[Old Thread] User Defined Column
 

I followed the Guru's youtube to the key on how to add a "read" column in Calibre...It worked well except to access the Yes/No (if its been read) is nestled deep the the Metadata, custom metadata.. Not like in the instructions..Would it be because the instructions are for a further back version or am I doing something wrong...?? Was hoping like the video, a simple toggle yes/no on the main view screen.....
:help:

Hey one more question if your still here...:

When sorting I have Last Name, First Name Middle Initial...But looking at the Authors alphabetically it keys on the first name, not the last name....Any way to change it....or should I have put First Middle Last...?? (is there a proper format...??) :thanks:

I suspect you're putting "lastname, firstname" into the author field without having changed any of the default calibre configuration? If that's the case, calibre will automatically an entry inside a column that's normally hidden from library view but is used to sort the author column on. That column ist called author_sort and would, if presented with an entry "lastname, firstname" inside the author column, automatically contain an entry "firstname, lastname," to be sorted on.

There is a tweak in the preferences called author_sort_copy_method that influences this behaviour. If you set it to "copy", the author_sort field will contain exactly what is in the author field. Another way to fix this would, of course, be just to put "firstname lastname" inside the author column, which would then lead to calibre sorting on lastname.

Edit to add: Oh, and as for your first question: I haven't seen the video, but if I doubleclick on an entry in a user defined boolean column, I get presented with a dropdown menu to edit the entry. Is that what you're looking for? I believe the clicking behaviour got changed in 0.7.27, so that's why the tutorial video might have to do it slightly different.

THANKS...Im on it !!!

I keep getting syntx error when I attempt to change :

# copy : copy author to author_sort without modification

No space or Hash-mark in the Column name (the hash-mark is used to refer to a custom column, but does not exist in the name you assign). You CAN have a space in the Column LABEL

What version of calibre are you using? There was an author name sorting issue with an earlier 0.7.x build (.19 I think? I'd have to double-check the changelog). If you're using that version, that would explain your sorting issue.

You need only substitute 'copy' instead of 'invert' in the line The hashes, for tweaks, are comment signs. Remember to first copy the tweak from the upper to the lower window.

I missed :( the part where he switched from custom column naming to using the Tweak (sheet :p )

Ahhhh...Thank-You...It works perfectly !!!!

Manichean mentioned a tweak when I asked about formatting the name....Im on Calibre 7.27 and I guess the Yes/No column no longer supports a right click to a drop down box....

I assume you are talking about the library view? What does the tweak for formatting the (author's ?) name have to do with yes/no columns?

To my knowledge, right-click has never opened a drop-down box on the library view. A single left click will open the dropdown box, as shown in the attached screen shot. In the next release, a tweak is available to make double-click do the same thing, instead of opening a viewer.

Nothing...I had asked two questions..One about yes/no, the other formatting Lastname, firstname, ect. ect.

I cannot seem to get the yes/no dropdown box to function for me...I know it must be operator error...I can only seem to access yes/no by going into custom metadata. Not like your attachment...In the custom field I put read, then Read in the second dropdown box then picked yes/no for the third...But somehow I am missing something....

You're sure that you defined the column to be a boolean column?

Ummm, no....Not sure where that was an option...Im at work but will check it out after midnight..(Eastern)

You don't need to use the drop-down. Just type Y or N. AFTER you press F2, to Edit,
(a change made in 7.27 (at my request) to prevent accidental field value changes)

I just had a look at which types calibre offers. The boolean datatype is called yes/no column.