Thread: Alternatives to Calibre?
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Old 07-10-2013, 03:55 PM   #28
kacir
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mex5150 View Post
Flexible? so why can't it do what I want? It's only flexible if you want to do things EXACTLY the way the author dictates and NEVER deviate from that LOL
Yes flexible. Extremely flexible. You can do unbelievable things with it. Your complaint shows that you do not understand how to use it and what are its features.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mex5150 View Post
That's EXACTLY my problem, calibre FORCES a badly thought out rigid file structure!
The file structure is extremely well thought out. The file structure isn't there for you to mess with manually. This is as if you wanted to edit the contents of Oracle database in binary editor, changing hexadecimal values by hand and then complained that Oracle database structure is extremely rigid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mex5150 View Post
But I ask again what other options are there out there?
- Doing it all manually. You can use conversion utilities from a command line.
- You can also write your own version of Calibre. The source code is out there, complete with a detailed description of how to start development.
- You can also ask for help and describe politely what exactly you want to achieve and you will get great support here. Please avoid all caps shouting in bold in your plea for help, unless absolutely necessary.

Please note that nobody forces you to use Calibre. Calibre has no monopoly. It is not a commercial program. Calibre has been very generously provided to us by Kovid Goyal and many other developers, translators, betatesters, community members, enthusiasts. The software is so flexible and so well made that millions of people choose to use it.

If you have a problem and can't understand how to use Calibre in a very specific use-case scenario, just ask. I have seen people ask politely for a feature and next Friday, the feature was on the long list of improvements already implemented. I have never ever seen this level of support for any other piece of software - from free software through freeware, shareware up to bloody expensive tailor-made systems (those are usually the worst). Gvim text editor comes close, but Calibre takes the cake.

Please note that in the most of other communities such posts as the one I am trying to answer very politely would be flamed to oblivion.
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