Calibre Hacks

[Rellwood]

So I figured that a "Calibre Hacks" thread can be useful to users looking to make their library management better.

One of the best hacks I figured out is the copying of the timestamp into a "date added" column.

If you have a date added column that needs to be populated but you aren't sure of the date, the timestamp is a good indicator. If you are confident that the timestamp (date) of the book listed is accurate you can use it in the copy/replace feature in the bulk edit metadata. Although you need to create a custom column before you can do it. For whatever reason, the timestamp is not offered up as a column in the dropdown list of possible columns available in the regular expression option of copy/replace. So you need to create a mirror of the date column as a custom composite columm.

Create a composite column based on another column. Use {date} as the template and give it whatever name you like. I use d2 for the name and Date2 for the heading. Set the search/sort option to "date".

After this column is created it will mirror the date column and show up in the list of columns available for copy/replace. It is set for use in copying the timestamp into whatever other date or text column you like.

This is just one of many hacks I have figured out.

[theducks]

I think {date} as the source field should work. You can use any Template

[Rellwood]

Originally Posted by theducks

I think {date} as the source field should work. You can use any Template

Well then..

It's not like I havn'e used the he heck out of that template function. Now I can go delete all those extra columns.

[Rellwood]

Regarding that template in copy/replace, it works great for getting column info into the comments section. Alternatively if you want to get more column data into the details of a book into a catalog, just make a composite column based on a chain of other columns. It can also be created into a template in the copy/paste. It depends on what you want to do. I have the column since it's easier to point to it in the catalog creations. It can also just be added to a template.

I call this one "Copy to"

<b>Original File Name: </b>{#original_file_name}<br><br>
<b>All the book sources: </b>{#all_the_book_sources}<br><br>
<b>Date Added: </b>{#dateadded}<br><br>
<b>Book Style: </b>{#book_style}<br><br>
<b>MSITC: </b>{#merged_sito_in_the_cloud}<br><br>
<b>SITO: </b>{#sito}<br><br>
<b>GR AR: </b>{#gr1}<br><br>
<b>Pages: </b>{#pages}<br><br>
<b>Word: </b>{#word}<br><br>
<b>Details: </b>{#details}<br><br>
<b>Genre: </b>{#genre}<br><br>
<b>ENF: </b>{#enf}<br><br>
<b>Tags: </b>{tags}<br><br>


It can be added to the comments as a column in the catalog, alternatively it can be copied into the comments via copy/replace and be added with the comments in a book jacket.

I have a few template across my library like this one.

ps. SITO stands for "single in the omnibus" I use it as a yes/no column. Most often it is used to indicate whether or not the book is part of a merged book I created using epub merge. Then if I sent the merged book to my Kindle then it is in the cloud.

[BetterRed]

FWIW : it would appear that the lookup names 'date' and 'timestamp' are synonymous - if you show 'Date' as a column in the book list and hover the mouse over the column header you'll see this:



In Advanced Search->Title/author/series... you'll see this



And as you've discovered in Bulk MD Edit->S&R the column isn't even offered as the Search or the Destination field

BR