Noob import question - adding books by genre, ln, fn . . .

[deleteriousone]

I have read many post on this forum and the Calibre help file and find myself even more confused than ever.
I am trying to get calibre to import from a directory structure of:
<Genre><Author (Last, First)><Series><Title> i.e.
Science Fiction\Anthony, Peirs\Adept Series\ Adept Series 01 - Split Infinity.lit
Science Fiction\Anthony, Peirs\Adept Series\ Adept Series 02 - Blue Adept.lit
. . .

Science Fiction\Anthony, Peirs\Incarnations Series\ Incarnations Series 01 - On a Pale Horse.lit

to recap I want Calibre to store files as genre\author (last, first)\Series\filiename including series number\

Most important is ln,fn followed by series.
I have tried changing the add books preference and by manage authors but I would have to edit every author. It seems with such a powerful program having the author's listed as last name , First Name would be easy. For me at least it is not.

~ ted

[theducks]

Originally Posted by deleteriousone

I have read many post on this forum and the Calibre help file and find myself even more confused than ever.
I am trying to get calibre to import from a directory structure of:
<Genre><Author (Last, First)><Series><Title> i.e.
Science Fiction\Anthony, Peirs\Adept Series\ Adept Series 01 - Split Infinity.lit
Science Fiction\Anthony, Peirs\Adept Series\ Adept Series 02 - Blue Adept.lit
. . .

Science Fiction\Anthony, Peirs\Incarnations Series\ Incarnations Series 01 - On a Pale Horse.lit

to recap I want Calibre to store files as genre\author (last, first)\Series\filiename including series number\

Most important is ln,fn followed by series.
I have tried changing the add books preference and by manage authors but I would have to edit every author. It seems with such a powerful program having the author's listed as last name , First Name would be easy. For me at least it is not.

~ ted

Welcome to MR
If I remember correctly, Calibre CAN NOT set metadata from the Full Path (folder names), only a file name within the folder(s) or meta-data contained in the file.
You could use the Look and Feel preference to set your 'Genre' tag, while importing just those folders in a single Genre.

BTW it is Piers Anthony

[Manichean]

There are several things going on here, I'll break them down.

Originally Posted by deleteriousone

Science Fiction\Anthony, Peirs\Adept Series\ Adept Series 01 - Split Infinity.lit
Science Fiction\Anthony, Peirs\Adept Series\ Adept Series 02 - Blue Adept.lit
. . .

Science Fiction\Anthony, Peirs\Incarnations Series\ Incarnations Series 01 - On a Pale Horse.lit

With a directory structure like that, you can read the series, series_index and title from filename. See theducks answer.

to recap I want Calibre to store files as genre\author (last, first)\Series\filiename including series number\

This may be a mistype on your part, but you don't get to decide how Calibre stores its books at all.

It seems with such a powerful program having the author's listed as last name , First Name would be easy. For me at least it is not.

If you're still building your ibrary and have only a few Authors in it, it is very easy: Go to the tweaks section of the preferences and find a tweak called "author sort name algorithm". Set it to "copy". Save and restart. Now, fill in your authors as LN, FN. If you have some books already added to the library, in the tag browser, right-click on an author and select "manage authors". Make sure that the authors you have show as LN, FN the way you want, then hit "recalculate author_sort values".

[deleteriousone]

Thank you for answering I guess I have need clarification in my request.

"You could use the Look and Feel preference to set your 'Genre' tag, while importing just those folders in a single Genre.

BTW it is Piers Anthony"

True as the the tag which is what I did as a test, however the directory structure does not contain the Genre and I still would need to mark each book as they are imported.

As for the name when writing the post I copied it directly from the Calibre screen, I guess I should have proofread the post a bit better.

With a directory structure like that, you can read the series, series_index

I am able to display the series and in order in Calibre just, for use in the program series order in the file name is not needed. It is just how I prefer to have my documents organized as it can help when listing item in a alpha order on other devices.

This may be a mistype on your part, but you don't get to decide how Calibre stores its books at all.

When I go to manage authors and change the name from Anthony, Peirs to Anthony, Piers Calibre will change the directory structure for the author from Anthony_Peirs to Anthony_Piers.

Go to the tweaks section of the preferences and find a tweak called "author sort name algorithm". Set it to "copy". Save and restart. Now, fill in your authors as LN, FN. If you have some books already added to the library, in the tag browser, right-click on an author and select "manage authors". Make sure that the authors you have show as LN, FN the way you want, then hit "recalculate author_sort values".

I have done all you suggested above before started this thread.

This is at the root of my problem and the main reason for this post I have been trying for a couple of days to import books and have the author names automatically be show as LN, FN and have had no success.

I have thousands of ebooks (from a purchased dvd collection) and am trying to get around having to manage every author to be LN, FN.


I am testing using Calibre to consolidate my ebooks instead of just using directory structure to search my various collections. I would not bother since the directory structure has worked find for that last few years of collecting (reading on the PC) but the unexpected gift of a Kindle # has me looking for a better way.

~ ted

[DoctorOhh]

Please read this sticky post for more information on Calibre's directory structure.

Originally Posted by deleteriousone

When I go to manage authors and change the name from Anthony, Peirs to Anthony, Piers Calibre will change the directory structure for the author from Anthony_Peirs to Anthony_Piers.

As pointed out in the example above calibre has total control over the directory structure within its database / library directory. This directory is not a user configurable area. As far as calibre is concerned you have no need to even look at or access this folder structure. You may want to do yourself a favor and use the Operating System to hide the library folder.

You can export books from calibre using the Save to Disk feature and with some guidance get the folders and file names to be exactly what you want, but that folder structure will be a backup and not calibre's active database.

[Manichean]

Originally Posted by deleteriousone

This is at the root of my problem and the main reason for this post I have been trying for a couple of days to import books and have the author names automatically be show as LN, FN and have had no success.

What exactly is the problem, then? In what manner did you have no success?

[Archon]

Although Calibre is a great program and is quite powerful it seems like it would be easier to rename all you files and then import them.

I have the equivalent of the program below on my Mac and it is invaluable.
http://www.publicspace.net/windows/B...ame/index.html

I would take all your files and replace the series name with the author in the file name then you can import them and straighten out the series numbering inside calibre.

I found it was easier to get my file names right before importing, rather than the other way around. So, I have many 'droplet' scripts that rename files to the format I use to import them. Some replace underscores with spaces, flip the author and title, flip the authors name, etc.

Cheers
Archon

[deleteriousone]

Originally Posted by Manichean

What exactly is the problem, then? In what manner did you have no success?

Sorry for the delay in responding, life got in the way. I had a verbose response, however it got lost.

I have Calibre set to bring in the books in with series name and series number.

While it seems that automatically bringing in genre is a no go, I would at least be able to have Calibre bring in and list the authors listed Ln, Fn.

thanks
~ ted

[gweminence]

I've never understood why people (Not you, op, just some in general) want to muck about with the directories anyway. For pete's sake, the program does it just fine, all by it's lonesome...

[Archon]

Uh I don't think he wants to muck around with the directory.

He has a bunch of books saved in a particular directory structure that he delineated in his post.

Again, deleteriousone you need to rename your files and import them in the format that calibre will read them.

The big problem I see is your file names have no information about author since that is contained in the directory folder names. The problem with this structure is if you ever moved this file anywhere other than the folder it is in, than you would not know who wrote it.

An example of a filename from FeedBooks is : Edgar Allan Poe - The Tell-Tale Heart.epub

Now, if I move it anywhere on any media it contains the Author and Title so I can tell what it is.

Blue Adept.lit might tell some people familiar with Piers Anthony what it is but if you don't know who wrote it you are lost.

Regardless, once you get it loaded into Calibre it will keep track of all this.

The key is getting it to load easily and with the least amount of effort.

So, I would rename the files (a copy of course) to "Author - Title.ext" and add the series later since most books are usually not part of a series anyway and this would be the least amount of work to recreate. Then import them into Calibre since that is the format Calibre is looking for. Then adjust your covers and series's from there.

Happy Wednesday Eve
Archon

[deleteriousone]

Originally Posted by gweminence

I've never understood why people (Not you, op, just some in general) want to muck about with the directories anyway. For pete's sake, the program does it just fine, all by it's lonesome...

The program does have it benefits, however I can't count the number of times that I have had a client with data stuck in a proprietary program with no way to get it out when they do something like upgrade their PC operating system. Many times I have had to build a virtual machine to run just one need program.

This is the same reason I avoid any DRM media ( I have been burned by buying DRM protected music and have the store no longer support it). The same goes for Ipod and Zune, if I buy a media player it has to be drag and drop from a directory so I am not dependent on something like iTunes or Zune software.

Back to Calibre: It is a good program and does its chosen functions well within the program. Other that the few issues (like author Ln, Fn) by default it might meet my need. I do wish that that I worked more like Adobe Lightroom and just indexed files where they are located rather than needing to make it's own copy. However, it is not like I have time to write a competing product just how I would wish Calibre would work.

~ ted

[Archon]

Back to Calibre: It is a good program and does its chosen functions well within the program. Other that the few issues (like author Ln, Fn) by default it might meet my need. I do wish that that I worked more like Adobe Lightroom and just indexed files where they are located rather than needing to make it's own copy. However, it is not like I have time to write a competing product just how I would wish Calibre would work.

In the "preferences:adding books" you can click the "swap author firstname and lastname" box if you files have the "Poe, Edgar Allan - The Raven.epub" instead of "Edgar Allan Poe - The Raven.epub".

This still necessitates that you add the Author to the Title in your filenames and delete the series or delete them after they are added as part of the title.

Archon

[deleteriousone]

Originally Posted by Archon

In the "preferences:adding books" you can click the "swap author firstname and lastname" box if you files have the "Poe, Edgar Allan - The Raven.epub" instead of "Edgar Allan Poe - The Raven.epub".

This still necessitates that you add the Author to the Title in your filenames and delete the series or delete them after they are added as part of the title.

Archon

I have tried this (after reading other post and before staring this thread). The renaming job would be just as much work as editing each entry in the Calibre database.

I once had many of my files name just as you suggested, however ran into issue with the length of file names in other apps and devices. Restrictions of length of the file name has bit me when using a media player to listen to audio books when the player concatenates files names and plays them in the wrong order.

I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too (a phrase I have never understood). So goes life.

~ ted

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Archon

Uh I don't think he wants to muck around with the directory.

It is easy to see why gweminence and I have this impression. When in the first post he sums up his problem as follows.

Originally Posted by deleteriousone

to recap I want Calibre to store files as genre\author (last, first)\Series\filiename including series number

Then continues the discussion about data being stuck in a proprietary program.

Originally Posted by deleteriousone

The program does have it benefits, however I can't count the number of times that I have had a client with data stuck in a proprietary program with no way to get it out when they do something like upgrade their PC operating system. Many times I have had to build a virtual machine to run just one need program.

Wishing it indexed files instead of copying them.

Originally Posted by deleteriousone

I do wish that that I worked more like Adobe Lightroom and just indexed files where they are located rather than needing to make it's own copy.

And then continues on with a discussion of file name lengths. In calibre there is only one place where file names are truncated due to being too long and that is inside the calibre database / directory structure.

Originally Posted by deleteriousone

I once had many of my files name just as you suggested, however ran into issue with the length of file names in other apps and devices. Restrictions of length of the file name has bit me when using a media player to listen to audio books when the player concatenates files names and plays them in the wrong order.

The plus is he does understand the limits and is trying to work within those limits. I already discussed the fact that he can export all of his books out of this "proprietary program" in the exact format he wishes. Using the save to disk feature with a proper save template and possibly a custom column or two will create an external directory structure (as a back-up from this proprietary program) exactly as he imagines.

You certainly can jump through enough hoops to make calibre's directory look close to what he is describing but it will be LN_FN never LN,FN and there will be times when file names will be truncated.

I wish him luck and will be glad to offer any assistance I can.

[deleteriousone]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

It is easy to see why gweminence and I have this impression. When in the first post he sums up his problem as follows.

I do not wish to muck around with Calibre's folders (after the program has written them).
I sure would like to be able to determine the directory structure when importing books and can to some extent as far Author name is concerned with Manage Authors.

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Then continues the discussion about data being stuck in a proprietary program.

This was in response to why anyone would want to muck with directories.

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Wishing it indexed files instead of copying them.

I think this would be a good idea and why I would prefer an app like Lightroom over Aperture. This type of indexing is more efficient at least as to space used.

Originally Posted by dwanthny

And then continues on with a discussion of file name lengths. In calibre there is only one place where file names are truncated due to being too long and that is inside the calibre database / directory structure.

While this is not exactly accurate (Calibre does truncate file / directory name in it's copy of the file name) I was not referring to Calibre. I did say "in other apps and devices" The inaccurately is that technically the database is the .db files not the directory structure and files as they are records in the database.

Originally Posted by dwanthny

The plus is he does understand the limits and is trying to work within those limits.

I sure do and am. I do database design as part of my living and it would take me a good long time to write an app as complex as Calibre.

Originally Posted by dwanthny

I already discussed the fact that he can export all of his books out of this "proprietary program" in the exact format he wishes. Using the save to disk feature with a proper save template and possibly a custom column or two will create an external directory structure (as a back-up from this proprietary program) exactly as he imagines.

I am trying to avoid duplicating data (thank you Dr. E. F. Codd for his rules of relational database design). If I end up using Calibre for my ebook collection I may have to use a few gigabytes more hard disk drive space and break Dr. Codd's rule.

I will point out that the post from which you made this part of your reply was dealing with why people would want to much about with directory structure.

I did not think that I gave the impression Calibre was a "proprietary program", being open source I do not think the program itself would meet that definition. The database format might if the database cannot be opened by a third party software.
If I gave the impression of Calibre being a proprietary program, that was not my intent and maybe I should have worded my reply to the question posed differently .

Originally Posted by dwanthny

You certainly can jump through enough hoops to make calibre's directory look close to what he is describing but it will be LN_FN never LN,FN and there will be times when file names will be truncated.

I found this out.

Originally Posted by dwanthny

I wish him luck and will be glad to offer any assistance I can.

Any assistance is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

I have now Calibre setup so that it imports recognizing series and number in the series. I have given up on having it put the files in genre as when the books are imported. I will have to manually sort each book into genre for those authors that write both fiction and non-fiction books.

What I really want Calibre to do is also bring in the author's name listed as Ln, Fn by default so I do not have to use the Manage Authors function to change every author.

I really do not want to have to rename each file as this would be even more work for the files from the purchased DVD collections which had cryptic names which were linked to via html pages.

Calibre did a great job in my test with with these files reading the metadata. In fact once I get the author name import sorted out I will probably export from Calibre to better file name.

Thanks again for putting up with a noob. No animosity is intended in any reply which I have made. If any have been taken as being confrontational , I apologize.


wow, that a long winded post.
~ ted