[GUI Plugin] Recoll Full Text Search

[Satas]

Recoll Full Text Search Plugin
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Created by Stanislav Kazmin (April 2013)

Requires Calibre >= 0.9.25 (actually I think, it will run on much earlier versions)

Runs only on unix systems (uses recoll which is only available for linux).

This Plugin uses Recoll as a backend program to do a full text search inside the whole library and then display the matches in calibre.

It is build very simple and has only a few self explaining features.

Install
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Steps to get this plugin working:
1. install thins plugin as a usual on in calibre
2. make a new custom column in calibre
2.1. Go to Preferencies - add you own columns
2.2. create a new column with:
2.2.1. Lookup name: cid
2.2.2. Column heading: CID
2.2.3. Column type: Column built from other columns
2.2.4. Template: {id}
2.2.5. Sort/Search column by: number
3. install recoll on you system
4. copy the directory "recollFullTextSearchPlugin" from the zip file to the calibre config plugins directory (usually on unix systems: $HOME/.config/calibre/plugins
5. When you start calibre, a new icon for the plugin can be seen in the panel
6. before use the the plugin for the first time, make sure the paths for the plugin are set right (check out plugins preferences for do so)
7. Make create a database for recoll using the button in the plugin (can take a lot of time for the first time)
8. Thats it


The recoll config file is set up to not search for jpg png json or opf files so you should not get worng results.
The recoll database is saved in the config directory of calibre so you can use recoll as normal program with an second database and other conf file (mostly the standard one).

I do not know exactly, when the ids for the books are changed by calibre so I recommend to make a database update quite often and from time to time make a new database. Unless you do not add new books

I am not a programmer but a physician so it was a hard work for me to get everything done. I think, if someone has more time, there are a lot of things to improve. So feel free to change this plugin on you own. I am not in intention to do so in the next time.

Changes since 1.0.0
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1.0.1
- changed search window to have a list of last searches
- new about window
- new message when updating the recoll library

For information about recoll look at: http://www.lesbonscomptes.com/recoll/

Feel free to ask me some questions. But it can take a time till I have the time to answer it. Be patient please.

[JSWolf]

If you make this available via the plugin option, will you be able to limit installation only for Linux? If not, don't make it available as it will cause endless hassles.

[Satas]

So what do I to do now? I thought it would be nice and helpful for some people using linux so I share it here. Is that wrong?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Satas

So what do I to do now? I thought it would be nice and helpful for some people using linux so I share it here. Is that wrong?

No problem sharing it here. You have put in the warning.

The problem comes if you submit it for the plugin list. If Calibre can not separate plugins by OS, then Windows and OS X users might be trying it.

[Satas]

That is not a big problem, because the only thing is, it will do nothing. But there shouldn't be any errors.

And maybe someone knows a program for windows to use my plugin with. Than it could be possible to make it run on windows, too.

[kiwidude]

Calibre will not attempt to load a plugin that has the appropriate supported_platforms set on it. Likewise the Plugin Updater plugin which is what parses the plugin index page also uses that same text from the plugin index page to prevent the user from being given the option to install the plugin if the list of supported OS does not include their own.

We don't actually have any plugins in the index that are not cross platform at the moment but if we were ever asked to add this plugin to the main index it wouldn't be an issue.

[Satas]

I am not so good in English. And it is my first plugin.

So I ask you, have I to do something now or is it just ok to let the plugin here in the forum and doing nothing?

[Satas]

And maybe it could be possible to run recoll as a backend if calibre would provide all the necessary libs on windows, too? Than it could be a crossplatform plugin... But I do not know what is needed to do so.

[kiwidude]

You are perfectly welcome to have a plugin here in the forums. *If* you want the plugin to be added to the index of plugins thread (so that it appears available for users to download from Calibre via Preferences -> Get plugins) then you have to follow the instructions that are in the spoiler at the top of that index of plugins sticky thread. However you don't *have* to have your plugin added to the index if you don't want to.