[GUI Plugin] Action Chains

[ownedbycats]

I notice the predefined fields gets squished and disappears when the dialog is resized. Bug?

[ownedbycats]

Another question: I have a chain with an action (update cached metadata), only valid when device is plugged in. The entire chain is conditional to the connected device name.

When I accidentally run it without reconnecting the device, I get the message about failed validation rather than the condition action.

Is it possible to run the chain conditional first so I get the message reminding myself to reconnect the device?

[capink]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Another question: I have a chain with an action (update cached metadata), only valid when device is plugged in. The entire chain is conditional to the connected device name.

When I accidentally run it without reconnecting the device, I get the message about failed validation rather than the condition action.

Is it possible to run the chain conditional first so I get the message reminding myself to reconnect the device?

Attachment 215924

Attachment 215925

You need to do 2 things:

• Turn the action validation off by setting the same condition on the last action and ticking the checkbox "disable action validation if conditions are not met" in the action condition dialog.
• At the top of the chain, use this custom action. Use the same condition, but change the condition value to empty string.

[ownedbycats]

That works.. Can/should I disable the full-chain condition?

[capink]

Yes. It kinda useless with the current setup.

[ownedbycats]

Question: If a chain uses prompt-for-notification, how does it behave if it's a subchain in a chain caller? Will it stop the parent chain?

(maybe I asked this before )

[capink]

Yes, it should stop the parent chain.

[Clem2605]

Is there any way to use the plugin to copy a composite column's content and paste it in another (normal text) column?

Context:
I use a composite 'Sort Column' to sort my books in Calibre, and I use the Calibre Sync plugin to access my books on my phone and my tablet. However, Calibre Sync cannot access composite columns' content. Which means that sorting my books there is pretty inefficient.
So I was wondering if I could create a simple text column where I could paste my sort column's content. I'm not doing that by hand, it's simply not worth it, but could it be done with the action chain plugin? I'm guessing I would use the Copy to Clipboard action for the first part, but how do I paste the content in my new column?

I don't really see another way to do it? I could maybe number the books in the order in which they appear once I've sorted them in Calibre, but I don't see how to even begin to do that, and it would need to be updated way more often than the first option.

If it changes anything:
- I have two libraries in which I would like to implement this column, both have the same sort column name.
- Calibre Sync's sorting is case-sensitive, so I ideally would like to switch to lowercase at some point (I can do that by myself if I use the Copy to Clipbord Action)

[ownedbycats]

Single-field edit, template program: lowercase($#columnname)

Use two $$s if you want raw_field.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Clem2605

Is there any way to use the plugin to copy a composite column's content and paste it in another (normal text) column?

Context:
I use a composite 'Sort Column' to sort my books in Calibre, and I use the Calibre Sync plugin to access my books on my phone and my tablet. However, Calibre Sync cannot access composite columns' content. Which means that sorting my books there is pretty inefficient.
So I was wondering if I could create a simple text column where I could paste my sort column's content. I'm not doing that by hand, it's simply not worth it, but could it be done with the action chain plugin? I'm guessing I would use the Copy to Clipboard action for the first part, but how do I paste the content in my new column?

I don't really see another way to do it? I could maybe number the books in the order in which they appear once I've sorted them in Calibre, but I don't see how to even begin to do that, and it would need to be updated way more often than the first option.

If it changes anything:
- I have two libraries in which I would like to implement this column, both have the same sort column name.
- Calibre Sync's sorting is case-sensitive, so I ideally would like to switch to lowercase at some point (I can do that by myself if I use the Copy to Clipbord Action)

Perhaps one option is a "Search and replace" with a regular expression. Something like:
* Search field: Composite column
* Search: (.*?)
* Replace: \1
* Destination field: Text column

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Perhaps one option is a "Search and replace" with a regular expression. Something like:
* Search field: Composite column
* Search: (.*?)
* Replace: \1
* Destination field: Text column

👍
And this can also do the case conversion.

[ownedbycats]

Why does Action Chains sometimes refuse to accept a new/renamed chain in Chain Caller until I restart Calibre?

Two instances.

1. Clone a chain, remove two items and add to Invisible submenu. Errors until restart. Figured a fluke.

2. Renamed some chains that were already called. Tried to edit the caller actions, errored. Restart fixed again.

[capink]

Whatever changes you make to chains are not registred until you press OK to chains dialog, so the chain caller will have problems dealing with uncomitted changes.

The chain caller was retrofitted into the plugin several months later. I considered using uuid for chains, while caching the new names for display purposes, but it comes with some disadvantages; like if someone deletes a chain and creates another one with the same name expecting it to work in the caller chain automatically.

The issue is low priority for me, maybe when I have some free time I will look into it.

[ownedbycats]

Ah, so a full restart wasn't required.