Two suggestions and a problem

[Sondar]

All of these are linked by a common thread, hence the combination into one post.

These all relate to library management, so here goes.
I've been using this product now for the best part of 12 months, and am immensely impressed with what it is, and how it works, apart from in one area, and that is library management.

1. Deleting entries using the Delete key. Yes, I know that this is the wrong way of deleting an entry, as it leaves the book in the library, but unreferenced. It often happens (to me) because of switching backward and forward between Windows Explorer and Calibre, and encroaching senility. What would I like to see? Well, I really don't think that the current action is the best possible. I'd like to either see a warning message when the delete key is used, or a mechanism that deletes the item fully (from the library) when this action is taken. Preferably, I'd like to see both of these as options, as although I can't visualise why someone would want to remove a book from Calibre, but would like to keep the book in the Calibre library, there probably are more people than I realise who would like to have this choice.

2. Deleting / merging duplicates. I like the feature that allows you, when loading new books, to choose not to load duplicates. Unfortunately, it is often the case that when actually loading books, they may not have sufficient identification to determine whether to delete them or not, and the form of the file name is often such that they aren't identified as duplicates. Searching for duplicates once the necessary "tarting up" has been done is a long and slow manual process. So far, I've only been able to manage it using an excel spreadsheet, with a column that has the sorted titles, and a second column, also with the sorted titles, but with the duplicates removed (Excel can do that). It is then a matter of going down both columns until there is a hiccup, and the unduplicated column suddenly gets out of step with the duplicated one, etc. I'd like to see a feature where a search can be made at a later time (than initial loading), perhaps looking for duplicates to a batch of recently added files, or a random batch of files, or perhaps, if it isn't too resource hungry, to the whole library. As there is usually much more information available one meta data has been added, perhaps it could be carried out on chosen fields, but that is getting a bit too ambitious, probably.

3. The problem This should probably be raised as a defect, but I'm not sure that it is. As I said above, I have a nasty habit of deleting books (often that I don't mean to delete) using the delete key rather than the Remove Books button.

When I go to Library Maintenance, and select Check Library, I can see a list of books that have no Calibre entry - that I have "delete"d, but all I can do with them is delete them - there is no "restore" option for these books. This is a part of the problem, I suppose.

Trying to approach the problem from a different direction, I tried using the Restore Database command, but each time I've tried to use it, it's locked up solid at about 6%. I'm using the latest release (as of yesterday), in Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, if that's any help, by the way.

As I said before, this is a small area of doom and gloom in what, to me, is a great piece of software, that is helping me to be quite attentive and engaged in my retirement. Thank you.

[theducks]

1 Deleting Inside Calibre using the Delete key is the correct way

2 Merging/separate entries for duplicates is controlled by Preferences: Adding books (see the 3rd tick box and options

3 There is no problem in what you have described

[kiwidude]

It also sounds like you are not using the Find Duplicates plugin. That should take away the pain of that aspect.

[chaley]

For #1: if you use windows explorer to delete all the formats (a "format" is an ebook file) of a book from calibre's database (which you should not do but ...), you can delete the books from calibre's database by searching for books with no formats and then deleting the books.

In calibre:
1) search "formats:false". This will produce a list of books that have no formats associated with them.
2) delete any books on the list that you no longer want.

For #3: I am confused. I thought that you wanted to delete the books, but you are now talking about restoring them. To "restore" a format in this situation all you need to do is put back the file you deleted using windows explorer.

[Sondar]

Originally Posted by theducks

1 Deleting Inside Calibre using the Delete key is the correct way

2 Merging/separate entries for duplicates is controlled by Preferences: Adding books (see the 3rd tick box and options

3 There is no problem in what you have described

1. But if you delete using the delete key, the entry is deleted, but the files actually remain in the database, and show up as "Extra Titles" when you run "Check Library". Surely this isn't right. If you use the "Remove Books" button, they are deleted cleanly.

2. As I said in my original post, it isn't duplicates that are identified while adding books that are the problem. A book added as, say "London", may easily have duplicates in the database, but it is only when the meta data is created that you can see whether the "London" that you added is the "Rough Guide" (say) that you already have loaded, and not the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide that you haven't previously loaded. In the first case, I will want to remove or merge it - in the latter, I will want to keep it, but now it is too late to find whether it is matched in the database or not.
Not a problem when you're dealing with one or two books, but when you have many books in Calibre, it's a problem.

3. How can Calibre locking up when one of it's features causes it to lock up not be a problem?

Please explain.

[Sondar]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

It also sounds like you are not using the Find Duplicates plugin. That should take away the pain of that aspect.

Where do I find this add on. I can find nothing about add ons on the Calibre home page, or using Google, which appears to throw up various versions of Calibre, but no actual add ons.



OK, just realised my mistake - Plugin not Addon, and in the forum, not in the basic Calibre page.
Thanks, I've downloaded it and will give it a try this evening (my time).

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Sondar

1. But if you delete using the delete key, the entry is deleted, but the files actually remain in the database, and show up as "Extra Titles" when you run "Check Library". Surely this isn't right. If you use the "Remove Books" button, they are deleted cleanly.

In what app are you pushing the delete key? If in calibre, then the book and all the files are removed. If in windows explorer, then the files are removed and calibre is left in a confused state.

However, if you are pushing the delete key in calibre and when you push that key something has the file or folder open, then windows will not let calibre delete the files. In this case calibre will leave them behind, creating "extra titles" etc. This behavior won't be changed.

[Sondar]

Originally Posted by chaley

For #1: if you use windows explorer to delete all the formats (a "format" is an ebook file) of a book from calibre's database (which you should not do but ...), you can delete the books from calibre's database by searching for books with no formats and then deleting the books.

In calibre:
1) search "formats:false". This will produce a list of books that have no formats associated with them.
2) delete any books on the list that you no longer want.

For #3: I am confused. I thought that you wanted to delete the books, but you are now talking about restoring them. To "restore" a format in this situation all you need to do is put back the file you deleted using windows explorer.

1. No, I'm NOT using Windows Explorer to delete formats of books - usually it is the accidental clicking of the Delete key (on the keyboard) in Calibre which results in the Calibre entry being deleted, but the files remaining in the data base. I want to either make it more difficult to delete books using the Delete key, or easier to restore if they are deleted this way. Currently, they lurk in the data base but are not easily resuscitated. They can be deleted using the current tools, but not restore them if they have been accidentally deleted.

3. I'm trying to clear up a Calibre "feature" that doesn't appear to be working properly. The Restore Database isn't working - it gets 9in my case) to about 6% completed, and then locks up Calibre, so that the only way of continuing to use Calibre is to use Windows Task Manager to end the task (Calibre). I'm trying to effectively repair the data base, which has been damaged by me accidentally removing book entries from Calibre by using the Delete key on the computer keyboard. I have deleted them in error, and am trying to use the existing tools to reinstate them into the database.

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by Sondar

Where do I find this add on. I can find nothing about add ons on the Calibre home page, or using Google, which appears to throw up various versions of Calibre, but no actual add ons.

I do fear for the world's googling skills at times

Look at the top search result for "calibre find duplicates" - a whole blog article dedicated to the plugin... here

There is a whole subforum dedicated to calibre plugins - take a look at the sticky posts in it to see what other goodies you are missing out on.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Sondar

1. No, I'm NOT using Windows Explorer to delete formats of books - usually it is the accidental clicking of the Delete key (on the keyboard) in Calibre which results in the Calibre entry being deleted, but the files remaining in the data base. I want to either make it more difficult to delete books using the Delete key, or easier to restore if they are deleted this way. Currently, they lurk in the data base but are not easily resuscitated. They can be deleted using the current tools, but not restore them if they have been accidentally deleted.

It sounds like you turned off the "are you really sure you want to delete" prompt that normally is displayed when you press the DEL button. Turn it back on by going to preferences -> behavior -> and pressing the button "Reset all disabled confirmation dialogs".

[Sondar]

Originally Posted by chaley

In what app are you pushing the delete key? If in calibre, then the book and all the files are removed. If in windows explorer, then the files are removed and calibre is left in a confused state.

However, if you are pushing the delete key in calibre and when you push that key something has the file or folder open, then windows will not let calibre delete the files. In this case calibre will leave them behind, creating "extra titles" etc. This behavior won't be changed.

I am in Calibre, and the Delete key that I am talking about is the one on my computer keyboard, not something in the app itself.

[Sondar]

Originally Posted by chaley

It sounds like you turned off the "are you really sure you want to delete" prompt that normally is displayed when you press the DEL button. Turn it back on by going to preferences -> behavior -> and pressing the button "Reset all disabled confirmation dialogs".

Thank you,
That resolves the accidental deletion problem.

Many thanks

[Gardenman]

I learn something everytime I read these forums.

I did not know you could delete books with the delete button on the keyboard.

[unboggling]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

I learn something everytime I read these forums.

I did not know you could delete books with the delete button on the keyboard.

The keyboard shortcut for deleting selected book record(s) on Mac OS X is Function key and Delete key, making it a little more difficult to do by mistake. But I accidentally deleted books by clicking the default green Remove Books icon, so I replaced it with a nice grey and red trashcan icon, post by jackie_w.