[GUI Plugin] View Manager

[kiwidude]

This plugin allows you to easily switch between different views of your library. A view can consist of a combination of columns to be displayed in a certain order, with optional additions of a specified sort order, search restriction and/or saved search to be applied when the view is selected.

Example usages:

• When performing certain tasks like editing metadata you want different columns visible.
• You have multiple book types in your library, for which you want to display different columns for when you filter by that book type.
• You want an easy way to quickly re-apply a default multi-column sort order.
• You want to display/sort/filter your books differently while your device is connected (such as excluding books that are wishlist items and sorting those on the device at the top).

Main features of v1.3.0

• Create as many different views as you wish
• Views are library specific (redefine your views within each as you may have different columns)
• Define which of your columns are visible and the display order for each view
• Save your column widths on demand for the current view
• Optional sort order(s) to be applied (right-click to choose ascending/descending)
• Optional search restriction to be applied
• Optional saved search to be applied
• Optional keyboard shortcuts for quick access
• Option to automatically apply either last selected view or a specifically named view at startup/when switching libraries

Special Notes:

• Requires Calibre 0.8.57 or later.
• If you enable the "automatically apply last view" functionality and then this will override over any values you have specified in tweaks for startup columns or restrictions.

Installation Steps:

1. Download the attached zip file and install the plugin/restart Calibre/add to context menu or toolbar as described in the Introduction to plugins thread.

Paypal Donations:

• If you find this or any of my other plugins useful please feel free to show your appreciation. I have spent many hundreds of unpaid hours in their development and support so any encouragement for me to continue is appreciated!
  

Version History:

Spoiler:

Version 1.3.0 - 22 Jun 2012
Now requires calibre 0.8.57
Store views in the calibre database rather than a json file, to allow reuse from different computers (not simultaneously!)
Add a support option to the "Other" tab allowing viewing the plugin data stored in the database
No longer support upgrading from plugin versions older than 1.2.0

Version 1.2.1 - 11 Sep 2011
When switching libraries, ensure no issues with old menu items causing a crash

Version 1.2.0 - 11 Sep 2011
Upgrade to support the centralised keyboard shortcut management in Calibre
When opening the configuration dialog, default to the last selected view

Version 1.1.2 - 16 Jul 2011
Fix config error introduced with 1.1.1

Version 1.1.1 - 16 Jul 2011
Fix error issue for first time users

Version 1.1.0 - 11 Jul 2011
Add ability to store column widths as part of the view information

Version 1.0.6 - 15 Jun 2011
Indicate the last selected view with a checkbox in the menu

Version 1.0.5 - 23 Apr 2011
Fix bug of not always remembering the last applied view when restarting/switching libraries
Enhance configuration options to allow specifying a view to apply at startup
Ensure any auto applying of views is a per library setting

Version 1.0.4 - 14 Apr 2011
Fix bug of applying a blank saved search not working

Version 1.0.3 - 12 Apr 2011
Fix bug of plugin not working for first time users from 1.0.2
Add text to config dialog advising of behaviour if enable automatic apply view

Version 1.0.2 - 11 Apr 2011
Offer configuration option to apply last selected view at startup or switching libraries
Change configuration file format to offer more flexibility

Version 1.0.1 - 10 Apr 2011
Fix bug of key error when creating new views

Version 1.0 - 10 Feb 2011
Initial release of View Manager plugin

[nynaevelan]

Kiwidude:

I get the following error when creating a new view, I have to close and restart the customize plugin in order for the columns to be selected:



And thank you for this, I am going to love using this one.

[theducks]

I noticed the same effect XP SP3

1st start: No anything in any box.
Pulldown, to showed the word 'Default', Set. Error message.
Closed , restarted PI (default), now has Calibre show only field name Title.
Configured (default), now works as expected.

[kiwidude]

Thanks guys and apologies for the clanger. I had the idea of adding saved searches/restrictions to the plugin just before I was going to release it and clearly forgot to re-test everything. I did warn it was a bit hot off the press

[nynaevelan]

Kiwidude:

This is not a major thing, but is it possible for Calibre to remember the active View Manager view on a restart?

Nyn

[kiwidude]

@Nyn - I've been experimenting with this. The answer is yes and no from my look at it. I can get it to restore the columns and sort from your last used view for a specific library, both when you startup and when you switch libraries.

However it does not appear to be possible from the plugin to specify a search or search restriction. They seem to get cleared at a point after the plugin has initialization_complete invoked. I will see if Kovid has any suggestions. Without that ability the "only" thing you would be gaining is the ability to have different sort orders per library (and being able to specify them in a nicer way than the tweak).

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

@Nyn - I've been experimenting with this. The answer is yes and no from my look at it. I can get it to restore the columns and sort from your last used view for a specific library, both when you startup and when you switch libraries.

Great, this would be nice if Calibre could maintain the last view.

Originally Posted by kiwidude

However it does not appear to be possible from the plugin to specify a search or search restriction. They seem to get cleared at a point after the plugin has initialization_complete invoked. I will see if Kovid has any suggestions. Without that ability the "only" thing you would be gaining is the ability to have different sort orders per library (and being able to specify them in a nicer way than the tweak).

I'm not sure I understand you, are you saying it loses the restriction within the same session or when trying to restart Calibre?

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by nynaevelan

I'm not sure I understand you, are you saying it loses the restriction within the same session or when trying to restart Calibre?

Both - when switching libraries and when restarting Calibre, if I try from the plugin to specify a search or search restriction at the last point possible from my plugin the search is still getting cleared. I'm chasing up about it in the dev forums, hopefully we will figure something out - I've surprised Kovid which usually means it's my fault

[kiwidude]

Changes in this release:

• Offer configuration option to apply last selected view at startup or switching libraries
• Change configuration file format to offer more flexibility

The automatic applying of the last selected view is turned off by default. Until Calibre 0.7.55 is released which has a fix, it has the following limitation. When switching libraries, only the columns and sort order specified in the last used view will be applied. Any search restriction or saved search for that view are ignored. This limitation does not apply when you startup Calibre.

Once Calibre 0.7.55 is released the functionality will work fully as expected without further upgrading the plugin.

[nynaevelan]

Thank you so much for the plugin and for the update.

[nynaevelan]

Kiwidude:

I am having trouble switching from a view that uses a restriction and one that doesn't. If I go from a view without a restriction to one with one, it switches fine but if I go from a view with a restriction to one without one, it will not update and add all the books into the view. Are you seeing this on your setup?

[kiwidude]

@Nyn - If you go from a view with a restiction to one without, I would expect that you must set a restriction of "blank" on the one without and tick the "apply restriction" for it, to force the previous restriction to be removed.

I did it this way because if a user manually set a restriction, then wanted to change columns (using a view that had no restriction set) I didn't want it "always" cleared unless they explicitly did so as I described above.

Or are you experiencing something else?

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

@Nyn - If you go from a view with a restiction to one without, I would expect that you must set a restriction of "blank" on the one without and tick the "apply restriction" for it, to force the previous restriction to be removed.

I did it this way because if a user manually set a restriction, then wanted to change columns (using a view that had no restriction set) I didn't want it "always" cleared unless they explicitly did so as I described above.

Or are you experiencing something else?

Nope that's it, thanks for the pointer, I will do that to clear the restriction. Of course if I wanted to be REALLY lazy I could create a restriction that included everything to be used for that view.

[jesscat]

I'm in desperate need of help - can you tell me what I'm doing wrong? I go to "customize plugin," click the green "+", which puts "Default" in the "Select View to Customize" field. I left Default as the name for now, checked boxes in "Columns in View" on the left, didn't touch any of the "Sort Order" boxes for now, applied a search restriction (and checked the box), then added a shortcut ("Ctrl+1") and clicked OK.

But nothing happened. Ctrl+1 does nothing, and when I go back into Customize, there's nothing there - the dropdown menu in Select View is empty; my Default view doesn't appear to have been saved.

I know I must be doing something wrong and I feel like an idiot - what step am I missing?

[kiwidude]

Not an idiot at all - you found a cunning flaw somehow. I'll push a fix when I figure out what broke