Mobi format metadata extraction issues

FrancisT · 01-21-2009, 06:45 AM

I have got a shedload of (mostly Baen) ebooks in Mobi format (either .mobi or older .prc extension). When I import them into Calibre they tend to be author "unknown" and not have other metadata fields filled consistently.

Is this a calibre problem? And if so is it soemthing that someone is working on fixing?

If not. Is there a way that I can examine the files to see if they are missing the meta-data? And how easy would it be to create a plugin that contacts (say) the Baen website to get the correct metadata for a file?

Now that I've imported all my books though I'm now having trouble manually adding metadata via the GUI. There is I see a way to add/modify metadata via the CLI. If I do this will it break things when I correct the Title/author fields?

[Alternatively I could probably use perl and sqlite support and edit the metadata.db file directly. I'm guessing this would be an even worse idea]

pdurrant · 01-21-2009, 07:25 AM

Many of the Baen Mobipocket files have poor or non-existent metadata.

Best bet for automating the metadata, at least a bit, is to enter their* ISBN and try to get metadata from that.

Paul

(*Baen eBooks also don't have proper ISBN numbers - they tend to only have the hardpack/papaerback ISBN numbers mentioned in the ebook text. Since Baen eBook are really only sold from the webscription website, I think they feel an iSBN number for the ebook version is overkill. Especially as for they 'should' use a different ISBN for each format - a way to eat up ISBN numbers pretty quickly. They're not free... Hmm... considering they've published around 600 ebooks, in six formats, that would cost about $7000 to assign them all ISBN numbers. )

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrancisT

I have got a shedload of (mostly Baen) ebooks in Mobi format (either .mobi or older .prc extension). When I import them into Calibre they tend to be author "unknown" and not have other metadata fields filled consistently.

Is this a calibre problem? And if so is it soemthing that someone is working on fixing?

If not. Is there a way that I can examine the files to see if they are missing the meta-data? And how easy would it be to create a plugin that contacts (say) the Baen website to get the correct metadata for a file?

Now that I've imported all my books though I'm now having trouble manually adding metadata via the GUI. There is I see a way to add/modify metadata via the CLI. If I do this will it break things when I correct the Title/author fields?

[Alternatively I could probably use perl and sqlite support and edit the metadata.db file directly. I'm guessing this would be an even worse idea]

FrancisT · 01-21-2009, 07:37 AM

One other thing. Is there an easy way to do a global replace of '_' with ' ' (i.e. turn underbars into spaces? s/_/ /g ?) once stuff has been imported?

itimpi · 01-21-2009, 07:50 AM

For the baen books, might it not be easier to simply re-download them in a format such as .LIT which DOES have good metaadata, and is handled well by Calibre? I tend to use the .LIT format as the amster for all my baen originated books.

pdurrant · 01-21-2009, 10:45 AM

Now there's an interesting idea. Once the Mobipocket export is in the GUI that could be a very good option.

Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

For the baen books, might it not be easier to simply re-download them in a format such as .LIT which DOES have good metaadata, and is handled well by Calibre? I tend to use the .LIT format as the amster for all my baen originated books.

akash · 01-21-2009, 11:59 AM

If not. Is there a way that I can examine the files to see if they are missing the meta-data? And how easy would it be to create a plugin that contacts (say) the Baen website to get the correct metadata for a file?

Now that I've imported all my books though I'm now having trouble manually adding metadata via the GUI. There is I see a way to add/modify metadata via the CLI. If I do this will it break things when I correct the Title/author fields?

kovidgoyal · 01-21-2009, 12:48 PM

metadata in calibre is stored ina database, you can modify it from the commandline or the GUI, doesn't matter. The metadata in your original files is not touched unless you use save to disk or send to device at which time the metadata is updated in a *copy* of the original file

bwaldron · 01-22-2009, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

For the baen books, might it not be easier to simply re-download them in a format such as .LIT which DOES have good metaadata, and is handled well by Calibre? I tend to use the .LIT format as the amster for all my baen originated books.

Also, many of the Baen books have been updated to the newer Mobipocket format with proper metadata -- so you could re-download them if they were purchased some time ago.

01-21-2009, 06:45 AM	#1
FrancisT Member Posts: 23 Karma: 65 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Cybook, Toshiba NB100	Mobi format metadata extraction issues I have got a shedload of (mostly Baen) ebooks in Mobi format (either .mobi or older .prc extension). When I import them into Calibre they tend to be author "unknown" and not have other metadata fields filled consistently. Is this a calibre problem? And if so is it soemthing that someone is working on fixing? If not. Is there a way that I can examine the files to see if they are missing the meta-data? And how easy would it be to create a plugin that contacts (say) the Baen website to get the correct metadata for a file? Now that I've imported all my books though I'm now having trouble manually adding metadata via the GUI. There is I see a way to add/modify metadata via the CLI. If I do this will it break things when I correct the Title/author fields? [Alternatively I could probably use perl and sqlite support and edit the metadata.db file directly. I'm guessing this would be an even worse idea]

01-21-2009, 11:59 AM	#6
akash Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: none	adding metadata If not. Is there a way that I can examine the files to see if they are missing the meta-data? And how easy would it be to create a plugin that contacts (say) the Baen website to get the correct metadata for a file? Now that I've imported all my books though I'm now having trouble manually adding metadata via the GUI. There is I see a way to add/modify metadata via the CLI. If I do this will it break things when I correct the Title/author fields?

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01-21-2009, 07:37 AM	#3
FrancisT Member Posts: 23 Karma: 65 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Cybook, Toshiba NB100	One other thing. Is there an easy way to do a global replace of '_' with ' ' (i.e. turn underbars into spaces? s/_/ /g ?) once stuff has been imported?

01-21-2009, 07:50 AM	#4
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	For the baen books, might it not be easier to simply re-download them in a format such as .LIT which DOES have good metaadata, and is handled well by Calibre? I tend to use the .LIT format as the amster for all my baen originated books.

01-21-2009, 12:48 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,604 Karma: 28548974 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	metadata in calibre is stored ina database, you can modify it from the commandline or the GUI, doesn't matter. The metadata in your original files is not touched unless you use save to disk or send to device at which time the metadata is updated in a copy of the original file

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