large library, I do not want to have duplicate, triplicate, quadruplicate files in that library. Its inefficient and undesirable, not to mention impossible to figure out which file is/should be updated with the corrected metadata.

Anyway, I would appreciate any help, and if there IS an existing thread or help file that addresses Sorting, integrated correct metadata into your file, etc, feel free simply to point me there, I'm not intending that anyone recreate the wheel.