Feature request: locking

vasyl · 01-31-2016, 06:33 PM

I think it would be useful to be able to lock individual records and (separately) the entire database from an accidental modification. It would obviously require some changes to UI (main view would have to show a small lock icon or something like that for locked books to prevent confusion) but it would be a great help when sorting largish libraries. Locking the database could be done in two different ways: either by adding "locked" flag to the database or just by setting the UI state so it would affect any database - the difference from the user's perspective is not that big.

eschwartz · 01-31-2016, 06:41 PM

This is the "Development" subforum, not the "Feature Requests" subforum -- or did you not see the big fat sticky at the top of the thread listing???
IIRC this feature request has been raised several times in the past. Each time Kovid has said, he isn't interested and sees no particular purpose (modification is a deliberate action after all). Besides, you can always just use the Content Server, which is read-only.
But if anyone else cares enough to implement it, he won't reject the Pull Request.

vasyl · 01-31-2016, 11:59 PM

Silly me, I didn't

I've looked at the list of subforums and this was the closest match. Well, my apologies and thanks for clearing this up. I don't visit these forums often and did not know if it was discussed in detail or not ("locking" is too generic a word to efficiently search for it). Pity that Kovid is not interested though.

eschwartz · 02-01-2016, 12:09 AM

Well, I do visit often, and I can still only vaguely remember a few times, so I don't blame you for not knowing.

But I must say I don't "get" the use case either.
For example, what is wrong with just using the Content Server? If you only want to sort through the library, the Server is quite capable of handling any searches calibre itself can understand, and show you all the metadata as well as download links for the books.

Alternatively, I might snapshot the library and rollback any changes after using calibre. If I was really afraid I was going to accidentally edit something, that is -- which I'm not.

vasyl · 02-01-2016, 02:35 AM

I see, sort has multiple meanings here. I was talking about renaming/retagging/etc of a large set imported into Calibre, not about browsing through a populated library. Content Server is not suitable for that purpose.
In my experience, there are a few typical "accidents" that I had to recover from - a couple books got renamed to "v" (you can guess how); on a few occasions I've accidentally pressed "retrieve metadata from format" button on the edit dialog without actually realizing it; and my pet peeve - book merge is prone to user errors even with the confirmation dialog. Not only that, there is no easy way to split back merged formats. Database snapshot is not much of a help here as actual files get moved.
I am typically just adding a tag "sorted" to those books I should not touch anymore but a locking mechanism would be much nicer. As an extension, once I am done editing the metadata on all books it would be nice to switch the UI into "read-only" mode - that would prevent those books renamed to "v" for one thing.

Divingduck · 02-02-2016, 09:30 AM

I do know no one in managing 24/7 databases with high level of availability in that way. A typical and proven workflow for this kind of usage is a productive and non productive database. All new adds go first to a non productive db and after everything is perfect, you move the proven books to your productive library. This workflow is integrated in calibre as well. Maybe something you can use too.

Rellwood · 02-12-2016, 03:11 AM

@vasyl

I would suggest creating a duplicate of the library you want to lock with all the perfect metadata. Then after making sure all the books in it are the ones you want to keep perfect, remove the library. Keep the metadata and JSON files, but just remove the library so that you can't access it, unless you "create new library, use library already in place". If you keep the metadata and JSON files, its no trick to restore the library, but if you don't have regular access to it, there is no chance of screwing it up. Restore the library, get the books you need, then remove it.

01-31-2016, 06:33 PM	#1
vasyl Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2015 Device: none	Feature request: locking I think it would be useful to be able to lock individual records and (separately) the entire database from an accidental modification. It would obviously require some changes to UI (main view would have to show a small lock icon or something like that for locked books to prevent confusion) but it would be a great help when sorting largish libraries. Locking the database could be done in two different ways: either by adding "locked" flag to the database or just by setting the UI state so it would affect any database - the difference from the user's perspective is not that big.

01-31-2016, 06:41 PM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	This is the "Development" subforum, not the "Feature Requests" subforum -- or did you not see the big fat sticky at the top of the thread listing??? IIRC this feature request has been raised several times in the past. Each time Kovid has said, he isn't interested and sees no particular purpose (modification is a deliberate action after all). Besides, you can always just use the Content Server, which is read-only. But if anyone else cares enough to implement it, he won't reject the Pull Request.

02-12-2016, 03:11 AM	#7
Rellwood Library Breeder (She/Her) Posts: 1,156 Karma: 1900479 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Fullerton, California Device: Kobo Aura HD (1) PW3 (4) PW3 2019 new edition (1)	Suggestion to locking @vasyl I would suggest creating a duplicate of the library you want to lock with all the perfect metadata. Then after making sure all the books in it are the ones you want to keep perfect, remove the library. Keep the metadata and JSON files, but just remove the library so that you can't access it, unless you "create new library, use library already in place". If you keep the metadata and JSON files, its no trick to restore the library, but if you don't have regular access to it, there is no chance of screwing it up. Restore the library, get the books you need, then remove it.

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01-31-2016, 11:59 PM	#3
vasyl Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2015 Device: none	Silly me, I didn't I've looked at the list of subforums and this was the closest match. Well, my apologies and thanks for clearing this up. I don't visit these forums often and did not know if it was discussed in detail or not ("locking" is too generic a word to efficiently search for it). Pity that Kovid is not interested though.

02-01-2016, 12:09 AM	#4
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Well, I do visit often, and I can still only vaguely remember a few times, so I don't blame you for not knowing. But I must say I don't "get" the use case either. For example, what is wrong with just using the Content Server? If you only want to sort through the library, the Server is quite capable of handling any searches calibre itself can understand, and show you all the metadata as well as download links for the books. Alternatively, I might snapshot the library and rollback any changes after using calibre. If I was really afraid I was going to accidentally edit something, that is -- which I'm not.

02-01-2016, 02:35 AM	#5
vasyl Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2015 Device: none	I see, sort has multiple meanings here. I was talking about renaming/retagging/etc of a large set imported into Calibre, not about browsing through a populated library. Content Server is not suitable for that purpose. In my experience, there are a few typical "accidents" that I had to recover from - a couple books got renamed to "v" (you can guess how); on a few occasions I've accidentally pressed "retrieve metadata from format" button on the edit dialog without actually realizing it; and my pet peeve - book merge is prone to user errors even with the confirmation dialog. Not only that, there is no easy way to split back merged formats. Database snapshot is not much of a help here as actual files get moved. I am typically just adding a tag "sorted" to those books I should not touch anymore but a locking mechanism would be much nicer. As an extension, once I am done editing the metadata on all books it would be nice to switch the UI into "read-only" mode - that would prevent those books renamed to "v" for one thing.

02-02-2016, 09:30 AM	#6
Divingduck Wizard Posts: 1,161 Karma: 1404241 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Germany Device: Sony PRS-650	I do know no one in managing 24/7 databases with high level of availability in that way. A typical and proven workflow for this kind of usage is a productive and non productive database. All new adds go first to a non productive db and after everything is perfect, you move the proven books to your productive library. This workflow is integrated in calibre as well. Maybe something you can use too.

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