Viewer annotations in Calibre

Katja_hbg · 05-20-2021, 09:21 AM

I started to use the viewer for hightlights and adding comments.
In Calibre the icon «annotation» show all of them in a list.

But I cannot see them within the individual book details (metadata) nor can I filter calibre grid view for those books with annotation in the viewer.

Is there any metadata or column which show the annotation or at least a flag that there are some annotation?

theducks · 05-20-2021, 10:07 AM

AFAIK the viewer does not communicate BACK to the DB (bookmarks, notes).

kovidgoyal · 05-20-2021, 10:32 AM

Create a custom column with the annotations_count() function template https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...notation-count

Katja_hbg · 05-21-2021, 02:13 AM

Thanks, Kovid. Works well

Katja_hbg · 05-25-2023, 06:03 AM

After using more and more annotation, I like to sort them by number.
But it seems the value is a string and therefore sorting is 1, 11, 2, 20, ...

I use a column with template program: annotation_count().

How can I change that to get the value as a number for proper number-sorting?

chaley · 05-25-2023, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katja_hbg

After using more and more annotation, I like to sort them by number.
But it seems the value is a string and therefore sorting is 1, 11, 2, 20, ...

I use a column with template program: annotation_count().

How can I change that to get the value as a number for proper number-sorting?

Change the search/sort type for the column to "Number".

Katja_hbg · 05-25-2023, 06:20 AM

Thanks Chaley.
I missed that.

msel · 04-01-2024, 12:58 PM

Hello, I've one question to this thread: Where are the annotations / hightlights stored which I created with the ebook viewer? In a special database?

Greetings, Maria

kovidgoyal · 04-01-2024, 09:55 PM

They are stored in multiple places, the book itself, the library database and the config folder.

TEN · 05-23-2025, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

They are stored in multiple places, the book itself, the library database and the config folder.

First of all, thanks for this software that has served us so well on thousands of titles.

Do I misunderstand one of its more obscure features or can I help debug in any way?

Calibre 8.4's "Send to device > Fetch annotations (experimental)" as it still is
briefly pops up "Merging user annotations into database",
from a Kindle Paperwhite Gen 7 "on the way out" after 10 years of service,
but both View > Browse annotations and the Highlights sidebar of Calibre's internal reader (via "Show controls" top right on mouse-over) stay empty afterwards in the books they refer to either,
whether opened from the DB or the device memory.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=342712 suggests they shouldn't even be "seen in the viewer" yet, as of 2021 at least.

While connected, Calibre does show (though without the "on device" tick mark) and open from there (like the txt file by the same name in Documents) an entry for "My Clippings".

N.B. its rows starting with "- " state the page, position and date in that Kindle's original German (in case that matters).

kovidgoyal · 05-23-2025, 10:17 AM

There is no support for getting annotations from devices.

Katja_hbg · 05-24-2025, 02:31 AM

In general, as there maybe a missmatch: there are two different areas of annotation.

1) In the device as mentioned by you @TEN. This canbe fetched into fields into Calibre. They are shown along with the related book.
2) in the viewer as per topic of this thread. This are annotation which are shown (all together) by the annotation feature in Calibre.

05-20-2021, 09:21 AM	#1
Katja_hbg Groupie Posts: 182 Karma: 158116 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: Kobo Glo HD (landscape), Kobo Aura One	Viewer annotations in Calibre I started to use the viewer for hightlights and adding comments. In Calibre the icon «annotation» show all of them in a list. But I cannot see them within the individual book details (metadata) nor can I filter calibre grid view for those books with annotation in the viewer. Is there any metadata or column which show the annotation or at least a flag that there are some annotation?

04-01-2024, 12:58 PM	#8
msel Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 143132 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G	Where are the annotations stored? Hello, I've one question to this thread: Where are the annotations / hightlights stored which I created with the ebook viewer? In a special database? Greetings, Maria

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05-20-2021, 10:07 AM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,936 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	AFAIK the viewer does not communicate BACK to the DB (bookmarks, notes).

05-20-2021, 10:32 AM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,249 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Create a custom column with the annotations_count() function template https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...notation-count

05-21-2021, 02:13 AM	#4
Katja_hbg Groupie Posts: 182 Karma: 158116 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: Kobo Glo HD (landscape), Kobo Aura One	Thanks, Kovid. Works well

05-25-2023, 06:03 AM	#5
Katja_hbg Groupie Posts: 182 Karma: 158116 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: Kobo Glo HD (landscape), Kobo Aura One	After using more and more annotation, I like to sort them by number. But it seems the value is a string and therefore sorting is 1, 11, 2, 20, ... I use a column with template program: annotation_count(). How can I change that to get the value as a number for proper number-sorting?

05-25-2023, 06:20 AM	#7
Katja_hbg Groupie Posts: 182 Karma: 158116 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: Kobo Glo HD (landscape), Kobo Aura One	Thanks Chaley. I missed that.

04-01-2024, 09:55 PM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,249 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	They are stored in multiple places, the book itself, the library database and the config folder.

05-23-2025, 10:17 AM	#11
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,249 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	There is no support for getting annotations from devices.

05-24-2025, 02:31 AM	#12
Katja_hbg Groupie Posts: 182 Karma: 158116 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: Kobo Glo HD (landscape), Kobo Aura One	In general, as there maybe a missmatch: there are two different areas of annotation. 1) In the device as mentioned by you @TEN. This canbe fetched into fields into Calibre. They are shown along with the related book. 2) in the viewer as per topic of this thread. This are annotation which are shown (all together) by the annotation feature in Calibre.