Why use the command line?

slantybard · 07-22-2009, 06:42 AM

Might be a silly question, but I was wondering why people would use the command line for calibre routinely instead of the gui?

itimpi · 07-22-2009, 07:01 AM

One reason is because operation via the Command Line tend to be much faster.

pepak · 07-22-2009, 07:25 AM

It is much faster for repetitive tasks, and more often than not more comfortable as well.

kacir · 07-22-2009, 07:25 AM

You might want to make scripts in commandline.
You might want to make a script that would process several hundred books automatically.
You might want to make your own solution and you just use certain parts of software, just like Kovid (Calibre author) used many parts made by third party.
You might want to specify some very specific commandline options to the conversion utilities.
You might want to help somebody remotely, because he needs to convert some files or something, and instead of describing what to click, and what to expect, you just tell him: take this text paste it into commandline and it will do what you want.
You might want to solve a problem, so you run the commandline and see the debug information, instead of just program crashing and main window silently disappearing.

It is much better way to create several components that work independently and create an user interface that uses those components, than creating one big executable file. Unix systems do it this way.
Calibre was, at the very beginning, called libprs500. It was a commandline tool build by a very clever hacker, so he could access files on his Sony Reader PRS-500 from Linux.

Just recently somebody came to our forum asking how to convert thousands of free erotica stories for download in several e-book formats. He used commandline Calibre tools to make a batch conversion.

Several big-shot ebook publishers use Calibre to create (convert) their ebooks to various formats, from what I heard.

ilovejedd · 07-22-2009, 11:59 AM

It really is much, much faster than the GUI for conversion tasks, at least in Windows.

kovidgoyal · 07-22-2009, 12:06 PM

I HATE mice!!

ahi · 07-22-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

I HATE mice!!

Me too! One year the cheeky little bastards ate some of my decorative parlour candy!!!

- Ahi

07-22-2009, 06:42 AM	#1
slantybard my parent's oops... Posts: 250 Karma: 1078746 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Vx->Handera->Clie-> Axim->505->650->KPW	Why use the command line? Might be a silly question, but I was wondering why people would use the command line for calibre routinely instead of the gui?

07-22-2009, 12:06 PM	#6
kovidgoyal Creator of calibre Posts: 22,489 Karma: 2944574 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I HATE mice!! __________________ Get calibre Notice to all: I can not provide assistance with DRM removal, for legal reasons, so please do not contact me about it.

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07-22-2009, 07:01 AM	#2
itimpi Wizard Posts: 3,589 Karma: 549131 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (stanza/iBooks/QuickReader)	One reason is because operation via the Command Line tend to be much faster.

07-22-2009, 07:25 AM	#3
pepak Fanatic Posts: 594 Karma: 4150 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-505	It is much faster for repetitive tasks, and more often than not more comfortable as well.

07-22-2009, 07:25 AM	#4
kacir Wizard Posts: 2,554 Karma: 2601959 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	You might want to make scripts in commandline. You might want to make a script that would process several hundred books automatically. You might want to make your own solution and you just use certain parts of software, just like Kovid (Calibre author) used many parts made by third party. You might want to specify some very specific commandline options to the conversion utilities. You might want to help somebody remotely, because he needs to convert some files or something, and instead of describing what to click, and what to expect, you just tell him: take this text paste it into commandline and it will do what you want. You might want to solve a problem, so you run the commandline and see the debug information, instead of just program crashing and main window silently disappearing. It is much better way to create several components that work independently and create an user interface that uses those components, than creating one big executable file. Unix systems do it this way. Calibre was, at the very beginning, called libprs500. It was a commandline tool build by a very clever hacker, so he could access files on his Sony Reader PRS-500 from Linux. Just recently somebody came to our forum asking how to convert thousands of free erotica stories for download in several e-book formats. He used commandline Calibre tools to make a batch conversion. Several big-shot ebook publishers use Calibre to create (convert) their ebooks to various formats, from what I heard.

07-22-2009, 11:59 AM	#5
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 2,106 Karma: 4988742 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PRS-350, Nexus S, Galaxy S, Nook Color, iPhone4, iPT4, iPad 2012	It really is much, much faster than the GUI for conversion tasks, at least in Windows.


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