Changing the Calibre File Structure

[itimpi]

Changing the way that Calibre handles importing and naming books in its internal file structure has been discussed many times. The problem is that the current behavior is embedded deep in the Calibre code, so even it was decided it might be nice to move to a different method of handling books this would take a LONG time to get implemented. That does not mean it would never happen - just that it will not be some time soon.

[ysbelman]

as a stop gap, can original-filename data item be introduced. It will be sufficient to implement "re-importing" feature. Changes to the file structure can be left for a later date, if there are so many dependencies on that implementation.

[IzzyMad]

While I understand what you are saying I just organise my ebooks the same way as I do my paper books By Author and series and in order and As I use my ebooks on at least 5 different systems then I need to be able to keep track of which one goes where in a sequence and with my system they organise themselves into the right sequence even with 200 or 300 book in a single file they are sorted ready to read.

Izzy Mad

[chaley]

Originally Posted by IzzyMad

While I understand what you are saying I just organise my ebooks the same way as I do my paper books By Author and series and in order and As I use my ebooks on at least 5 different systems then I need to be able to keep track of which one goes where in a sequence and with my system they organise themselves into the right sequence even with 200 or 300 book in a single file they are sorted ready to read.

Not sure why you woke up this old thread ...

Calibre's internal file structure is not going to change, short of you changing calibre's programming.

You can change the names used when putting a book on a device. Set the save-to-disk and/or the send-to-device templates as you wish, using whatever coding you wish. Of course, this requires you to capture (enter/input) the information to do the coding, but other posts from you indicate that you are already doing that.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

That's why you use sequence numbers!

Nonsense; you lay the deck of card sideways and draw a diagonal line on the edge of the cards.

[Worldwalker]

Y'know, I'm too stupid to have thought of that. I sorted in piles by sequence numbers.

Izzy, that sentence hurt my brain! But if you're saying what I think you're saying, there's absolutely no reason why you can't organize the books exactly that way in calibre. That's the whole point: you can do anything with calibre's organization (particularly tagging) that you can with a filesystem, and you can do an almost infinite number of things with calibre that you couldn't begin to do with a mere filesystem. People saying "I don't want calibre to do what it does; I want it to go back to a primitive way of doing it" remind me of people saying "I don't want my computer to have files; I want to do direct disk access!" That's what calibre is: books instead of files, the way a filesystem is files instead of blocks. If you want less abstraction, an abstract program -- be it your OS or calibre -- is not going to be what you want.

[hendrickx]

I liked calibre before, now the whole concept has me really excited. Thanks for the help!

[viao123]

"Filesystems manage files. Calibre manages books." Right? If that is the case then Calibre should not have touch the files (copying and renaming them and making its own tree) in the very first place, lol

I don't even know why you have to bring up the filesystem vs. metadata again as in the FAQ, both of them can coexist, lol. Again. You don't need to touch the filesystem.

Why don't you just say the real reason is that it was written like this and you don't bother to rewrite it so you make up a pretty lame slogan.

I really hope Calibre just manages books only, but it's not. lol

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by viao123

I really hope Calibre just manages books only, but it's not. lol

Can we ignore him?

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by Starson17

Can we ignore him?

Please do

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Curious. viao123 joins MR to make two posts, both knocking calibre, both from two different forums. I smell troll, probably the same one who has been plaguing us recently.

[viao123]

So some1 mentioned Calibre I downloaded it and shockingly I found it messing around with files and I googled a solution to prevent this from happening so I am here, I get my answer: there is no solution. But I find this interesting post telling me how we should see Calibre as the 22th century futuristic filesystem-free blackbox so I gave my 2 cents here then I'm a troll, lol.

Have you read the code? This program is so tied up with the filesystem, in fact, whenever you change the title or author of the book, it have to copy, delete the book file..., and thus the sluggish performance.

It is as if this program is initially written with the intention to manage the files, and thus the tie in with the filenames etc, which is exactly the opposite of what this post suggests.

So I guess it would take too much to rewrite the code to correct a desgin flaw, fine, don't rewrite it, but it is lame to say "blackbox" or "tag" or "harddisk is cheap" is the reason.

PS. I know quite a few PHDs, but I know none who would put PHD in the title. nuff said.

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Curious. viao123 joins MR to make two posts, both knocking calibre, both from two different forums. I smell troll, probably the same one who has been plaguing us recently.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by viao123

So some1 mentioned Calibre I downloaded it and shockingly I found it messing around with files and I googled a solution to prevent this from happening so I am here, I get my answer: there is no solution. But I find this interesting post telling me how we should see Calibre as the 22th century futuristic filesystem-free blackbox so I gave my 2 cents here then I'm a troll, lol.

Have you read the code? This program is so tied up with the filesystem, in fact, whenever you change the title or author of the book, it have to copy, delete the book file..., and thus the sluggish performance.

It is as if this program is initially written with the intention to manage the files, and thus the tie in with the filenames etc, which is exactly the opposite of what this post suggests.

So I guess it would take too much to rewrite the code to correct a desgin flaw, fine, don't rewrite it, but it is lame to say "blackbox" or "tag" or "harddisk is cheap" is the reason.

PS. I know quite a few PHDs, but I know none who would put PHD in the title. nuff said.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by viao123

PS. I know quite a few PHDs, but I know none who would put PHD in the title. nuff said.

I know quite a few Phd's (4 are Relatives ), Every one has their title on Business documents. None are addressed by aquaitences as "Doctor"
The employer I retied from had so many PhD's, that no one addressed another as "Doctor" (I was told, it would sound silly DR x said to Dr. Y).

Introduction's to customers, used their Title, ONCE.
And just to clear up.
Calibre manages BOOKS, not files.

[viao123]

Originally Posted by theducks

Calibre manages BOOKS, not files.

No. If so I would be using Cailbre, lol

BTW, do your relatives have a "PHD" beside their avatar? lol