Unexpected filtering behaviour with the device

[ryderark]

Hi. I posted a possible bug and the main developer said it was the expected behaviour, but I'm not convinced it should be.

The case is that when I filter something on the library window display (i.e. a specific author, a certain valoration, a tag,...) and I change to the ereader window, it shows a blank window: no books at all, although there should be some of them (the not-filtered ones). When I return to the library window and de-select the marked filter, and then re-return to the device window, all of the books are there again, of course not filtered.

What I think is that, if the filter works truly on all levels at the same time, the device display should show the filtered books, not a blank window, right?

Doesn't it happens to anyone else?

Regards.

[speakingtohe]

If I filter by an author and there are books on the device (ereader) by that author then it shows those books.

It doesn't show tags and I am not sure what a valoration is so I can't say on that one.

Doubt it is a bug though as many devices don't use/show tags in any way, so how can calibre get them from the reader? (device view shows what is on the reader AFAIK)

Helen

[ryderark]

Then maybe it's a problem of my specific reader model?, because albeit I have books in the ereader which fulfill the specific filter I apply on the library window (whichever the filter is), nothing show up in the device window.

Regards.

[DoctorOhh]

Go to the device view, locate a name and type it in and click go, does it show anything?

What calibre version are you using?
What OS are you using.

It shouldn't be device specific.

[ryderark]

Hi. I've done what you've said and that action does work indeed. Example: I've have some Philip K. Dick books amongst others. When I write "Dick" or "Philip" on the device window, Calibre finds all of them with no problem. The same if I write it in the library window and then change to the device window.

I've been doing more tests and checks. The fact is that the only "click" filter (I say "click" to distinguish this from that other written down filter) that keeps on in the device window is the Author filter. I.e. you click on "Philip K. Dick" and those Dick books uploaded to the device do show up in the device window. The command line shows 'authors:"=Philip K. Dick"'.

But if I click any other condition, let's say a certain format (i.e. 'formats:"=EPUB"'), or rating ('rating:5'), or tags, or series, etc. the device window is blank.

Maybe is the chosen behaviour, but I find it weird, because apart from the authors, at least the tags and series metadata are also transferred to the device, I think. It's just a little nuisance, for I oftenly browse my list with the tags list, and when I change windows I always forget the filter is on; the device window is blank, and I have to return and de-select the filter to see what is in the device.

I've always noticed this in all the Calibre versions. I use the 0.8.23 version now, and Windows XP SP3.

Regards.

[speakingtohe]

Maybe is the chosen behaviour, but I find it weird, because apart from the authors, at least the tags and series metadata are also transferred to the device, I think. It's just a little nuisance, for I oftenly browse my list with the tags list, and when I change windows I always forget the filter is on; the device window is blank, and I have to return and de-select the filter to see what is in the device.

That is interesting. I have a PRS 600 and other than embedded metadata in the metadata epub which my reader does not show me how is this metadata on the device. I don't want to see it on a per book basis, but can you search on a tag in the Sony PRS -600 and get a result?

But if I click any other condition, let's say a certain format (i.e. 'formats:"=EPUB"'), or rating ('rating:5'), or tags, or series, etc. the device window is blank.

I don't even have the option of the tag browser when I am in device view. Of course not having the option made me think it probably did not work in device view.

Probably denseness on may part but how do you get that option in device view.

Helen

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by ryderark

But if I click any other condition, let's say a certain format (i.e. 'formats:"=EPUB"'), or rating ('rating:5'), or tags, or series, etc. the device window is blank.

This makes complete sense to me, there is no ratings, tags, format or series fields in the device view. In order to search for items in the device view either

1. Don't specify a field and just enter a word
or
2. Use one the below fields that actually exist in the device view.

title, authors, timestamp, size, collections

Example from my machine

collections:"=monk (series)" returns all books in the series Monk, I use tweaks to add (series) to the field so must include this in any search for a series in the collections field.

collections:"=mystery" returns all books in the collection mystery.

Bottom line is you can only search for fields that actually exist in that view.

[ryderark]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

That is interesting. I have a PRS 600 and other than embedded metadata in the metadata epub which my reader does not show me how is this metadata on the device. I don't want to see it on a per book basis, but can you search on a tag in the Sony PRS -600 and get a result?

I think the program does not show the embedded data on the different formats, but its own metadata, always. But if you write something alone in the command line, it does indeed search in all the field columns in the device window. At least that's what I see.

I don't even have the option of the tag browser when I am in device view. Of course not having the option made me think it probably did not work in device view.

Probably denseness on may part but how do you get that option in device view.

Helen

That's the expected behaviour, as the Calibre author told me. But you should be able to select the field you want to filter by clicking on it in the library window, and then carry on that filter to the device window. The problem is that, for me, the only clicking filter that carries on to the device window is the author field, although the tags field are there too.

Originally Posted by dwanthny

This makes complete sense to me, there is no ratings, tags, format or series fields in the device view.

I'm beginning to see what the problem is. In the device window you have a column named "Collections", but there is not that same column in the library window. In the library, the collections are grouped as simple "tags", which passes on to the device window as "collections". However, when you click on the tags field in the library window browser, the command line prompts 'tags:"=xxxxxx"', instead of 'collections:"=xxxxxx"'. So that "tags" field is recognized by the library window, but not by the device window.

Then, if you write down manually the line 'collections:"=xxxxxx"' in the command line, it is recognized by the device window, but the library window is blank.

I think the problem is that the field tags is named differently in both windows, and so it's only recognized by one of them when you mark it up. Usually the library window which is the one which has the tag browser. I didn't even know that the 'collections' field existed!

2. Use one the below fields that actually exist in the device view.

title, authors, timestamp, size, collections

You are right in that those fields are the only ones that carry on to the device window. That should be like you say, except for the collections tag, as I've said. The collections field doesn't show on in the library window.

Maybe it should be made some traslation between the library and window device? For when there's a 'tags:"=xxx" prompted in the command line in the library window, it should show on as 'collections:"=xxx" in the device window, and viceversa.

Regards.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by ryderark

I'm beginning to see what the problem is.

I'm glad you're beginning to see what is happening.

Originally Posted by ryderark

In the library, the collections are grouped as simple "tags", which passes on to the device window as "collections".

Close but wrong. There are various fields that can be used to create collections not just tags, author_sort, tags and series come to mind. I also create collections on my Sony using one of the special collections called aba:%All by Author. All of these are represented on the device by the collections field.

Originally Posted by ryderark

However, when you click on the tags field in the library window browser, the command line prompts 'tags:"=xxxxxx"', instead of 'collections:"=xxxxxx"'. So that "tags" field is recognized by the library window, but not by the device window.

Tags is recognized by the library window because there is a tags field in the library window, There is no tags field in the device view.

Originally Posted by ryderark

I think the problem is that the field tags is named differently in both windows, and so it's only recognized by one of them when you mark it up. Usually the library window which is the one which has the tag browser.

Hopefully by now you see that tags does not equal collections. Tags equal tags, but collections can equal author_sort, authors, tags, series, custom fields, or a special collections. Many folks setup their reader so collections don't even have tags in the field.

Originally Posted by ryderark

I didn't even know that the 'collections' field existed!

That's because it is a device specific field, not a calibre library field.

Originally Posted by ryderark

Maybe it should be made some traslation between the library and window device? For when there's a 'tags:"=xxx" prompted in the command line in the library window, it should show on as 'collections:"=xxx" in the device window, and viceversa.

Since the two are not equal this translation wouldn't make sense.

I hope I was of some help.