Earlier today, I added a plugin idea (
link), but then when thinking about BetterRed's response and possible solutions, I did some more searching an found this plugin. Let me copy-paste the scenario to save you the click:
- I export my Calibre library (not the books, only the data stored at Calibre database) and send it to my friend.
- She imports that library as a separate book-less library. Then she starts working on fixing the tags, genres, etc.
- Once she is ready with fixing, she exports the library and sends it back to me.
- When I get the library and importing the differences to my existing library. The plugin prompts me with changes and I accept them (or deny some of them) and the merging happens.
- The books with changed metadata are marked in Calibre so that I can work on them (embed metadata, etc.)
It looks like Import List has most of the underlying functionality implemented so I thought maybe I could suggest an extension. Here is my idea:
When importing from a CSV file, Import List asks which column corresponds to which field and then if the books are not found in the library, the user must select them create empty books for them. If Import List also had an export function where the user can select which fields to export, and create a zip file with a CSV file and the related configuration file in it, this could turn out to be the best (only?) export/import library solution for Calibre.
Export would create these two files (CSV and a configuration which describes which columns of the CSV correspond to which fields in Calibe, and possibly some other options), zip them and possibly change the extension to something specific.
Import would have check boxes to: import and overwrite all local data, import but manually merge every single change (also pick which fields to merge).
What do you think?