Suggestion for updating the manual for clarification

toomuchreading · 03-28-2014, 03:05 PM

Some history here:
I am updating the metadata for a large number of books manually, and I had some issues entering the ISBN for 3 books, which I had the ISBN's for but the automatic download metadata button could not find. I decided to enter the ISBN's manually into the ID's field. When I did so, the ISBN's would not save. The ID's field did not turn red like it said in the manual if there was an error, and there was no indication of any errors, when I pressed OK to save the change. It turns out that I was not entering the prefex "ISBN:" to the number when I was entering it.

I would like to propose a suggestion for the updating of the Calibre user manual in regards to the ID metadata field for user clarity.
Currently the manual reads under Editing the metadata of one book at a time:
"The ISBN box will have a red background if you enter an invalid ISBN. It will be green for valid ISBNs"

I propose that the manual change to read something like this (wordsmith away, I'm by no means the best when writing clear concise instructions

):

The ID's box, used to enter ISBN's, and other identification codes will have a read background of you enter and invalid value. It will be green for a valid value. The books identifier must have a valid prefix to identify the type of identifier being entered. For example the ISBN for the book IT by Stephen King would have the id of "ISBN:0451169514" in the ID field.
Valid prefixes followed by ":" are:ISBN - international standard book number
ASIN - amazon identifier
google - google identifier
(etc. - an updated list of what's currently valid or just the most easily entered which I don't know)

I feel with this clarification, for those that actually read the manual, that might make it easier to figure out how to get a correct number entered manually. I only noticed that I didn't enter the prefix (after checking to see if I could see anything in the manual about the ID field metadata field), when I tried a copy/paste of the ISBN number using the paste contents button, and then realised (I was looking at them all along...*silly me*) that I had not entered the prefix.

BetterRed · 03-28-2014, 03:36 PM

@toomuchreading - are you aware of the following

If you have the ISBN in your clipboard, and you press the clipboard button to the left of the IDs field in Metadata Edit then calibre will grab it, 'work out' that it's an ISBN, prefix it with "isbn", remove any dashes and paste result into the IDs field.

BR

eschwartz · 03-28-2014, 03:38 PM

I believe any arbitrary prefix is valid, but there must be one. However, certain prefixes are known and will create links in Book Details.

And I just confirmed it. Try pasting in, say,

Code:

random:456

I'd like a list of those special prefixes, though.

eschwartz · 03-28-2014, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@toomuchreading - are you aware of the following

If you have the ISBN in your clipboard, and you press the clipboard button to the left of the IDs field in Metadata Edit then calibre will grab it, 'work out' that it's an ISBN, prefix it with "isbn", remove any dashes and paste result into the IDs field.

BR

According to @toomuchreading's last paragraph, that is when he figured it out.

BetterRed · 03-28-2014, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

According to @toomuchreading's last paragraph, that is when he figured it out.

oops

@toomuchreading No disrespect, but by the time I got to last para, eyes had glazed over and brain didn't translate 'paste content button' into 'clipboard button'

Guilty as charged yer 'onour

BR

kovidgoyal · 03-28-2014, 10:35 PM

The list of recognized prefixes depends on what metadata plugins you have installed.

03-28-2014, 03:05 PM	#1
toomuchreading Groupie Posts: 181 Karma: 1720 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Canada Device: PRS-T1, Kobo Libre Color	Suggestion for updating the manual for clarification Some history here: I am updating the metadata for a large number of books manually, and I had some issues entering the ISBN for 3 books, which I had the ISBN's for but the automatic download metadata button could not find. I decided to enter the ISBN's manually into the ID's field. When I did so, the ISBN's would not save. The ID's field did not turn red like it said in the manual if there was an error, and there was no indication of any errors, when I pressed OK to save the change. It turns out that I was not entering the prefex "ISBN:" to the number when I was entering it. I would like to propose a suggestion for the updating of the Calibre user manual in regards to the ID metadata field for user clarity. Currently the manual reads under Editing the metadata of one book at a time: "The ISBN box will have a red background if you enter an invalid ISBN. It will be green for valid ISBNs" I propose that the manual change to read something like this (wordsmith away, I'm by no means the best when writing clear concise instructions): The ID's box, used to enter ISBN's, and other identification codes will have a read background of you enter and invalid value. It will be green for a valid value. The books identifier must have a valid prefix to identify the type of identifier being entered. For example the ISBN for the book IT by Stephen King would have the id of "ISBN:0451169514" in the ID field. Valid prefixes followed by ":" are:ISBN - international standard book number ASIN - amazon identifier google - google identifier (etc. - an updated list of what's currently valid or just the most easily entered which I don't know) I feel with this clarification, for those that actually read the manual, that might make it easier to figure out how to get a correct number entered manually. I only noticed that I didn't enter the prefix (after checking to see if I could see anything in the manual about the ID field metadata field), when I tried a copy/paste of the ISBN number using the paste contents button, and then realised (I was looking at them all along...silly me) that I had not entered the prefix.

03-28-2014, 03:38 PM	#3
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	I believe any arbitrary prefix is valid, but there must be one. However, certain prefixes are known and will create links in Book Details. And I just confirmed it. Try pasting in, say, Code: random:456 I'd like a list of those special prefixes, though. Last edited by eschwartz; 03-28-2014 at 03:44 PM. Reason: confirmed

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Suggestion for User Manual	jesscat	Calibre	2	04-02-2011 02:50 PM
Suggestion for User Manual	hrynkiw	Calibre	4	03-23-2011 02:03 PM
Classic Clarification?	desertgrandma	Barnes & Noble NOOK	4	01-11-2010 01:51 PM
Hi Everyone - Need some clarification and direction	s7whitecoral	Which one should I buy?	11	11-21-2009 08:20 AM
Clarification, please.	desertgrandma	News	4	08-24-2008 12:18 PM

03-28-2014, 03:36 PM	#2
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,721 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@toomuchreading - are you aware of the following If you have the ISBN in your clipboard, and you press the clipboard button to the left of the IDs field in Metadata Edit then calibre will grab it, 'work out' that it's an ISBN, prefix it with "isbn", remove any dashes and paste result into the IDs field. BR

03-28-2014, 10:35 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,345 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The list of recognized prefixes depends on what metadata plugins you have installed.

Advert

Advert