Save Template with dependent variable

[eschwartz]

I have books from both Amazon and other sources, and I keep them all in calibre. I would like to save them normally if they aren't from Amazon, but if they are, then save them according to the filename they were given by Amazon
(so they match the .sdr folder, with real pagenumbers and highlights).

How do I set the save template so it uses {author_sort}/{title} - {authors} as usual, ONLY IF the custom field {#file} is empty? If it's filled in, the template should be that instead.

[chaley]

Something like the following in general program mode should do the job, assuming that #file contains the exact filename.

program: ifempty(field('#file'), template('{author_sort}/{title} - {authors}'))

The same thing in template program mode is something like

{#file:'ifempty($, template('{author_sort}/{title} - {authors}'))'}

The "something like"s are there because I don't have that column in my library so these are provided without testing.

[eschwartz]

It worked perfectly -- except for one thing; since I have titles with apostrophes, I got a template error. For instance, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

EXCEPTION:  Formatter: failed to scan program. Invalid input - Douglas Adams')) near  (

So I changed the template to

{#file:'ifempty($, template("{author_sort}/{title} - {authors}"))'}

and it was fixed.
Now it shows

Adams, Douglas/The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Thanks!!

[chaley]

Using the general program mode version avoids that sort of problem. You might want to consider it in case a title ever contains quotes (").

[eschwartz]

Yeah, that worked too.

[chaley]

Using the special bracket ([[ and ]] instead of { and }) specifier avoids the embedded quote and apostrophe problem in template program mode

{#file:'ifempty($, template('[[author_sort]]/[[title]] - [[authors]]'))'}

[eschwartz]

For some reason this template works perfectly to show what the result will be in a custom field -- no matter what form I use -- but when I try to transfer a book over, it always ignores the template I entered under Preferences --> send books to device.

HELP!!!

[eschwartz]

Never mind. I found another thread that explained this problem -- http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=159523
For some reason the send books to device template still insists there is no such thing as any of my custom fields, but hey, it works anyway, I'm happy.
I've decided to set the save template for the device and leave the generic save for other devices.