Updated Titles

tamhas · 12-13-2013, 01:00 PM

I recently found about a dozen updates available for books on my Kindle and so got them. In two case, there was some title change (adding the series identifier), but for the rest, the title was the same. In the Kindle, all showed as new. In Calibre, the title changed ones showed as new and the others showed as already in the library. For each, I added the title to the library, reconverted to epub for my wife, and merged the two books into one. The book now showed as not in the device in the library, so I went back to the device and did a match books followed by update cached metadata.

Doesn't it seem like this should be simpler?

eschwartz · 12-13-2013, 03:34 PM

I usually destroy all the Amazon titles by fixing them and properly using the series column. Then i use a plugboard to add the series info to the title when sending to device. Assuming you do this, I would just add the updated book as a new format for the old book, overwriting the current one.

If not, the titles are legitimately different, and thus they are legitimately different books.

tamhas · 12-13-2013, 03:44 PM

The titles weren't actually an issue since the merged book has the new title. But, even when the title matched, it created a second book. It asked in the middle which I wanted, but telling it I wanted the new one, it still left the old one. That and having it end up supposedly not on the device at the end (and clearly it was on the device since that is where it came from) was what produced all the steps.

eschwartz · 12-13-2013, 03:58 PM

When you say you want the new one, you are NOT telling calibre "use the new version", you are saying "yes I know it's already here, add the new book record anyway".

Books are matched like this: when a book is sent from calibre, the calibre metadata is used to record the book in the file %KINDLEDRIVE%\metadata.calibre

If calibre senses the book when connecting your device, but it's not in the metadata.calibre, it will read the file and extract some basic info.

Once the metadata.calibre is updated (the first thing calibre does when you connect your device) it attempts to match books to your library; it does this by comparing the title registered in metadata.calibre to the one in the calibre database. If the titles aren't exactly the same, you don't get a check mark.

If the book record had the title changed, for instance you merge the two records together, then it may no longer match the record in the metadata.calibre, depending on how the book was indexed in the metadata.calibre, what the current title is there, and what the calibre record says.

You could send the book from calibre, and then it will match up. I always do this just so the plugboard title gets updated.

tamhas · 12-13-2013, 04:08 PM

The concern about matching is why I did a match after all was done ... the fact that the merged book didn't appear to be in the device (although the device showed the book in the library!).

I don't want to send the book back to the device since then I would lose the category it was in. For me, unread books are at the top and read books are in one of a couple folders ... plus a couple folders for special categories. In this case, at least one read book was updated and I wouldn't have wanted that back on top.

Are you saying that when the prompt comes up, I should untick the book in the device? The prompt certainly could be clearer. There are a bunch of similar operations where one gets a clear query of "do you want A (size, date) or B (size, date) or both (with renaming).

eschwartz · 12-13-2013, 05:09 PM

All I'm saying is when you import your options are either add book as normally or don't since you already have it in the library. Add books is not the appropriate place for deleting old books.

And match books is one way out of several to TELL calibre which books are the same, since the problem is calibre doesn't know.

I have suggested one way which works with my workflow. If you don't want to do so, then you can still do as you just did, but it might require work.

Also, if I send the book back to the same filename (using custom column "#origfilename") the book is still in collections, but it might be due to filename or maybe it's just having the same ASIN. I haven't tested.

If you untick the book, the book will not be added. If you leave it ticked, a second record will be added. It's pretty straightforward.

tamhas · 12-13-2013, 05:15 PM

OK, but what I am suggesting is that it would not be difficult for this kind of update to be more automated so that it required less work. Why not an option that notices the book is already there (solve title differences by matching previously), displays the time stamps of each, asks which copy is to be retained, and then makes that copy in both the device and the library with any updates to metadata as required. I don't see why that can't be automated and it must be a moderately common task.

12-13-2013, 01:00 PM	#1
tamhas Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle	Updated Titles I recently found about a dozen updates available for books on my Kindle and so got them. In two case, there was some title change (adding the series identifier), but for the rest, the title was the same. In the Kindle, all showed as new. In Calibre, the title changed ones showed as new and the others showed as already in the library. For each, I added the title to the library, reconverted to epub for my wife, and merged the two books into one. The book now showed as not in the device in the library, so I went back to the device and did a match books followed by update cached metadata. Doesn't it seem like this should be simpler?

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12-13-2013, 03:34 PM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	I usually destroy all the Amazon titles by fixing them and properly using the series column. Then i use a plugboard to add the series info to the title when sending to device. Assuming you do this, I would just add the updated book as a new format for the old book, overwriting the current one. If not, the titles are legitimately different, and thus they are legitimately different books.

12-13-2013, 03:44 PM	#3
tamhas Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle	The titles weren't actually an issue since the merged book has the new title. But, even when the title matched, it created a second book. It asked in the middle which I wanted, but telling it I wanted the new one, it still left the old one. That and having it end up supposedly not on the device at the end (and clearly it was on the device since that is where it came from) was what produced all the steps.

12-13-2013, 03:58 PM	#4
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	When you say you want the new one, you are NOT telling calibre "use the new version", you are saying "yes I know it's already here, add the new book record anyway". Books are matched like this: when a book is sent from calibre, the calibre metadata is used to record the book in the file %KINDLEDRIVE%\metadata.calibre If calibre senses the book when connecting your device, but it's not in the metadata.calibre, it will read the file and extract some basic info. Once the metadata.calibre is updated (the first thing calibre does when you connect your device) it attempts to match books to your library; it does this by comparing the title registered in metadata.calibre to the one in the calibre database. If the titles aren't exactly the same, you don't get a check mark. If the book record had the title changed, for instance you merge the two records together, then it may no longer match the record in the metadata.calibre, depending on how the book was indexed in the metadata.calibre, what the current title is there, and what the calibre record says. You could send the book from calibre, and then it will match up. I always do this just so the plugboard title gets updated.

12-13-2013, 04:08 PM	#5
tamhas Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle	The concern about matching is why I did a match after all was done ... the fact that the merged book didn't appear to be in the device (although the device showed the book in the library!). I don't want to send the book back to the device since then I would lose the category it was in. For me, unread books are at the top and read books are in one of a couple folders ... plus a couple folders for special categories. In this case, at least one read book was updated and I wouldn't have wanted that back on top. Are you saying that when the prompt comes up, I should untick the book in the device? The prompt certainly could be clearer. There are a bunch of similar operations where one gets a clear query of "do you want A (size, date) or B (size, date) or both (with renaming).

12-13-2013, 05:09 PM	#6
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	All I'm saying is when you import your options are either add book as normally or don't since you already have it in the library. Add books is not the appropriate place for deleting old books. And match books is one way out of several to TELL calibre which books are the same, since the problem is calibre doesn't know. I have suggested one way which works with my workflow. If you don't want to do so, then you can still do as you just did, but it might require work. Also, if I send the book back to the same filename (using custom column "#origfilename") the book is still in collections, but it might be due to filename or maybe it's just having the same ASIN. I haven't tested. If you untick the book, the book will not be added. If you leave it ticked, a second record will be added. It's pretty straightforward.

12-13-2013, 05:15 PM	#7
tamhas Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle	OK, but what I am suggesting is that it would not be difficult for this kind of update to be more automated so that it required less work. Why not an option that notices the book is already there (solve title differences by matching previously), displays the time stamps of each, asks which copy is to be retained, and then makes that copy in both the device and the library with any updates to metadata as required. I don't see why that can't be automated and it must be a moderately common task.

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