Quote:
Originally Posted by chaley
This is a good time to summarize what I think I am hearing.
The options:
Add a function to CC that can import a book from a calibre-style folder on the device, which is one that contains formats, metadata.opf, and cover.jpg. The principle advantage is that from CC's point of view, there is no cloud service involved. The folder appears and can be imported. The disadvantages are that the folder must somehow get to the device, and that the metadata.opf file in the folder must be up-to-date.
This option was modified to include a second app that could browse (somehow) the calibre db in the cloud, download calibre folders, and ask CC to import them. The app would be pay-for, obviating the problem of adding in-app payments to CC.
The arguments for include ease of implementation, not being tied to a fixed set of cloud services, and straightforward "monetization". The arguments against include a more difficult user experience and potential unhappiness if the second app isn't as capable as the user wants.
Several people have expressed preference for #1, others for #2. What isn't clear to me is whether the people expressing preference for #2 really prefer it or were indicating that they could accept it under some set of conditions. |
I prefer this (#2) because it seems the most elegant way to do this.
It is very flexible, allowing you to transfer books via USB from calibre with just as much capability as the wireless connection (minus syncing back to calibredb) by selecting a folder in which to save books to disk.
Or to import from Dropbox -- surely supporting one cloud provider (the most popular) should be enough and if not, updating new cloud service APIs should be much simpler than certain
other problems around here...
There is no need to worry about the temptation to sync the latest data from the calibre database. Just treat the book folder as a snapshot from a specific time and
let the wireless connection worry about updating.
The basic functionality (minus possible integration with Dropbox) doesn't require messing around with other apps. And if you need to, you can always extend it later (since apparently you have no self-control
)...
People who are looking for functionality to import from Dropbox will surely be able to also figure out how to maneuver the file hierarchy to get /{author}/{title} {id}/ -- and if they can't, there is a simple support answer "navigate to the folder calibre stores the book in". For a feature that I suspect will mainly be used by power users, this is a fair compromise.
Basically, the only reason there is to use option #1/#3 is to make it prettier, something you cannot do with just a folder full of subdirectories with OPF/FMT/covers. But that implies a great deal more usage than I see happening. Granted, if you build this then it will see enough usage that it may become the default (
) but that is hardly an excuse.
So I think that is the question -- is this change meant to supplement the wireless driver connection, or replace it?