Request: Locking behavior for Tag Browser

[lenkost]

Hello,
I am looking for a feature in Calibre Tag Browser to limit book selection by multiple conditions.
For example set Format to "MOBI" and then Tag to "SiFi" and Series for "Startrek".
Currently only a single condition is available.

One feature resembling this is "Restrict to" selection or manually add sequence of search conditions in Search filed which is quite inconvenient.

It could be implemented by controlling locking behavior of the icons in Tag Browser using a Shift key where the Icon and a condition is locked until clicked again.

The same option in Content Server would make much sense too.

It is quite possible that is is already implemented or it is just Me making unreasonable requests, but I would love to have it to help manage my huge library.

Thanks, Lenkost.
P.S. Sorry, wrong subforum

[theducks]

Moderator Notice
Moved out of Development. Sticky not read before posted

Hold the control key down after the first tag/autho/series... has ben selected to select /exclude additional items (just like most OS do)

[lenkost]

Thanks a lot. It is exactly what I wanted. Is there anything like that for a Content Server?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by lenkost

Thanks a lot. It is exactly what I wanted. Is there anything like that for a Content Server?

You can save your search then place that saved search as a restriction in the content server preferences area.

[lenkost]

When I choose a category to browse by in Web browser, it takes me to a plain list of books, matching this category which is usually quite large. Instead I would like to have a choice to see the book list or use other categories to narrow it down. Saved searches are available in the Web interface but they too take me to a large list.

[kovidgoyal]

simply type in the the two category names in the search box in the web interface.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by lenkost

Saved searches are available in the Web interface but they too take me to a large list.

Are you saying your search results in a long/large list, or that your list of saved searches is too long. If the former, then you should write a narrower search. If the latter, you are saving way too many searches
Also, you may not be aware of this, but there are several content server interfaces located at /mobile, /browse, /old and /opds. You may want to look at each.

You may also want to look at the search bar of the GUI after you have selected multiple categories to see how it constructed the search. Anything that appears in the search bar of the GUI can be typed or pasted into the search box in the content server and will produce the same results in whatever interface of the CS you are currently using. You can even save the search request as a bookmark in whatever browser you are using to browse.

[lenkost]

Basically what I would want to have is to do search within search results.
For example:
1. select a Library(custom column)
2. Select Mobi format within #1.
3. Display and select Author by first letter of the last name from #2
4. Display search results from #3.

kovidgoyal suggestion to type category names in the search box would definitely work but it is not user friendly as I need to remember those names.

Instead of going directly to search results after submitting request it could return to the main screen and there have a choice to view search results or add more options.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by lenkost

Basically what I would want to have is to do search within search results.

I'm not sure if you are asking for an enhancement, but currently, Calibre has no search within search capability. I don't personally see any need for it.

For example:
1. select a Library(custom column)

If you are still referring to the Content Server, it will only do one library at a time.

2. Select Mobi format within #1.

This seems odd - why choose the format before you choose the book?

3. Display and select Author by first letter of the last name from #2

You can get the content server to show authors grouped by the first letter of their name by typing this into your browser:
http://content_server_address/browse/category/authors

[theducks]

Search within a search is sort of there

Set a Filter (Saved search), now you can do any search on the Filtered results

[kovidgoyal]

A search within a search is just:

search1 and search2

[lenkost]

I'm not sure if you are asking for an enhancement, but currently, Calibre has no search within search capability. I don't personally see any need for it.

Yes, I was asking for an enhancement

If you are still referring to the Content Server, it will only do one library at a time.

Sorry, for misleading names, Library in my post is just a name for a custom column.

This seems odd - why choose the format before you choose the book?

Because I have a lot of titles not converted to format accepted by Kindle, so I need to see only the books I can download.
I am using Kindle browser to get books from Calibre and as it is slow I need to use as little clicks and typing as possible.

A search within a search is just: search1 and search2

Agree, but I was looking for a GUI in a Web browser.

My request is about making Web Interface more flexible. If community considers this not worth the effort, I will accept it with humility.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by lenkost

Sorry, for misleading names, Library in my post is just a name for a custom column.

You have several options for this.1) use the search bar and #Library:True, using saved search and the search bar, using the button produced with saved searches etc.

Because I have a lot of titles not converted to format accepted by Kindle, so I need to see only the books I can download.

Calibre's Content Server does this automatically - it provides only books you can use with the "Get" button based on the settings in Preferences for books you can use on your reader. My question wasn't about why you needed a particular format, it was about why you would choose that point in the search to select the format (before you've found the book you want) when the ContentServer will automatically provide the best format with the "Get" button and you can choose any of the available formats with the "Details" link if you wait until you've found your book. I just thought it was odd to select the format in the middle of the search - after you've limited the results, but before you've found the books you want.

I am using Kindle browser to get books from Calibre and as it is slow I need to use as little clicks and typing as possible.

I use saved searches and bookmarks in my browser. A single bookmark will give me complicated searches, such as all books tagged to be read by me, that I haven't yet read and have received an award. Or all recent books tagged for my wife about fish health. The saved search will give me single bookmark results (no clicking in the CS interface) or I can link to the
page that shows all the saved searches, and use only one click on the interface to run the specific search I want. If I need to restrict further, I can add that restriction to the saved search using the method Kovid referred to.

Agree, but I was looking for a GUI in a Web browser.

I suppose I shouldn't have said Calibre has no search within search, as Kovid pointed to how the search bar does that automatically. When I said that, I was thinking along the lines of doing a second search in the Content Server search interface restricted to the results of the first search and without repeating the first search. Kovid's comment about how to do a two level search in one shot is why I said I don't think it's needed. I'm still not totally sure what you are looking for in the Content Server interface.

My request is about making Web Interface more flexible. If community considers this not worth the effort, I will accept it with humility.

Are you sure you've explored all the four different CS interfaces - particularly the default /browse that may not appear by default on a mobile device?

[lenkost]

I think there is a confusion between terms Browse and Search and I may have contributed to this by the way I posted my request.

Search options are quite comprehensive and flexible in Content Server as was eloquently explained here.

I was requesting options for browsing where user knows nothing about the content and what to type in search bar and just explores the server using provided GUI.

I am just trying to explain my point and it is up to our generous host to decide what to do. Calibre is a beautiful software to manage ebooks and I am grateful for what we already have.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by lenkost

I think there is a confusion between terms Browse and Search and I may have contributed to this by the way I posted my request.

Search options are quite comprehensive and flexible in Content Server as was eloquently explained here.

I was requesting options for browsing where user knows nothing about the content and what to type in search bar and just explores the server using provided GUI.

I am just trying to explain my point and it is up to our generous host to decide what to do. Calibre is a beautiful software to manage ebooks and I am grateful for what we already have.

I was explaining that many configurable aspects of Calibre, such as custom columns and saved searches automatically become browse buttons in the Content Server. You haven't confirmed if you know that. There are several interfaces to the Content Server, and not all show those automatically created browse buttons with clickable links to saved searches. It's very common for users to think there is one and only one interface to the CS and not realize the options that automatically appear in other interfaces.

You will need to "explain your point" a bit more if you want it evaluated as a possible enhancement. Your original post indicated you didn't understand that multiple conditions can be set for the tag browser, and it still isn't clear if you understand what is already available with the content server using the /browse or /opds interfaces.