Merge metadata from other lib

drMerry · 05-04-2011, 04:31 AM

I have a Library on my server at home.
I got a lot of books I'm willing to update metadata for.

This info is inside pictures in the book (ISBN from back cover, etc).

I would like to add this info but with a lot of books, it takes a lot of time. So I was thinking is it possible to copy some books to my laptop-lib, edit info (I spend a lot of time @ the train each day) and merge the metadata with my main-library?

I want to keep some file info (like creation-date and calibre id) so move files between libraries is no option.
The name and author will stay the same so the only thing I want to do is merge/replace the metadata of book a (on laptop) with metadata of b.
While some books are rather big (several 100's of MB's), Importing the info to the main-lib and merging afterwards would be no option either.

I myself was thinking of two possible ways:
1. Use an external program to find matching lines in the db and merge db's
2. get the metadata-file of the book and from laptop and move it to the right place in my calibre folder.
After that I need to read this info and write it into my calibre db (The current read file-metadata info would not work while it gets original info (like original title, etc))

Anyone any Idea on how to work this out?

Manichean · 05-04-2011, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drMerry

I want to keep some file info (like creation-date and calibre id) so move files between libraries is no option.

Why on earth would you want to keep the ID or even care about what it is?

Your two solutions sound like they have the potential to break stuff if something goes less than optimal, which it probably will. I'd look into using a folder sync tool and have a copy of the library on both systems, then sync back from the laptop if you made some changes. You'll obviously have to take care only to make unidirectional syncs, though, and only change the info in one library at a time before doing a sync.

drMerry · 05-04-2011, 05:06 AM

sync would be interesting.

But with a lib of 75+GB not useful (while I do not use all my books on a laptop.)
But this idea did let me think of something.
I could copy the db-file, copy books I want to edit and just change the info of that books.
If I take care not to select books I do not have on my laptop (selecting it would already update the cover) It could work, but it is not the best way and is also sensitive for errors.

Reason why I do not want to change the calibre ID, is because I need to keep the creation date as it is (something to do with scripts I run on my server that creates statics on new created files)
As long as I do not change the id, author or title, this info stays the same.

Manichean · 05-04-2011, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drMerry

sync would be interesting.

But with a lib of 75+GB not useful (while I do not use all my books on a laptop.)

Yes, it would be useful. You'll need a program that does incremental syncs, of course (is there any other useful sync mode?). That way, you'll only need to copy the complete library once, and afterwards, you use the sync program to sync the changed files. It should be a program that's aware of changed/added files, of course, and it should also delete folders that are no longer present in the source library, otherwise you'd get lots of unlinked copies of your books. But all in all, the program then only needs to copy over the metadata.db and the books you changed the metadata for, which shouldn't be all that much data.

drMerry · 05-04-2011, 06:43 AM

The idea of sync is a known concept, and clear.
What's not clear is what I wanted to tell: It is not useful on my laptop because I use my laptop very often.
My hard disc is full for 90% thats why I would not like to have all my books on my laptop.
(And no, its not a good back-up option either, I have other back-up methods, that's no function I use my laptop for.

theducks · 05-04-2011, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drMerry

The idea of sync is a known concept, and clear.
What's not clear is what I wanted to tell: It is not useful on my laptop because I use my laptop very often.
My hard disc is full for 90% thats why I would not like to have all my books on my laptop.
(And no, its not a good back-up option either, I have other back-up methods, that's no function I use my laptop for.

I don't know what prices are on your side of the pond, but it might be iime for a drive update

Notebook SATA 750G (the biggest I saw) are US$110, all the rest are less

BTW Fry's had 1.5Terrabyte desktop internal for $60 the other day

(My first Seagate HD was $10 a Megabyte)

drMerry · 05-04-2011, 06:41 PM

Well, I had my first tb almost a year ago.
At this moment I have a total of 10 TB in my house, more than 90% full.

So I really do not want to duplicate more data.....

05-04-2011, 04:31 AM	#1
drMerry Addict Posts: 293 Karma: 21022 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: NL Device: Sony PRS-650	Merge metadata from other lib I have a Library on my server at home. I got a lot of books I'm willing to update metadata for. This info is inside pictures in the book (ISBN from back cover, etc). I would like to add this info but with a lot of books, it takes a lot of time. So I was thinking is it possible to copy some books to my laptop-lib, edit info (I spend a lot of time @ the train each day) and merge the metadata with my main-library? I want to keep some file info (like creation-date and calibre id) so move files between libraries is no option. The name and author will stay the same so the only thing I want to do is merge/replace the metadata of book a (on laptop) with metadata of b. While some books are rather big (several 100's of MB's), Importing the info to the main-lib and merging afterwards would be no option either. I myself was thinking of two possible ways: 1. Use an external program to find matching lines in the db and merge db's 2. get the metadata-file of the book and from laptop and move it to the right place in my calibre folder. After that I need to read this info and write it into my calibre db (The current read file-metadata info would not work while it gets original info (like original title, etc)) Anyone any Idea on how to work this out?

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05-04-2011, 05:06 AM	#3
drMerry Addict Posts: 293 Karma: 21022 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: NL Device: Sony PRS-650	sync would be interesting. But with a lib of 75+GB not useful (while I do not use all my books on a laptop.) But this idea did let me think of something. I could copy the db-file, copy books I want to edit and just change the info of that books. If I take care not to select books I do not have on my laptop (selecting it would already update the cover) It could work, but it is not the best way and is also sensitive for errors. Reason why I do not want to change the calibre ID, is because I need to keep the creation date as it is (something to do with scripts I run on my server that creates statics on new created files) As long as I do not change the id, author or title, this info stays the same.

05-04-2011, 06:43 AM	#5
drMerry Addict Posts: 293 Karma: 21022 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: NL Device: Sony PRS-650	The idea of sync is a known concept, and clear. What's not clear is what I wanted to tell: It is not useful on my laptop because I use my laptop very often. My hard disc is full for 90% thats why I would not like to have all my books on my laptop. (And no, its not a good back-up option either, I have other back-up methods, that's no function I use my laptop for.

05-04-2011, 06:41 PM	#7
drMerry Addict Posts: 293 Karma: 21022 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: NL Device: Sony PRS-650	Well, I had my first tb almost a year ago. At this moment I have a total of 10 TB in my house, more than 90% full. So I really do not want to duplicate more data.....

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