Helping to Develop Calibre Core Software

Borodin · 09-10-2014, 04:11 PM

I am currently confined to home, and am likely to spend a substantial amount here until I am well enough to return to work. I had hoped to make myself useful, but I was disappointed to find that the only ways to help suggested on the “Get Involved” page on the Calibre site are to offer translations or to write a plugin.

I am a highly capable programmer with several decades of experience including C, Perl, Python, HTML, CSS, XSLT, regular expressions et cetera, but have no particular ideas of plugins that I would like to write and cannot offer any written languages other than English.

I assume that there is work going on with the core of Calibre that I could help with? I wonder if there is something that I could write, so as to speed up development or reduce the pressure on those already involved?

Alternatively, is there something like a wish list of plugins that I could implement?

theducks · 09-10-2014, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borodin

I am currently confined to home, and am likely to spend a substantial amount here until I am well enough to return to work. I had hoped to make myself useful, but I was disappointed to find that the only ways to help suggested on the “Get Involved” page on the Calibre site are to offer translations or to write a plugin.

I am a highly capable programmer with several decades of experience including C, Perl, Python, HTML, CSS, XSLT, regular expressions et cetera, but have no particular ideas of plugins that I would like to write and cannot offer any written languages other than English.

I assume that there is work going on with the core of Calibre that I could help with? I wonder if there is something that I could write, so as to speed up development or reduce the pressure on those already involved?

Alternatively, is there something like a wish list of plugins that I could implement?

Borodin, the PI (users) wishlist is at the top of the PI section

eschwartz · 09-10-2014, 05:36 PM

Or you can follow the directions here: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/develop.html to set up a development environment and hack the code. calibre is written in python.

As to what needs doing -- whatever you personally would like to see calibre support is a good start.

chaley created plugboards and various infrastructure around templates too I think -- because it fulfilled his need and he wanted to see it happen.

Alternatively, browse the calibre forums here to see what people are interested in.
Offhand I can think of a few -- proper annotations support in the viewer, client and multi-user mode for the library, which should resolve peoples' issues with networked libraries, macros/function mode in the editor...

BetterRed · 09-10-2014, 08:31 PM

@Borodin - first up,

If you want to do any serious development with the core then I think you should liaise with Kovid, otherwise you may enter on a path that he's a week away from exiting because its code complete

As well the PI Wish List there are a number of PI's written by kiwidude. He is currently unavailable to spend time maintaining/enhancing them them due other commitments. There are outstanding 'defects' and enhancement requests with a few of them - Find Duplicates & Modify come to mind, and I'd like View Manager to have an option to integrate with Virtual Libraries.

That could be another starting point, I can guarantee you'd get a slew of thanks, kisses, hugs and immeasurable quantities of karma.

BR

kovidgoyal · 09-10-2014, 10:41 PM

If you scroll down to the bottom of the get involved page you will find instructions on becoming a calibre developer.

Borodin · 09-10-2014, 11:20 PM

Yes, I saw that thanks Kovid. But it's little more than the URL for the git repository. What I'm looking for is a list of jobs that need doing, a priority order, and hopefully a way to synchronise my work so that it's not duplicated.

It sounds like one of the plugins is a good starting point.

kovidgoyal · 09-10-2014, 11:23 PM

I dont believe in the list of jobs approach to development. My philosophy is, if there is something you *personally* want calibre to do, write the code for it.

That way, there is a much higher chance that you will stick around to maintain that code in the future. Otherwise, I will have to take over maintenance of it, and I hate maintaining other people's code

As for synchronization, simply post here asking if what you want to do is a good idea/someone else is working on it.

09-10-2014, 04:11 PM	#1
Borodin Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Android mobile phone	Helping to Develop Calibre Core Software I am currently confined to home, and am likely to spend a substantial amount here until I am well enough to return to work. I had hoped to make myself useful, but I was disappointed to find that the only ways to help suggested on the “Get Involved” page on the Calibre site are to offer translations or to write a plugin. I am a highly capable programmer with several decades of experience including C, Perl, Python, HTML, CSS, XSLT, regular expressions et cetera, but have no particular ideas of plugins that I would like to write and cannot offer any written languages other than English. I assume that there is work going on with the core of Calibre that I could help with? I wonder if there is something that I could write, so as to speed up development or reduce the pressure on those already involved? Alternatively, is there something like a wish list of plugins that I could implement?

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09-10-2014, 05:36 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)	Or you can follow the directions here: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/develop.html to set up a development environment and hack the code. calibre is written in python. As to what needs doing -- whatever you personally would like to see calibre support is a good start. chaley created plugboards and various infrastructure around templates too I think -- because it fulfilled his need and he wanted to see it happen. Alternatively, browse the calibre forums here to see what people are interested in. Offhand I can think of a few -- proper annotations support in the viewer, client and multi-user mode for the library, which should resolve peoples' issues with networked libraries, macros/function mode in the editor...

09-10-2014, 08:31 PM	#4
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,716 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@Borodin - first up, If you want to do any serious development with the core then I think you should liaise with Kovid, otherwise you may enter on a path that he's a week away from exiting because its code complete As well the PI Wish List there are a number of PI's written by kiwidude. He is currently unavailable to spend time maintaining/enhancing them them due other commitments. There are outstanding 'defects' and enhancement requests with a few of them - Find Duplicates & Modify come to mind, and I'd like View Manager to have an option to integrate with Virtual Libraries. That could be another starting point, I can guarantee you'd get a slew of thanks, kisses, hugs and immeasurable quantities of karma. BR

09-10-2014, 10:41 PM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,339 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	If you scroll down to the bottom of the get involved page you will find instructions on becoming a calibre developer.

09-10-2014, 11:20 PM	#6
Borodin Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Android mobile phone	Yes, I saw that thanks Kovid. But it's little more than the URL for the git repository. What I'm looking for is a list of jobs that need doing, a priority order, and hopefully a way to synchronise my work so that it's not duplicated. It sounds like one of the plugins is a good starting point.

09-10-2014, 11:23 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,339 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I dont believe in the list of jobs approach to development. My philosophy is, if there is something you personally want calibre to do, write the code for it. That way, there is a much higher chance that you will stick around to maintain that code in the future. Otherwise, I will have to take over maintenance of it, and I hate maintaining other people's code As for synchronization, simply post here asking if what you want to do is a good idea/someone else is working on it.

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