Custom title not making it to device

[ElfN]

I've created a custom title that's got the series, author and title . . . well obviously not the whole of any of those. I've got a column using series_index to create a pared down series (no trailing zeros), a custom column for series that only shows the initials (1 character of author, 1 character of author sort) and it's all pulled into a custom_title field that only displays 9 characters of the title (after removing of 'the', 'and', etc.).

What I can't seem to manage is to get the custom_title field to replace the title field for saving it to disk. Help!

I've created a any format:any device plugboard and set the source template as {#custom_title} and the destination field title. What am I doing wrong?

[jackie_w]

The Metadata Plugboard is used to change the metadata written into the book itself during send-to-device and save-to-disk operations.

If you also want to customise the book's destination filename during sending/saving then set the Save Template box in Prefs - Send-to-device and/or Save-to-disk.

Alternatively, if you have more than one type of reader you could setup a different Save template for each model by setting in Prefs - Plugins - Device Input - (pick your reader) - Customize.

[Sweetpea]

The solution is much more simple: don't use the "save to disk" feature, but rather connect to a folder. And then save to device (which is your folder, somewhere on your pc...)

[ElfN]

I understand that, but it doesn't help me understand where I'm going wrong.

I'm getting everything I need in the #custom_title.

{#initials:'ifempty($,field('#genre'))'|| }{#shortened_title:||-}{author:shorten(1,,0)}{author_sort:shorten(1,,0)}

So Karen Chance's Day of the Dead is

CP3.1 Day of the Dead-KC

It's saving the file name just fine but it's not giving me the right title when the file gets to my device. I'm going to assume that it's the metadata that isn't getting properly set with my zippy custom field.

Help? How do I change how the metadata is written to the files that go to my device?

Nori

[Manichean]

What format are the books you're trying to transfer? Especially those that don't get their metadata updated?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ElfN

I understand that, but it doesn't help me understand where I'm going wrong.
[...]
It's saving the file name just fine but it's not giving me the right title when the file gets to my device. I'm going to assume that it's the metadata that isn't getting properly set with my zippy custom field.

To help, we need to know exactly what is going wrong.

When you say you are not seeing the right title, what are you looking at? Is it your device? Are you looking at the folder/file names, or at some library display the device shows? How are you sending the books to the device?

If you are looking at file paths, then the plugboard has no effect. To insert #custom_title into a file path, you must use #custom_title somewhere in your device's save template.

If you are looking at a device-generated library display, then we need to know where the device gets the information it is displaying. Some get it from the file path, in which case we fall back to the case above. Some get it from an internal database, which raises the question about where the data in the database comes from. Others get it from metadata, in which case Manichean's question is key. Some formats don't have settable metadata and DRM-infested books usually don't have settable metadata.

Back to you ...

[ElfN]

I get the custom title I want in Calibre, I get the file name that matches it, but in my reader (Palm T|X), I get the normal title of the book, not my souped up title. I like having all my books on my reader but without the ability to see the series and author (yeah, I know, Palm is really limited), I don't know if "Ice" is Linda Howard or Sarah Beth Durst. With my custom title, I can tell what series (if it IS a series) and what author. All the series books are together, which is my preference.

So instead of "CP3.1 Day of the Dead-KC" showing up as the title in my Palm, I get "Day of the Dead" which is infinitely less helpful. And I've got to make this happen all within the allowed 26 characters. I think I've got it, I just need to get it in the metadata of the pdb so it shows up in my reader with my custom title instead of the default title field.

Being a programmer, I know how resourceful we can be. There must be a way to get the title I need into the metadata of the book so it gets retrieved when I view the pdb in my Palm's ereader program. I just can't quite get that last bit connected.

Nori

PS: Maybe it would help to know how I get my books onto my reader. I save them to a folder and drag them into the Install Tool. Then I set them to write to my SD chip on the next HotSync.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ElfN

I get the custom title I want in Calibre, I get the file name that matches it, but in my reader (Palm T|X), I get the normal title of the book, not my souped up title.

What is the exact filename of the book on the palm after you drag it?

My understanding is that PDB is not a book format, but is instead a container. Looking at the code, I see that calibre can write metadata for the two contained formats PNPdPPrs and PNRdPPrs, and cannot update metadata for 'plucker' format (whatever that is). I have no clue how to determine what format your PDB files contain. Perhaps someone else can shed some light on that.

[ElfN]

As previously stated . . .

instead of "CP3.1 Day of the Dead-KC" showing up as the title in my Palm, I get "Day of the Dead"

Nori

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ElfN

As previously stated . . .

instead of "CP3.1 Day of the Dead-KC" showing up as the title in my Palm, I get "Day of the Dead"

Nori

Sorry, but it it not obvious that you are answering my question. When you say that the title is X, what exactly are you looking at? If you are looking at something displayed by some reader application, then it might be reading metadata from the book and a plugboard might be in play. If you are looking at a file explorer, then the plugboard has no effect at all. The file paths are controlled by the save-to-disk/send-to-device template.

[ElfN]

Yes, I get that. That's why I don't understand, when I have a plugboard for save to disk AND a plugboard for pdb, I don't get my custom title out the other end. What am I doing wrong?

[chaley]

Another reply without answering my question. I give up. Perhaps someone else will come along with sufficient mind-reading capability.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by chaley

Another reply without answering my question. I give up. Perhaps someone else will come along with sufficient mind-reading capability.

We seem to be having a rash of "can't answer the question" showing up this week.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by ElfN

Yes, I get that. That's why I don't understand, when I have a plugboard for save to disk AND a plugboard for pdb, I don't get my custom title out the other end. What am I doing wrong?

If it's not clear to you Elfn you've been asked: "When you say that the title is X, what exactly are you looking at? " and you haven't answered that question. Please answer it.

[ElfN]

I did answer the question but I'll try again.

In Calibre there is a field called "title". That's where the book title goes. It's what shows up on my device (yes, I answered my device type before as well, I have a Palm T|X).

I created a custom_title field which includes abbreviated series, title and author and stays with the 26 character limit of the PDB, though I do believe that 26 character limit actually refers to the FILE name (the Palm doesn't like spaces either, so that was a consideration as well).

Using plugboards, I have set my custom_title field to replace the title field in the meta data in "save to disk" and "convert to PDB" actions.

When I transfer a book to my Palm, I get the title field, NOT my custom_title field. Just so we're REALLY CLEAR, I'll say it again. The title shows up on my Palm's book list instead of the custom_title field I created. That means, instead of getting series, title and author showing on my Palm screen, I get the title of the book.

This is exactly what I have been telling you since the very start of this thread. If you had actually read through the thread instead of just the latest posts, I do believe this would have been clear many posts ago. The question hasn't changed.

Nori