Feature?/Help request: Sorting composite column by a different column's value

[isarl]

I store Title separately from Subtitle, but in my main library view I display both using a composite column, separating them with a colon if the subtitle is set: {title}{#subtitle:|: |}

However, when sorting by this field, The Memory Librarian gets sorted next to other “The” titles, not next to titles starting with “Mem”.

For my purposes, it would be nice to have another option in the custom column settings for the “Sort/search column by” drop-down. Maybe “custom” and the ability to provide my own template. Then I could use something like {title_sort}{#subtitle:|: |} to have this field behave very similarly to the built-in title field.

Maybe I'm doing something silly and there's a better way to achieve what I'm after – I welcome suggestions. Thank you for reading!

[theducks]

Why not just move the subtitle column to be next to Title? No need to bloat the DB (performance hit).

Title follows the sort order scheme in ID: title_series_sorting
A calculated column does not have a tweak.

BTW Preferences:Look&Feel:Book Details (sidebar) is where you also do this to get the details to be the same order

[chaley]

Originally Posted by isarl

I store Title separately from Subtitle, but in my main library view I display both using a composite column, separating them with a colon if the subtitle is set: {title}{#subtitle:|: |}

However, when sorting by this field, The Memory Librarian gets sorted next to other “The” titles, not next to titles starting with “Mem”.

For my purposes, it would be nice to have another option in the custom column settings for the “Sort/search column by” drop-down. Maybe “custom” and the ability to provide my own template. Then I could use something like {title_sort}{#subtitle:|: |} to have this field behave very similarly to the built-in title field.

Maybe I'm doing something silly and there's a better way to achieve what I'm after – I welcome suggestions. Thank you for reading!

The option to have a second template for sorting is difficult. Fetching the value of a column is done without knowing what use will be made of it. Changing that would require deep changes in the calibre db layer, and I can't say with confidence that it would work well even with the changes. It is definitely not worth the effort for me.

Other than @theducks suggestion, you could:

• Use title_sort instead of title in your template. Of course you would see the altered title, but that might be OK.
• Use the "Sort by" action to construct the multi-column sort you want, title then subtitle. Save this sort for later recall. I think it should offer any saved sorts in the main menu. I will look at whether this is feasible.
• Use Action Chains: make a Python code action that sorts the way you want. Give it a keyboard shortcut. Example:
  

  def run(gui, settings, chain):
      # Enter you code here
      gui.library_view.multisort((('title', True), ('#subtitle', True)))

  True means ascending. You could make two chains if you want to sort both ways.
  
  Here is the chain definition. Not much ...
  

[isarl]

Your comments are both full of helpful suggestions – thank you both very much!

Originally Posted by theducks

Why not just move the subtitle column to be next to Title? No need to bloat the DB (performance hit).

Title follows the sort order scheme in ID: title_series_sorting
A calculated column does not have a tweak.

BTW Preferences:Look&Feel:Book Details (sidebar) is where you also do this to get the details to be the same order

1) Sure, could do. This is a matter of personal taste – I like keeping the parts as separate metadata but displaying them as a single field.

2) Always good to know about more tweaks, but in this case I'm happy to leave it on library_order.

3) This is very helpful too; I used this feature to hide the Title and Subtitle fields from Book Details and put my composite column in their place before any of the other fields.

Originally Posted by chaley

The option to have a second template for sorting is difficult. Fetching the value of a column is done without knowing what use will be made of it. Changing that would require deep changes in the calibre db layer, and I can't say with confidence that it would work well even with the changes. It is definitely not worth the effort for me.

No worries, I appreciate that just because a request is able to be simply phrased, that doesn't mean it's always trivial to implement.

Other than @theducks suggestion, you could:

• Use title_sort instead of title in your template. Of course you would see the altered title, but that might be OK.
• Use the "Sort by" action to construct the multi-column sort you want, title then subtitle. Save this sort for later recall. I think it should offer any saved sorts in the main menu. I will look at whether this is feasible.
• Use Action Chains: make a Python code action that sorts the way you want. Give it a keyboard shortcut. Example:
  

  def run(gui, settings, chain):
      # Enter you code here
      gui.library_view.multisort((('title', True), ('#subtitle', True)))

  True means ascending. You could make two chains if you want to sort both ways.
  
  Here is the chain definition. Not much ...
  Attachment 201116

1) Nice, simple suggestion. Since I'm mostly using this for aesthetic purposes I prefer not to take it, but that doesn't undercut its simplicity or relevance.

2) Oh my gosh, there's a Sort By action. Which now lives on my search toolbar next to Saved Searches and Mark Books. (For anybody reading who didn't know you can customize your toolbars and menus, see Preferences > Interface > Toolbars & menus. I chose “The buttons on the search bar” to which I added “Sort by”.) This is perfect, exactly what I needed. I can sort by Title > Subtitle and I can save the sort as well, totally independently of my custom composite column.

3) This is great and with Action Chains I guess its usefulness is only limited by one's creativity. Nevertheless, Sort By solves my issue so well that this would be overkill for me here, but it's still very informative.

Thanks again!

[isarl]

One last comment, now that I've played with “Sort by” a little bit: if I were doing this frequently, using the “Sort on multiple columns” dialogue over and over, even to load a saved sort, is a bit clunky. In that case, I think a winning idea would be to combine Charles's first and second suggestions – make a new composite column using title_sort instead of title, and choose it from the “Sort by” dropdown.

In practice, I think I change my sorting pretty infrequently. Nevertheless, I thought I'd share that idea in case it helps anybody else.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by isarl

One last comment, now that I've played with “Sort by” a little bit: if I were doing this frequently, using the “Sort on multiple columns” dialogue over and over, even to load a saved sort, is a bit clunky. In that case, I think a winning idea would be to combine Charles's first and second suggestions – make a new composite column using title_sort instead of title, and choose it from the “Sort by” dropdown.

In practice, I think I change my sorting pretty infrequently. Nevertheless, I thought I'd share that idea in case it helps anybody else.

I just submitted changes for Kovid's review that adds saved sorts to the top-level menu. That makes them as easy to get to as columns. I will post here if he accepts the changes.

[ownedbycats]

On somewhat the same topic, I've had to create custom columns just to sort series-columns. If you sort ascending, undefineds go first. But if you sort descending, the series are in reverse order. So I sort series first, then sort a composite order checking that the column has a value to make them go to the top.

View Manager is a bit of a help. It's unfortunate that it can't do a sorting-only view and leaving the columns unchanged.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

View Manager is a bit of a help. It's unfortunate that it can't do a sorting-only view and leaving the columns unchanged.

Maybe the Sort By tool can help.

BR

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

On somewhat the same topic, I've had to create custom columns just to sort series-columns. If you sort ascending, undefineds go first. But if you sort descending, the series are in reverse order. So I sort series first, then sort a composite order checking that the column has a value to make them go to the top.

Why use two columns? Instead make the composite generate values that sort the way you want, using something like ZZZZZZ for undefined values.

View Manager is a bit of a help. It's unfortunate that it can't do a sorting-only view and leaving the columns unchanged.

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Maybe the Sort By tool can help.

BR

Yes, especially if the changes I submitted are accepted. At that point you will be able to use Action Chains to invoke a saved sort with a keyboard shortcut, or add the sort to Favourites. And before you ask, no, I am not interested in adding shortcuts to sorts in the "Sort by" tool. If someone wants this enough then develop a "Sort by" plugin that does the job.

For some reason one must click the "Sort by" button before Action Chains or Favourites can "see" the menus.

[ownedbycats]

Then the 'ZZZZZZ' would show up in the column, lol. I suppose I could hide it with a column icon though (I do this for Unknown authors)

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Then the 'ZZZZZZ' would show up in the column, lol. I suppose I could hide it with a column icon though (I do this when author is 'Unknown').

You don't need to show a column in the book list to sort on it.

[ownedbycats]

Oh, I get it now. Ill experiment a bit.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by chaley

Yes, especially if the changes I submitted are accepted. At that point you will be able to use Action Chains to invoke a saved sort with a keyboard shortcut, or add the sort to Favourites. And before you ask, no, I am not interested in adding shortcuts to sorts in the "Sort by" tool. If someone wants this enough then develop a "Sort by" plugin that does the job.

Adding Saved Sorts to Favourites

BR

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by isarl

2) Oh my gosh, there's a Sort By action. Which now lives on my search toolbar next to Saved Searches and Mark Books. (For anybody reading who didn't know you can customize your toolbars and menus, see Preferences > Interface > Toolbars & menus. I chose “The buttons on the search bar” to which I added “Sort by”.) This is perfect, exactly what I needed. I can sort by Title > Subtitle and I can save the sort as well, totally independently of my custom composite column.

Thank you! I didn't and now I've added to the buttons.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by chaley

I just submitted changes for Kovid's review that adds saved sorts to the top-level menu. That makes them as easy to get to as columns. I will post here if he accepts the changes.

These changes are now in calibre source.