View Single Post
Old 08-21-2018, 01:20 PM   #1
DaltonST
Deviser
DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaltonST ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
DaltonST's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,265
Karma: 2090983
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Texas
Device: none
[GUI Plugin] CalibreSpy

[GUI Plugin] CalibreSpy

Summary:
  • Light GUI for viewing, searching using VLs and many other search tools, and using many libraries simultaneously by multiple users without running the Calibre GUI itself.
  • CalibreSpy is always 100% read-only for book-related data and files in a Calibre Library.
  • View Multiple Libraries simultaneously without running Calibre.
  • View Multiple Libraries simultaneously while Calibre is already running.
  • Run CalibreSpy simultaneously from a command file (CLI) as many times as you wish. CalibreSpy is read-only.
  • Run CalibreSpy from the Calibre GUI, viewing any single Library. However, that single instance of CalibreSpy will be closed automatically by Calibre as the latter shuts down. Use a command file to run CalibreSpy completely independently of the Calibre GUI.
  • Virtual Libraries.
  • User Categories via Virtual Libraries.
  • Saved Searches via Virtual Libraries.
  • Search for Duplicate Books using any 2 Columns, Standard and/or Custom.
  • Perform multi-Library searches for matching books using "Clipboard Search Queries" while simultaneously viewing multiple Libraries in CalibreSpy. Watch video.
  • For Tags within an intrinsic (informal) "hierarchy", filter down from the "top" of the hierarchy to its bottom. Filtering-down is a method of drilling-down.
  • Drag-and-Drop functionality from third-party full-text search applications.
  • Cross-Book (Inter-Book) Search Queries.
  • Raw SQL Search Queries.
  • Metadata Column "Contains" Another Metadata Column Search Queries.
  • Library Browser with book details.
  • Email books while Calibre is not running.
  • Visualize Metadata with the option of exporting the visualized raw data to a .csv file.
  • FTP books to a server or device. FTP Delete that same book.
  • 'Arbitrary Program and File' execution tool.
  • Comments may always be viewed with two types of dedicated Comments Viewers.
  • Copy a single book's CalibreSpy metadata into a spreadsheet or text document as tab-delimited.
  • Save a copy of a book to a selected folder.
  • Author Links
  • Preferences are entirely Library-specific, and all are stored in the Library's metadata.db so copying a Library to another PC will automatically transfer all of the CalibreSpy settings for that Library.
  • User-defined Library-specific application paths in Customizing for Reading, Viewing, Editing, and Arbitrary Other Program.
  • On a per-Library basis, most columns are entirely optional for loading: Series; Tags; Publisher; Languages; Added Date; Last Modified Date; Custom Columns; Ratings; and Identifiers.
  • Pre-filtering of books selected to be loaded is an option.
  • Mini touchscreen/mouse-less tablets (running Calibre, of course) are easier to use with CalibreSpy than the Calibre GUI.

Multiple Users Simultaneously:
Spoiler:

CalibreSpy is always 100% read-only for book-related data and files in a Calibre Library. It does not touch anything of it.

In a simultaneous multi-user environment, CalibreSpy will not even save its own settings or current state for any user who was not the "first" user to be currently running CalibreSpy for a particular Library. So, for those users, not only is CalibreSpy "read-only" for Calibre, but also is for CalibreSpy.

Calibre GUI icon for CalibreSpy now has a dropdown arrow with options to start CalibreSpy in 'normal' mode or 'entirely read-only' mode.

CalibreSpy will automatically change to "entirely read-only" mode if it is using a Calibre Library that is on a network so that even CalibreSpy's own settings will remain "read-only".

CLI command file option to arbitrarily force "entirely read-only" mode: calibre-debug -r "CalibreSpy" -- --"S:\Calibre\CalibreJobSpyTest1" --ros or calibre-debug -r "CalibreSpy" -- --ros . See the CalibreSpy.bat command file template for more.


Documentation:
  • All of the ToolTips in CalibreSpy comprise its "User Guide".
  • Refer to all of the attached images which describe and explain its uses.
OS Comments:
  • The paths in Calibre Preferences > Plugins > CalibreSpy > Customize Plugin as-delivered are likely not correct for Linux and OSX. You must verify them.
  • The OS command file for executing CalibreSpy via CLI is delivered as a Windows .bat file (only), and resides here: ...\calibre\config\plugins\calibrespy_cli\ and is named CalibreSpy.bat. There is a second .bat file, CalibreSpy_with_options.bat. There is a third .bat file along with a .py script file in a subdirectory. You should create OS-specific command files using those .bat files as templates. Users should create a copy of their personalized command files on their desktop or other convenient location to enable executing CalibreSpy while Calibre is not running, and to avoid having new versions of CalibreSpy overwrite any personalized CalibreSpy.bat file in the directory indicated above. A common personalization for a Windows .bat file is to remove the "pause" command at the end so the temporary CLI window closes when CalibreSpy exits.

Requires Calibre Version: 6.0.0


Version History:
Spoiler:

Version 1.0.92- 01 Apr 2023 Dark Mode QPalette.setColor to Qt.darkGrey.

Version 1.0.91- 09 Jan 2023 Qt.core.
Version 1.0.90- 06 Dec 2022 calibre://search/CalibreLibrary?q="id:13903" s/be ...q=id:13903
Version 1.0.89- 10 Nov 2022 Customization.
Version 1.0.88- 08 Oct 2022 Qt6 QUrl.ParsingMode.
Version 1.0.87- 10 Aug 2022 Qt6 Compatibility; Minimum Calibre Version now 6.0.0.
Version 1.0.86- 13 Apr 2022 Qt6 Compatibility; Minimum Calibre Version now 6.0.0 (5.99.8+)
Version 1.0.84- 11 Dec 2020 "Copy Calibre links" item in CalibreSpy's context menu, with "Show Book" and "Search for <author name>" options.
Version 1.0.83- 15 Nov 2020 Miscellany
Version 1.0.82- 06 Sept 2020 Add scrollbars on the periphery of the entire CS dialog to accommodate small displays.
Version 1.0.81- 07 Aug 2020 Miscellaneous technical change in clipboard_search_query.
Version 1.0.80- 21 July 2020 Miscellaneous technical changes.
Version 1.0.79- 21 Mar 2020 Ported MCS Comments Viewer into CS. New Icon, new Menu Item and new Shortcut created. Since CS does not use "selection", but rather uses "filtering", the new Comments Viewer will be executed for all "displayed" books based on the current filtering criteria.
Version 1.0.78- 22 Dec 2019 Technical changes after Python 3.8 testing with Calibre 4.99.2
Version 1.0.77- 18 Dec 2019 Technical changes after Python 3.8 testing with Calibre 4.99.1; Supports 'Dark Fusion Palette' if CS Customization Background Color 1 is set to "black".
Version 1.0.76- 16 Dec 2019 Technical Tweaks after compiling with Python 3.8
Version 1.0.75- 03 Aug 2019 New CLI option "--prefilter" which is used to allow pre-filtering of books to be selected from a Library.
Version 1.0.74- 28 July 2019 New CLI option "--reset" which is used to restore the CS settings table to all of its initial default values. Corresponding new example .bat file in resources folder.
Version 1.0.73- 19 July 2019 Miscellaneous Technical Changes.
Version 1.0.72- 09 July 2019 Miscellaneous Technical Changes.
Version 1.0.71- 25 Apr 2019 Python 3 Compatibility; Minimum Calibre Version now 3.41.3. Sorting of integer custom columns. Current Column Name shown in status line.
Version 1.0.70- 26 Mar 2019 Miscellany.
Version 1.0.69- 13 Mar 2019 Miscellany.
Version 1.0.68- 11 Mar 2019 Datetime Custom Columns: format according to their Calibre display format.
Version 1.0.67- 10 Mar 2019 Allow a user to (re)install the Calibre program on another PC/user name but then forget to (re)install the CalibreSpy program after (re)installing the main Calibre program itself. The user must still update any command file paths and program file paths previously specified in each Library metadata.db for CalibreSpy options for that specific Library.
Version 1.0.66- 19 Dec 2018 Miscellany.
Version 1.0.65- 07 Dec 2018 Miscellany
Version 1.0.64- 06 Dec 2018 Library Browser Metadata Internet Search Links. Search engine URL is specified in Library-Specific Customization. Refer to the ToolTips for valid formats.
Version 1.0.63- 04 Dec 2018 Image Scaling improved.
Version 1.0.62- 03 Dec 2018 Library Browser Author Link Shortcut 'Control+L' (same as main CalibreSpy uses).
Version 1.0.61- 01 Dec 2018 Miscellany.
Version 1.0.60- 29 Nov 2018 New: 'Library Browser' with book details.
Version 1.0.59- 24 Nov 2018 VL support for tag hierarchy "=." criterion.
Version 1.0.58- 22 Nov 2018 VL support for "vl:" criterion.
Version 1.0.57- 21 Nov 2018 VL support for nested round brackets "((("; Several regression errors fixed.
Version 1.0.56- 20 Nov 2018 VL support for boolean custom column datatype fixed.
Version 1.0.55- 20 Nov 2018 VL support for Saved Searches via 'search:'
Version 1.0.54- 19 Nov 2018 VL support for @UserCategory:true/:false plus @UserCategory.SubCategory:true/:false. These equate to a single green plus-sign and a single red negative-sign in the TagBrowser. Double pluses and minuses are currently not supported.
Version 1.0.53- 16 Nov 2018 VL choices: exclude @UserCategories since not supported.
Version 1.0.52- 14 Nov 2018 Ratings Standard Column now available to be loaded if desired.
Version 1.0.51- 13 Nov 2018 Miscellany.
Version 1.0.50- 08 Nov 2018 Miscellany.
Version 1.0.49- 07 Nov 2018 Copy Metadata to Clipboard regression error fixed.
Version 1.0.48- 06 Nov 2018 VL support for counts (':#') for multiple-value metadata columns
Version 1.0.47- 05 Nov 2018 VLs.
Version 1.0.46- 01 Nov 2018 VL Beta Testing.
Version 1.0.45- 28 Oct 2018 Bug fix.
Version 1.0.44- 27 Oct 2018 'Author Links' enabled.
Version 1.0.43- 24 Oct 2018 Identifiers metadata now available to be loaded if desired.
Version 1.0.42- 21 Oct 2018 Duplicate Book Search - Any 2 Columns, Standard and/or Custom
Version 1.0.41- 13 Oct 2018 Miscellany
Version 1.0.40- 04 Oct 2018 Widget styles, text colors, background colors, and behaviors.
Version 1.0.39- 03 Oct 2018 Widget styles, text colors, background colors, and behaviors, especially for the command-file CLI CalibreSpy. The Calibre GUI-launched CalibreSpy is an unavoidable blend of standard Calibre and CalibreSpy's CLI styles and colors.
Version 1.0.38- 02 Oct 2018 'Raw SQL' Queries. Metadata Column 'Contains' another Metadata Column Queries.
Version 1.0.37- 01 Oct 2018 Cross-Book (Inter-Book) Search Queries.
Version 1.0.36- 30 Sept 2018 'Drop Search Results' plug-in functionality has been embedded into CalibreSpy.
Version 1.0.35- 29 Sept 2018 Filter by Specific Color of Marked Books.
Version 1.0.34- 28 Sept 2018 Save Copy of Book(s).
Version 1.0.33- 27 Sept 2018 Two new Search tools: Search for a textual list of Titles currently in System Clipboard, and Search for a Custom Column Value currently in System Clipboard.
Version 1.0.32- 26 Sept 2018 New Miscellaneous Tool: "FormatSpy". New Filtering Action: "Invert Filters".
Version 1.0.31- 24 Many functionality enhancements related to FTPing of a book to a host (server or device). Calibre GUI icon for CalibreSpy now has a dropdown arrow with options to start CalibreSpy in 'normal' mode or 'entirely read-only' mode.
CalibreSpy will automatically change to "entirely read-only" mode if it is using a Calibre Library that is on a network so that even CalibreSpy's own settings will remain "read-only".
New CLI command file option to arbitrarily force "entirely read-only" mode: calibre-debug -r "CalibreSpy" -- --"S:\Calibre\CalibreJobSpyTest1" --ros or calibre-debug -r "CalibreSpy" -- --ros . See the new CalibreSpy.bat command file template for more.
Version 1.0.30- 22 Sept 2018 Visualize Metadata with option to export the raw data to a .csv file. FTP book to a server. Full-featured 'Select & Open Arbitrary Programs and Files'. 'Clear All Filters' performance improved for large libraries.
Version 1.0.29- 20 Sept 2018 Multiple enhancements and refinements, plus a bug fix.
Version 1.0.28- 18 Sept 2018 Bug fix.
Version 1.0.27- 18 Sept 2018 Email a book. For Tags within an intrinsic (informal) "hierarchy", filter down from the "top" of the hierarchy to its bottom. Filtering-down is a method of drilling-down.
Version 1.0.26- 16 Sept 2018 Series Index for Series-like Custom Columns added after Series name. "Ear" icon will be shown whenever the current CalibreSpy window is actively listening for Clipboard Search Queries.
Version 1.0.25- 15 Sept 2018 Primary context menu placement optimized. Clipboard Search Query enhancements. Bug fixes.
Version 1.0.24- 14 Sept 2018 Multiple, Simultaneous Cross-Library CalibreSpy Clipboard Search Queries using Author, Title and/or Series.
Version 1.0.23- 13 Sept 2018 Regression error fixed.
Version 1.0.22- 13 Sept 2018 Six Additional optional Custom Columns added for a total of nine available to be used. Marked (colorized) books are now saved at exit, and restored automatically when CalibreSpy next runs. The Escape Key now does a normal "save and then exit" in the main CalibreSpy window, but in the Library-Specific Preferences Customizing window it does a normal "exit".
Version 1.0.21- 12 Sept 2018 Small & Tiny tablet optimization. New explanatory messages at startup when Library-Specific Preferences are blocked for abnormal reasons.
Version 1.0.20- 10 Sept 2018 MultiUser Locking of CalibreSpy Library-Specific Preferences.
Version 1.0.19- 09 Sept 2018 Book Cover Viewer redesigned.
Version 1.0.18- 08 Sept 2018 Regression error fixed.
Version 1.0.17- 08 Sept 2018 New: Regular Expression search option.
Version 1.0.16- 06 Sept 2018 Miscellaneous enhancements.
Version 1.0.15- 05 Sept 2018 View Cover option.
Version 1.0.14- 04 Sept 2018 Fixed regression error.
Version 1.0.13- 04 Sept 2018 Major version. Custom Columns are optional metadata. Up to three (3) may be specified to be loaded. Many other miscellaneous functions and features.
Version 1.0.12- 02 Sept 2018 New "Reapply Previously-Applied Filter". Marking functionality now includes 'Filtering by Marked Books'. Bugs fixed.
Version 1.0.11- 01 Sept 2018 New Languages filter. Various icon changes in the context menu. New context menu options (column header, row header, and matrix itself). Audio file formats (.mp3,.aac,.aax, .m4a, .m4b,.m4p, .ogg, .wma, .flac, .alac) now open 'View' with their OS' default handler. Option to 'Mark Books' using 4 different colors, and then to 'Unmark' them.
Version 1.0.10- 01 Sept 2018 New Column-header context menu with ability to filter the current column for either blank or non-blank values. Library-specific Preferences now have a dropdown of all available font families and font sizes.
Version 1.0.9 - 01 Sept 2018 Filter dropdown value population logic improved and filtering speed increased. Regression error due to eliding the path in the middle was fixed.
Version 1.0.8 - 31 Aug 2018 Speed of filtering and clearing of filters significantly increased. Row widths can now be manually changed with a mouse, just as for column widths. However, row widths are not saved permanently (as are column widths). Row widths can now be manually mass-changed temporarily by right-clicking the a manually-changed row header and selecting the menu option to do so. Filtering dropdown box selection 'count' for Series, Tags and Publisher no longer include the values of "blank/empty/nothing".
Version 1.0.7 - 30 Aug 2018 Regression error caused by Version 1.0.6. A matrix header setting that allowed manually changing column widths was being overwritten by a later .restoreState().
Version 1.0.6 - 30 Aug 2018 Many functional and technical tweaks to improve overall experience and performance.
Version 1.0.5 - 29 Aug 2018 More miscellany.
Version 1.0.4 - 29 Aug 2018 Miscellaneous.
Version 1.0.3 - 28 Aug 2018 CLI Command file syntax now supports specifying a Library to open, bypassing the popup dialog to choose one. The correct syntax for Windows is exactly: calibre-debug -r "CalibreSpy" -- --"S:\Calibre\CalibreJobSpyTest2"
The 11 Metadata Columns may be resequenced in any order desired within Library-specific 'Local Preferences'. Many other functional and technical enhancements that are much too numerous to list.
Version 1.0.2 - 25 Aug 2018 Library-specific preferences. Global Default Preferences must be reviewed at least once. Thereafter, each Library will use its own specific preferences that must be changed within CalibreSpy itself.
Version 1.0.1 - 24 Aug 2018 Miscellaneous enhancements and bug fixes.
Version 1.0.0 - 24 Aug 2018 Initial public version.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	calibrespy_simultaneous_multiusers_using_identical_library_example.jpg
Views:	5154
Size:	158.4 KB
ID:	166190   Click image for larger version

Name:	calibrespy_special_script_to_remove_multiuser_locks.jpg
Views:	3276
Size:	37.5 KB
ID:	166191   Click image for larger version

Name:	calibrespy_library_specific_prefs_version1031.jpg
Views:	3066
Size:	340.7 KB
ID:	166479   Click image for larger version

Name:	calibrespy_version_1035.jpg
Views:	2488
Size:	529.9 KB
ID:	166573   Click image for larger version

Name:	calibrespy_drop_search_results.jpg
Views:	2258
Size:	568.3 KB
ID:	166603   Click image for larger version

Name:	calibrespy_cross_book_queries_example_version_1037.jpg
Views:	2009
Size:	757.1 KB
ID:	166634   Click image for larger version

Name:	calibrespy_version_1038_sql_queries_and_contains_queries.jpg
Views:	1732
Size:	694.7 KB
ID:	166669   Click image for larger version

Name:	cs_single_library_viewed_multiple_times_simultaneously.jpg
Views:	1471
Size:	623.1 KB
ID:	167748   Click image for larger version

Name:	cs_library_browser_version_1060.jpg
Views:	1764
Size:	604.7 KB
ID:	168060   Click image for larger version

Name:	cs_red_eye_icon_tooltip.jpg
Views:	1464
Size:	524.2 KB
ID:	168189   Click image for larger version

Name:	calibrespy_prefiltering_overview.jpg
Views:	1078
Size:	772.4 KB
ID:	172755   Click image for larger version

Name:	cs_comments_viewer.jpg
Views:	790
Size:	1.07 MB
ID:	177849  
Attached Files
File Type: bat CalibreSpy_calibre-smtp_send_email_template.bat (1.2 KB, 957 views)
File Type: bat CalibreSpy_with_options.bat (709 Bytes, 660 views)
File Type: bat CalibreSpy_with_reset_option.bat (324 Bytes, 613 views)
File Type: bat CalibreSpy_with_filter_option.bat (394 Bytes, 624 views)
File Type: bat CalibreSpy.bat (902 Bytes, 685 views)
File Type: zip calibrespy.zip (424.6 KB, 18913 views)

Last edited by DaltonST; 04-01-2023 at 11:15 PM. Reason: Version 1.0.92
DaltonST is offline   Reply With Quote