Easier way to manage multiple collections on kindle

accwebworks · 01-01-2011, 09:23 PM

I wrote a small web based utility to manage my kindle collections. It can be great time saver for folks who want to create many collections on their kindle.
It creates collections from folders on your pc.

http://www.accwebworks.com/kindle.aspx

Please let me know of any bugs or feature requests.
thanks

daffy4u · 01-01-2011, 09:41 PM

Thanks accwebworks. That looks like a pretty nifty program. I've added it to the wiki.

accwebworks · 01-01-2011, 10:16 PM

Thanks, hope it makes it easier for everyone to create multiple collections.

FF2 · 01-02-2011, 12:33 AM

Query:

Can one just have the books on the kindle attached as a drive via usb and do a DIR command against the kindle-drive? I see you have the folder structure start from Kindle but it could start at documents? Although, you treat Audible, too.

Although, I guess since I want a backup, having the books on the computer is reasonable

Thanks for sharing - I will give it a try.

accwebworks · 01-02-2011, 11:15 AM

That's a good suggestion. I made a adjustment to allow to run file list directly from attached kindle. Of course this means if you do that you have to organize your books in folders directly in your kindle documents folder.
Let me know how this works out for you.

FF2 · 01-02-2011, 12:41 PM

Ah, the key concept - ORGANIZE - somewhere! (g)

Actually, I have been trying to create a limited folder (I'm still old school, very old school and call them Directories which works nicely with your DIR command line). That's one aspect of Calibre that I have not quite worked around - creating folders for each author and each book. I prefer my 8-10 major genres and less sub-foldering. I'll see if I can play a bit later (my desktop is being fixed and this netbook is quite limiting)

leaston · 01-02-2011, 01:44 PM

Thank you accwebworks, that is going to be very useful to me. Very much appreciated!

jangell2 · 01-05-2011, 09:50 AM

Quote:

This utility was tested with english characters. It may not work correctly with special or non english characters.

Will this work with directory names that begin with a period followed by a space? I found this helps to get collections sorted properly on the kindle home screen.

Quote:

Copy all files from your kindle folder on your pc to its respective subfolders on kindle including new system\collections.json file.

Why is copying all files from the pc to the kindle necessary. Isn't it the json file that puts books in collections? I can see that if I were doing this a 2nd time, this would make it easier to copy from the kindle to the pc and still have the directory structure created the first time. But is it necessary.

jangell2 · 01-05-2011, 09:58 AM

I just looked at my kindle directory structure and there is no system directory. I have the following:
.active-content-data
audible
documents
duplicate_documents
music
metadata.calibre (which is a file)

Do I need to create a systems folder in my kindle directory on my pc?

accwebworks · 01-05-2011, 10:31 AM

Jangell2,

1. Period and a space should not be a problem.
2. Collections.json file associates collection name with a list of files in file system.
Some files require full path of that file as an identifier of that file.
So, if you create a collection that contains file that exist on your pc and that file
has different path on your kindle, that file will not be found in that collection.
Kindle does not care where the file is located. This utility is using folder name as a
collection name. Makes it easy to organize files that will belong to a given collection.

3. Yes, system folder is hidden. You can go to folder options and make invisible folders
visible. I'll update instructions, it may be confusing for some.

jangell2 · 01-05-2011, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by accwebworks

Jangell2,
3. Yes, system folder is hidden. You can go to folder options and make invisible folders
visible. I'll update instructions, it may be confusing for some.

I just checked and my folder options also say to show hidden files, but not protected files. I changed that and the system file showed up. It's probably not an option to leave on for long, could get you into trouble.

jangell2 · 01-05-2011, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by accwebworks

Jangell2,
2. Collections.json file associates collection name with a list of files in file system.
Some files require full path of that file as an identifier of that file.
So, if you create a collection that contains file that exist on your pc and that file
has different path on your kindle, that file will not be found in that collection.
Kindle does not care where the file is located. This utility is using folder name as a
collection name. Makes it easy to organize files that will belong to a given collection.

You're saying the location of the file indicates what collection the book is in. I thought I had read that a book could be in more than one collection without having two or more copies of the book. If the location of the book determines what collection it is in, than there would have to be more than one copy of the book to be in more one collection.

accwebworks · 01-05-2011, 08:37 PM

Yes, you can have a book in multiple collections. Since this utility is using file system on pc to create collections then if you wish to have same book in multiple collections it would have to exist in 2 separate folders.

FF2 · 01-05-2011, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by accwebworks

Yes, you can have a book in multiple collections. Since this utility is using file system on pc to create collections then if you wish to have same book in multiple collections it would have to exist in 2 separate folders.

A thought on that issue which may not work but .....

What if someone created a SHORTCUT to the real book in a second folder? Would your program know what to do with it or would it just add it to that second folder? Actually, that is what Collections really are - shortcuts or pointers to a book. Just musing....

accwebworks · 01-06-2011, 12:05 AM

Well, I would have build in special handling for shortcuts. Basically I would be looking at file list looking for shortcuts first. If any shortcut name matched any book in the file list I could point to the physical book location of the shortcut. Since all I have is names of files, naming shortcut would be very important. It would have to be named the same way as the original file. This could potentially save some space for people who have lots of same books in multiple collections.

01-01-2011, 09:23 PM	#1
accwebworks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 824 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: kindle3	Easier way to manage collections on kindle - (Web Based Kindle Collection Maker) I wrote a small web based utility to manage my kindle collections. It can be great time saver for folks who want to create many collections on their kindle. It creates collections from folders on your pc. http://www.accwebworks.com/kindle.aspx Please let me know of any bugs or feature requests. thanks Last edited by accwebworks; 01-01-2011 at 10:39 PM.

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01-01-2011, 09:41 PM	#2
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	Thanks accwebworks. That looks like a pretty nifty program. I've added it to the wiki.

01-01-2011, 10:16 PM	#3
accwebworks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 824 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: kindle3	Thanks, hope it makes it easier for everyone to create multiple collections.

01-02-2011, 12:33 AM	#4
FF2 Wizard Posts: 1,105 Karma: 1025784 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: WiFi Kindle3	Query: Can one just have the books on the kindle attached as a drive via usb and do a DIR command against the kindle-drive? I see you have the folder structure start from Kindle but it could start at documents? Although, you treat Audible, too. Although, I guess since I want a backup, having the books on the computer is reasonable Thanks for sharing - I will give it a try.

01-02-2011, 11:15 AM	#5
accwebworks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 824 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: kindle3	That's a good suggestion. I made a adjustment to allow to run file list directly from attached kindle. Of course this means if you do that you have to organize your books in folders directly in your kindle documents folder. Let me know how this works out for you.

01-02-2011, 12:41 PM	#6
FF2 Wizard Posts: 1,105 Karma: 1025784 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: WiFi Kindle3	Ah, the key concept - ORGANIZE - somewhere! (g) Actually, I have been trying to create a limited folder (I'm still old school, very old school and call them Directories which works nicely with your DIR command line). That's one aspect of Calibre that I have not quite worked around - creating folders for each author and each book. I prefer my 8-10 major genres and less sub-foldering. I'll see if I can play a bit later (my desktop is being fixed and this netbook is quite limiting)

01-02-2011, 01:44 PM	#7
leaston Addict Posts: 248 Karma: 1135030 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: West Yorkshire Device: Kobo Forma	Thank you accwebworks, that is going to be very useful to me. Very much appreciated!

01-05-2011, 09:58 AM	#9
jangell2 Addict Posts: 296 Karma: 1618384 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle	I just looked at my kindle directory structure and there is no system directory. I have the following: .active-content-data audible documents duplicate_documents music metadata.calibre (which is a file) Do I need to create a systems folder in my kindle directory on my pc?

01-05-2011, 10:31 AM	#10
accwebworks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 824 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: kindle3	Jangell2, 1. Period and a space should not be a problem. 2. Collections.json file associates collection name with a list of files in file system. Some files require full path of that file as an identifier of that file. So, if you create a collection that contains file that exist on your pc and that file has different path on your kindle, that file will not be found in that collection. Kindle does not care where the file is located. This utility is using folder name as a collection name. Makes it easy to organize files that will belong to a given collection. 3. Yes, system folder is hidden. You can go to folder options and make invisible folders visible. I'll update instructions, it may be confusing for some.

01-05-2011, 08:37 PM	#13
accwebworks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 824 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: kindle3	Yes, you can have a book in multiple collections. Since this utility is using file system on pc to create collections then if you wish to have same book in multiple collections it would have to exist in 2 separate folders.

01-06-2011, 12:05 AM	#15
accwebworks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 824 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: kindle3	Well, I would have build in special handling for shortcuts. Basically I would be looking at file list looking for shortcuts first. If any shortcut name matched any book in the file list I could point to the physical book location of the shortcut. Since all I have is names of files, naming shortcut would be very important. It would have to be named the same way as the original file. This could potentially save some space for people who have lots of same books in multiple collections.