[GUI Plugin] Derive Genres

[DaltonST]

The "format" is .csv, but the encoding must be UTF8. You have used the word "format" multiple times in your posts but have yet to say "encode". If you used Excel, that is why it won't work for you. Your problem is not the directory according to your job log; it is the encoding of the files. Try using the files that come with Derive Genres (you should have downloaded them from the original post) instead of your own files. You did download those files, correct? And you opened them with Open Office Calc and "saved as" the files as UTF8 with your own data, correct? If not, that is your problem. Excel does not work. Period.

DaltonST

[spelmangrad]

Again, I appreciate the follow up. Confused about the "tone" of the response....unnecessarily snarky. But it could be my professional background that calls for one being cognizant of how things can be translated via electronic transport.

Yes - of course I downloaded the files. I was attempting to manipulate them to represent what I would want. I did not however, open them with Open Office Calc, because I was under the impression there were steps I could take with the tools that I had on hand.

Forgive me - but "encode" is not a word I use in my everyday vernacular. "Configure" and sometimes even "customize," but not encode. That said, I did try simply using your files, as I assumed it was me utilizing a process that was supposed to provide guidance on How to convert Excel to CSV and export Excel files to CSV UTF-8 format. Obviously, it is not working. I hate giving up on things, and I really believe that I can find value in your plugin, so I am going to try the OpenOffice Calc app now and see what happens.

Again, many thanks for your suggestions/recommendations and advice. I have nothing but respect for one willing to provide a simple "you messed up, you did it wrong, or try it this way," follow up. Always appreciated.

Regards,

SKW

[DaltonST]

Page 17 of the User Guide states clearly that the csv files must be encoded in UTF8, and also states clearly that Excel cannot be used because it does not comply with that requirement. The User Guide says nothing about "using the tools that one already has on hand", and could not possibly give anyone that impression. It also does not use the word "format" anywhere, but it does use the word "encode" 5 times within its 18 pages because proper UTF8 encoding is a prerequisite for the csv files to be at all usable. One might expect someone familiar with the User Guide to use its terminology when requesting technical support. If someone failed to use that terminology when describing their situation and justifying the reason for their request for a human to spend time and energy solving their problem, it would be quite reasonable to suspect that they had not read it, and were asking for technical support in lieu of reading (and following) the User Guide.


DaltonST

[eschwartz]

User guides were invented to give users something to ignore.

An inevitable part of providing support for something is to answer questions ranging from intelligent to inane.

You might as well be gracious about it.
Or give up now and live like a hermit far away from the Land of Users.

[BetterRed]

Just an observation. The Import List PI has no problems reading the CSV's I save from Excel - as stated in its intro post

Import from CSV File - many users have lists of books stored in applications like Excel which can export to CSV, or use websites like Goodreads/Library Thing which also have export to CSV capability.

I use the Import List frequently with CSV's I save from Excel. From that I conclude the UTF-8 requirement is not imposed by the calibre infrastructure.

Rather than installing 200+MB of Open Office, you could try using libiconv - GNU Project(FSF) to convert the CSV saved from Excel to UTF-8 encoding

Or in Excel you could save the table as Unicode Text, open it in Notepad, and in Save As change the encoding to UTF-8. If the Define Genre's PI does not allow you to set the delimiter to Tab, you'll have to replace Tabs with commas. IMO anything that reads a CSV should allow the user to define the delimiter - as the data may contain commas.

BR

[spelmangrad]

Hi BetterRed,

That is pretty much what I did...."saved the table as Unicode Text, open it in Notepad, and in Save As change the encoding to UTF-8." Then when I opened in notepad - I highlighted all of the "tabs," did a ctrl +H, replaced all of the tabs with commas, then finally saved the file as a "csv" file - with "all file types" selected to ensure it was saved in what I thought was an appropriate manner.

Apparently, there is an issue with me doing it that way. And again, while I can appreciate the work taken to create the plugin as well as the follow up by the developer - I find the absolutely HOSTILE, unnecessarily snarky, disgusting and condescending tone inappropriate and offensive...

I have written many instruction manuals, handbooks and ui guides and although they may be clear to me - chances are there is always going to be someone out there that needs clarification. I find it ridiculous for someone on the development side not to expect such questions. I refuse to waste any more of my life trying to teach professionalism and social etiquette to someone who only speaks “encode.”


SKW

[eschwartz]

Oh, well then. Clearly you aren't the intended user.

Read through this thread starting from around page two, sit back and absorb the drama.

[DaltonST]

The User Guide is required reading. Attempts to ignore the User Guide will invariably result in failure. Derive Genres was explicitly designed to support multiple languages using non-English characters, and the 3 .csv files must be properly encoded in UTF8. Não desperdice o seu tempo, se você é do tipo de pessoa que simplesmente não pode seguir as instruções. Verschwenden Sie Ihre Zeit nicht, wenn Sie die Art von Person , die einfach nicht folgen können Anweisungen sind. Do not waste your time if you are the type of person who simply cannot follow instructions. Āpa basa nirdēśōṁ kā pālana nahīṁ kara sakatē haiṁ, jō isa prakāra kē vyakti haiṁ, tō apanā samaya barbāda mata karō. No pierda su tiempo si usted es el tipo de persona que simplemente no puede seguir las instrucciones.


DaltonST

[eschwartz]

Nevertheless:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

User guides were invented to give users something to ignore.

An inevitable part of providing support for something is to answer questions ranging from intelligent to inane.

You might as well be gracious about it.
Or give up now and live like a hermit far away from the Land of Users.

[DaltonST]

Quarantine And Scrub version 3.5.0 now has an integrated Q&S Derive Genres that does not use any .csv files whatsoever. Instead, it uses four (4) user-maintained tables. It is also extremely fast.

The original standalone Derive Genres plug-in works with Calibre release 1.48 and above.

QuarantineAndScrub is an add-on (not just a plug-in), and works on Calibre release 2.50 and above. It can be found at: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=247425

The Q&S Derive Genres menu icon is at the bottom of the attached image. It is the final step in Q&S scrubbing.




DaltonST

[DaltonST]

DG version 1.1.5 seamlessly migrates your .csv file Rules to QuarantineAndScrub DG Rules Tables for use by Q&S DG. For this to occur, you must run the DG version 1.1.5 within a QuarantineAndScrub library. DG will detect that Q&S library, and automatically copy your .csv file Rules into the Q&S database. Thereafter, if desired, you may uninstall DG version 1.1.5 and begin to update your Q&S DG rules within the equivalent tables of Q&S. Refer to the Q&S User Guide pages 48-50 at: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=247425

The use of Q&S DG is totally optional, and both versions of DG may be used simultaneously if so desired. However, the .csv Rules will overwrite the Q&S DG Tables every time DG runs, so all Rule maintenance must be done within the .csv files to avoid loss of changes within the Q&S version of DG.

If you decide to migrate permanently to the Q&S DG version, execute a "final" DG job in your "Best" Q&S library that selects at least one (1) book that must use .csv Author Genre Rules to ensure they are imported from their .csv file. Afterwards, verify that the Q&S DG tables contain the contents of all of your .csv Rules, then Uninstall the original Derive Genres plugin. Your .csv files can then be moved to an archive as they will no longer be used.

The minimum version of Q&S that supports this migration is version 3.5.0. Q&S requires a Calibre version of 2.05 or above.

If you are limited to Calibre version 1.48, nothing has changed for you and you will see no differences between DG versions 1.14 and 1.15.


DaltonST

[eschwartz]

calibre 2.50 is a rather high bar to set, considering it hasn't come out yet and won't for another 34 weeks (assuming there is no major version bump).

[DaltonST]

Transposition error of 2.05 into 2.50.

DaltonST

[eschwartz]

Just plain old boring "2.5" I am afraid.

http://semver.org <-- point #2.

[DaltonST]

The Derive Genres original post now has the new "QuarantineAndScrub Derive Genres User Guide" attached. Since it does not use .csv files at all, it is much shorter than DG's User Guide. If you are interested in migrating from DG to Q&S DG, and you can or do use a Calibre version of 2.05 or higher, it would be worth reviewing.



DaltonST