"Pick Random Book" - not so random??

Chris_Snow · 09-15-2013, 05:12 PM

Greetings,

I've started using the "Pick Random Book" function within Calibre. But I've found that it's not really selecting the books randomly.

I used this function to select the last book I read, but now as I use this function again to pick my next book, it selects the book I've just read again, then using it again, it keeps picking the same books that I cycled through the time before - almost like it's picking say...book 10, book 23, book 37 - and then using the same sequence again. I doubt it's structured like this, but that's what it seems to be doing.

Is there such a thing as a random regex string that I can save as a search, that uses a specific view (eg R2R (One of my custom sort views))

theducks · 09-15-2013, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_Snow

Greetings,

I've started using the "Pick Random Book" function within Calibre. But I've found that it's not really selecting the books randomly.

I used this function to select the last book I read, but now as I use this function again to pick my next book, it selects the book I've just read again, then using it again, it keeps picking the same books that I cycled through the time before - almost like it's picking say...book 10, book 23, book 37 - and then using the same sequence again. I doubt it's structured like this, but that's what it seems to be doing.

Is there such a thing as a random regex string that I can save as a search, that uses a specific view (eg R2R (One of my custom sort views))

restart calibre and see if the pattern changes.

Many Random number generators start with a seed (which may persist for the session). Same seed, same pattern.

Since I use the PARB to select the next to read, I have a search (filter) not #read <= my fieldname
Now it chooses from what shows, not from the whole Library

BTW I had not noticed any pattern, but I might have a few more books, so it is less obvious

jgaiser · 09-15-2013, 06:27 PM

Just ran about 50 "Read a random book". Seems pretty random to me.

Chris_Snow · 09-15-2013, 06:44 PM

Thx for the input.

The weird thing here is that my last selection using PARB made a selection. I chose that book, but as an alternative, I ran PARB a couple more times and it made secondary selections. Now, after reading that first selection, I used PARB and it chose the book I'd just read again. SO I ran it again and it chose the 2nd book the same as the first time I ran it...and the 3rd etc.

More than a week has passed and Calibre has been restarted (in fact upgraded) since then, so this is a strange ""Coincidence??""

I think when I started PARB again, nothing was selected in the view, but subsequent use had an item selected. With an item selected, I now seem to be getting random returns. Anyone seen Gremlins

09-15-2013, 05:12 PM	#1
Chris_Snow Zealot Posts: 148 Karma: 8170 Join Date: Jul 2013 Device: kobo glo	"Pick Random Book" - not so random?? Greetings, I've started using the "Pick Random Book" function within Calibre. But I've found that it's not really selecting the books randomly. I used this function to select the last book I read, but now as I use this function again to pick my next book, it selects the book I've just read again, then using it again, it keeps picking the same books that I cycled through the time before - almost like it's picking say...book 10, book 23, book 37 - and then using the same sequence again. I doubt it's structured like this, but that's what it seems to be doing. Is there such a thing as a random regex string that I can save as a search, that uses a specific view (eg R2R (One of my custom sort views)) Last edited by Chris_Snow; 09-15-2013 at 05:17 PM.

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09-15-2013, 06:27 PM	#3
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,281 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	Just ran about 50 "Read a random book". Seems pretty random to me.

09-15-2013, 06:44 PM	#4
Chris_Snow Zealot Posts: 148 Karma: 8170 Join Date: Jul 2013 Device: kobo glo	Thx for the input. The weird thing here is that my last selection using PARB made a selection. I chose that book, but as an alternative, I ran PARB a couple more times and it made secondary selections. Now, after reading that first selection, I used PARB and it chose the book I'd just read again. SO I ran it again and it chose the 2nd book the same as the first time I ran it...and the 3rd etc. More than a week has passed and Calibre has been restarted (in fact upgraded) since then, so this is a strange ""Coincidence??"" I think when I started PARB again, nothing was selected in the view, but subsequent use had an item selected. With an item selected, I now seem to be getting random returns. Anyone seen Gremlins

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