[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Merischino

But... I have a considerable library, less than 2% of which I have brought into Calibre. I've spent the last 2 months trying everything (short of coding) to get the simple task of sorting by author done. And, it appears that it simply cannot be done. Adding books by a single author all at once, then changing the calibre metadata (distinct from the existing file's metadata) for each record so that the author's name is uniform in all instances before adding books from another author does not help.

First make sure you have the current version of calibre installed.

Then since I don't use Stanza are you having trouble sorting in Stanza or in the calibre application itself?

Originally Posted by Merischino

I also can't sort reliably on any other category, but for simplicity I will limit this post to the fact that re-entering/correcting the "author" field doesn't do it. Re-entering/correcting the "author sort" field doesn't do it. Deleting the entire calibre library and starting from scratch doesn't do it.

What is the trick?

There is no trick, If the metadata entered is correct then sorting is correct. It is just that simple. Understand that the author field sorts off of the author_sort entry and not from the author entry. Highlight all the books for a given author, select Edit Metadata, place the author's name (first last, for example Isaac Asimov) also check the Automatically set author sort, then click ok. Now the Author sort is set to Asimov, Isaac and will sort in under "A".

Originally Posted by Merischino

-Do something to correct the files in the Calibre library such that corrected author names, author sort fields, ISBN numbers and cover art which has been downloaded, etc. all get associated with the book file (my ideal view would be, this information gets put INTO the ACTUAL file so that the calibre metadata work does not have to get done over, and over, and over again as is my experience)

I think you need to start with figuring out one thing at a time, then moving to the next. Once you set the metadata it does not have to be done over, and over, and over again. The metadata doesn't somehow magically disappear from calibre's library or change on its own accord. Statements like this is why I think you need to tackle one concept at a time. That said, reconverting a book, say epub to epub, will place the cover and pertinent metadata in the file itself.

Originally Posted by Merischino

-Ultimately arrive at a Calibre library that does not have multiple folders for the same author, some with a comma, some with an underline, in the name, all with identical contents, and arrive at a Calibre library that does not have emply folders for every instance of incorrect author name that existed prior to being corrected

First off read Worldwalker's link. there is no reason to be poking around in calibre's folder structure. That said, folders / file names change on the fly as you change the content of the metadata. Folders do not get left behind, unless you are mucking around in the folders trying to fix the naming (very bad, very very bad). If you think the folders aren't right then go back to the GUI and fix the metadata and that will fix your folders. At this point you might have orphaned folders because you mucked things up by manually playing with folder and file names.

Originally Posted by Merischino

I don't need to go into my Calibre library as an access point for the books, but with a substantially large library, I do not want to have duplicate, triplicate, quadruplicate files in that library. Its inefficient and undesirable, not to mention impossible to figure out which file is/should be updated with the corrected metadata.

Calibre does not keep duplicate folders/files in its library unless you added duplicate files.

Originally Posted by Merischino

Anyway, I would appreciate any help, and if there IS an existing thread or help file that addresses Sorting, integrated correct metadata into your file, etc, feel free simply to point me there, I'm not intending that anyone recreate the wheel.

At this point it might help to use the "Move library to a new location" feature by clicking on the library icon in the top row. Move it to a new EMPTY folder. After your finished this new folder will have the exact books / metadata you have listed in your library. Now stay out of the folder structure and correct the metadata in the GUI to clean things up.