Metadata in files is not being updated.

[Feff]

I recently started using Calibre and decided to get my e-book collection organized with all of the books properly labeled and in a single file format. I converted all of my library to epub and spent hours correcting missing or incomplete titles and author information.

The next step in the process is where I had trouble and found that Calibre hadn't been fully updating the metadata. Every book in the library was in two different formats and I decided to save disk space by moving the epub files to a new directory and letting Calibre rebuild my library.

I imported the files with the "read metadata from file contents" option checked in preferences for adding books. ALL of the book titles and author names reverted to what they had been BEFORE I spent hours using Caliber to get the proper information entered for the books.

I decided to start again and get the tags from the file names only to find that about 1/2 of the file names have been truncated from what the old database had been showing.

I am about to start re-editing the data and need to know how to keep this from happening again.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Feff

The next step in the process is where I had trouble and found that Calibre hadn't been fully updating the metadata. Every book in the library was in two different formats and I decided to save disk space by moving the epub files to a new directory and letting Calibre rebuild my library.

Judging from the title of this post you didn't use calibre to export the books from your library.

Originally Posted by Feff

I imported the files with the "read metadata from file contents" option checked in preferences for adding books. ALL of the book titles and author names reverted to what they had been BEFORE I spent hours using Caliber to get the proper information entered for the books.

Metadata is updated in the book file when you use any of the following features.

• Save to disk
• Send to device
• Convert the book (only method that updates the internal book file)
• Use the content server
• Connect to iTunes
• Connect to folder

Originally Posted by Feff

I decided to start again and get the tags from the file names only to find that about 1/2 of the file names have been truncated from what the old database had been showing.

You should not be mucking around with the books in the calibre database. Use the ample tools in calibre to export the books from the library. You can't expect a program to work if you bypass that program and grab files from the middle of its database.

Originally Posted by Feff

I am about to start re-editing the data and need to know how to keep this from happening again.

Don't circumvent calibre by manually reaching into its database.

Good Luck.

[Manichean]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

• Save to disk
• Send to device
• convert the book
• Use the content server
• Connect to iTunes?
• Connect to folder

Updated that for you. The content server definitely updates the metadata in the downloaded file. Connecting to a folder simulates the folder as a device, thus files sent to that "device" will get their metadata updated as normal.
Don't know about iTunes, though.