custom date column from two state column

[Dopedangel]

I have a two state yes no column that I use to mark books read or unread. Is it possible to make another custom that sets the date when I change the first column to yes.
The date should be editable so I can set the dates for books I have already marked read.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

I have a two state yes no column that I use to mark books read or unread. Is it possible to make another custom that sets the date when I change the first column to yes.
The date should be editable so I can set the dates for books I have already marked read.

Why use 2 columns when one will do
The book is either Read or Unread (you did say '2 state')


Make Read your Date column.

Not read = blank date

Now if you were also recording when you started and when you finished (Remembers how many years it took me to wade through Hawaii )

[Dopedangel]

I would have to enter the date now I can just press y or n. Plus the date column will be hidden from view and just used for search restriction etc

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

I would have to enter the date now I can just press y or n. Plus the date column will be hidden from view and just used for search restriction etc

In an empty date column cell: press F2 then Enter (only works for blank) populates with current date-Time

BTW I have (the Tweak) to Press F2 to edit a cell, double-clicking may work for normal mode

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

I have a two state yes no column that I use to mark books read or unread. Is it possible to make another custom that sets the date when I change the first column to yes.
The date should be editable so I can set the dates for books I have already marked read.

There isn't an easy way to do it. Calibre does not support the notion of change triggers on custom columns, and the template language does not support assignment to fields. Something like the coloring rules as triggers is imaginable, but it would not be particularly easy to do. I would be particularly concerned about ordering and circularity.

Beyond getting into calibre's code and hacking it to implement the trigger, I think the only way to accomplish this is to write a plugin that manages the boolean column. Instead of setting the bool column directly you would talk to the plugin using keyboard shortcuts. The plugin would change the value of the bool column, and if appropriate set the value of the date column.

[kiwidude]

@Dopedangel - there is another option that I will just throw out there for your info. The Goodreads Sync plugin has exactly this capability as part of adding to a shelf. So I have it configured such that when I finish reading a book I do a right-click to add it to my read shelf - the dialog that pops up gives me the opportunity to override the date read, and I also have it configured to assign Yes to my boolean column, all triggered from that one right click.

Of course that does rely on setting up a (free) Goodreads.com account as well, but you might find it of interest to track your reading/stats through their website as I have.

It might not be of interest as a complete solution, but it does do exactly what you mentioned in this thread.

[Dopedangel]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

@Dopedangel - there is another option that I will just throw out there for your info. The Goodreads Sync plugin has exactly this capability as part of adding to a shelf. So I have it configured such that when I finish reading a book I do a right-click to add it to my read shelf - the dialog that pops up gives me the opportunity to override the date read, and I also have it configured to assign Yes to my boolean column, all triggered from that one right click.

Of course that does rely on setting up a (free) Goodreads.com account as well, but you might find it of interest to track your reading/stats through their website as I have.

It might not be of interest as a complete solution, but it does do exactly what you mentioned in this thread.

Thanks I already have an goodreads account but never used it will play around with it I like to read a lot of series so use fictfact does good reads have a similar functionality

[kiwidude]

If you mean does Goodreads have the ability to notify you about new books in a series, then no it does not. However fictfact (the last time I looked) had the major disadvantage (to me) of *only* working with books that were part of a series. Which is useless to me given I like to read standalone novels as well as series.