How to transfert custom column to device?

mhoule418 · 05-08-2022, 04:05 PM

Hello all,

I think I have an easy question, but I can't find any method of doing what I would like. Can someone guide me?

Here it is :
On the calibre application, I created a custom field which is to sort my reading interest (1 to 5 stars column).

I tend to fill the Interest field (5 stars meaning the most interest).

When I transfer the books on the device, this Interest column is not present.

What can be done to have the column showing on the device (and be able to select the select my 5 stars books prior reading a 4 stars book)?

John F · 05-09-2022, 05:53 AM

Maybe you could try using a subtitle on the kobo? I don't think you will be able to sort by it. I use it (subtitle) for showing published date sometimes.

Have a look at this thread starting at post 17:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh....php?p=4118155

Good luck.

Colonel Cathcart · 05-09-2022, 09:59 AM

I think you could create collections based on stars

davidfor · 05-12-2022, 12:09 AM

Firstly, the metadata that Kobo reads from sideloaded books is fairly limited. It is mainly the core metadata. It doesn't include things like series info or any custom columns that calibre can add. But there are ways to do it. How depends on what you want.

The things I can think of are:

Creating a collection for each interest level as @Colonel Cathcart suggested.
Using the subtitle field as suggested by @John F.
Adding the information into another metadata field such as the comments.

The first two are done through the driver configuration. The last one can be done using a metadata plugboard. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method. Which you use depends on which works best for you.

CyberPaul · 05-12-2022, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

It doesn't include things like series info

Not true: series is fully managed. Even the sub-volume (e.g. 1.01, 1.02, etc.)

DNSB · 05-12-2022, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberPaul

Not true: series is fully managed. Even the sub-volume (e.g. 1.01, 1.02, etc.)

The series info does not come from the metadata embedded in the epub file. It is pushed into the database once the book entry has been created. This is why the requirement for a second connection after the book has been imported and the database entry created.

Basically, epub2 has no standard for series information and the number of renderers that support the epub3 series information standard is a rather small number.

CyberPaul · 05-12-2022, 01:37 PM

Thank you for explaining.
Just wanted to highlight that series is transferred and perfectly usable, even though not using ePub metadata.

davidfor · 05-12-2022, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberPaul

Thank you for explaining.
Just wanted to highlight that series is transferred and perfectly usable, even though not using ePub metadata.

Strangely enough, I know that. And I was fairly careful in my language. I used "Kobo reads from sideloaded books" for a reason. But, the point of the post is that the device has a fixed set of information it reads from the book and a fixed set it displays (not necessarily the same). To display something else, you need to somehow push it into the data that the device does display and can be manipulated somehow.

CyberPaul · 05-13-2022, 05:47 PM

What about genre? Is it managed by Kobo devices? I'm populating "tags" destination field by using metadata plugboard, but I don't think it is considered. Is subtitle only chance to transfer it?
Also, is there a way to preserve the original subtitle in case the epub already has one? I mean I may want to concatenate subtitle (if present) with genre and publish date.

PeterT · 05-13-2022, 06:48 PM

Map genres to shelves. This is done in the driver (either Kobo touch or Kobo touch extended depending on which you use).

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

davidfor · 05-13-2022, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberPaul

What about genre? Is it managed by Kobo devices? I'm populating "tags" destination field by using metadata plugboard, but I don't think it is considered. Is subtitle only chance to transfer it?

The driver can update any of the displayed metadata. And you can use metadata plugboards to fiddle with some of them to allow you to use other metadata from your library. I use this to put the tags, page and word counts, and reading status in the synopsis/comments.

As tags are not displayed anywhere on the device, as @PeterT suggested, you can create collections from tags. How useful that is depends on how good and how many tags you have. They are probably more useful for genre. If you want to see them in the book list, the subtitle is probably the best bet.

Quote:

Also, is there a way to preserve the original subtitle in case the epub already has one? I mean I may want to concatenate subtitle (if present) with genre and publish date.

Subtitle is not one of the core metadata items. Most subtitles are included in the title. Kobo has a separate field for it, and may populate for purchased books.

The driver in calibre can update the Subtitle for books, but, it is brute force. It compares what is produced by the template with what is on the device and replaces what is on the device if they are different. Updating an existing subtitle by adding something to it is not really practical. How do you know what part is to be changed the next time the update is being done?

CyberPaul · 05-14-2022, 04:22 AM

True, there would be no way to understand if it has been already overwritten, unless Calibre doesn't track it. If I put genre in the synopsis/comments I think it would not be used when searching, right? That's why I put it in the subtitle.
Using genre for collections would be very dispersive and unbalanced in my case, as I'm using very detailed genres like the book stores, so I would end having very few books in some collections and a lot of books in others. Also, a book can belong to multiple genres... Where should it go in that case? I'm actually using a separate field with a short simplified genre for collections. But I still would like to see the long detailed genre description.
I still believe that Calibre should manage natively subtitle field because it is still a metadata - even though not "core" - that should be acquired when importing an ePub.
I feel that I'm loosing something when subtitle is set for purchased books.

PeterT · 05-14-2022, 08:36 AM

A book can be in as many collections as you want, so it could be in Kobo Store, Murder, and Mystery collections with only one copy of the book on the device.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

Colonel Cathcart · 05-14-2022, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

A book can be in as many collections as you want, so it could be in Kobo Store, Murder, and Mystery collections with only one copy of the book on the device.

Also, you can setup two separate columns, one for collections and one for reading interest and have a 3rd column that will be calculated as a concatenation of both. Then use this 3rd column as the source for the collections on the Kobo device. That way you can keep things nice and tidy.

mhoule418 · 05-14-2022, 02:12 PM

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Here is my final way of setting things in calibre.
1- In the Tags, I have created 5 new values from interest 5-Very high to 1-Very low (on top of other tags).
2- As I produce a catalog book (useful tool, that i tranfer to the device)
3- Opening the catalog and going to the 5-Very high interest to find my most interest first.

I don't know why I haven't though of it myself (thinking that Tags were only reserved for Sci-Fi, Romance, Thriller, Sport or whaterver categories we can think of).

Case solved.

05-08-2022, 04:05 PM	#1
mhoule418 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Québec city Device: calibre, Kobo (Libra 2, Clara HD, Aura H2O)	How to transfert custom column to device? Hello all, I think I have an easy question, but I can't find any method of doing what I would like. Can someone guide me? Here it is : On the calibre application, I created a custom field which is to sort my reading interest (*1 to 5 stars* column). I tend to fill the Interest field (5 stars meaning the most interest). When I transfer the books on the device, this Interest column is not present. What can be done to have the column showing on the device (and be able to select the select my 5 stars books prior reading a 4 stars book)?

05-12-2022, 12:09 AM	#4
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303824 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	Firstly, the metadata that Kobo reads from sideloaded books is fairly limited. It is mainly the core metadata. It doesn't include things like series info or any custom columns that calibre can add. But there are ways to do it. How depends on what you want. The things I can think of are: Creating a collection for each interest level as @Colonel Cathcart suggested. Using the subtitle field as suggested by @John F. Adding the information into another metadata field such as the comments. The first two are done through the driver configuration. The last one can be done using a metadata plugboard. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method. Which you use depends on which works best for you.

05-13-2022, 05:47 PM	#9
CyberPaul Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Aug 2016 Device: Kindle Voyage - Tolino Vision 4 HD - Kobo Sage	What about genre? Is it managed by Kobo devices? I'm populating "tags" destination field by using metadata plugboard, but I don't think it is considered. Is subtitle only chance to transfer it? Also, is there a way to preserve the original subtitle in case the epub already has one? I mean I may want to concatenate subtitle (if present) with genre and publish date. Last edited by CyberPaul; 05-13-2022 at 06:02 PM.

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05-09-2022, 05:53 AM	#2
John F Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,852 Karma: 70186493 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Clara 2E	Maybe you could try using a subtitle on the kobo? I don't think you will be able to sort by it. I use it (subtitle) for showing published date sometimes. Have a look at this thread starting at post 17: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh....php?p=4118155 Good luck.

05-09-2022, 09:59 AM	#3
Colonel Cathcart Addict Posts: 224 Karma: 340434 Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: Israel Device: Kobo Libra H2O	I think you could create collections based on stars

05-12-2022, 01:37 PM	#7
CyberPaul Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Aug 2016 Device: Kindle Voyage - Tolino Vision 4 HD - Kobo Sage	Thank you for explaining. Just wanted to highlight that series is transferred and perfectly usable, even though not using ePub metadata.

05-13-2022, 06:48 PM	#10
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,283 Karma: 78869092 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Map genres to shelves. This is done in the driver (either Kobo touch or Kobo touch extended depending on which you use). Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

05-14-2022, 04:22 AM	#12
CyberPaul Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Aug 2016 Device: Kindle Voyage - Tolino Vision 4 HD - Kobo Sage	True, there would be no way to understand if it has been already overwritten, unless Calibre doesn't track it. If I put genre in the synopsis/comments I think it would not be used when searching, right? That's why I put it in the subtitle. Using genre for collections would be very dispersive and unbalanced in my case, as I'm using very detailed genres like the book stores, so I would end having very few books in some collections and a lot of books in others. Also, a book can belong to multiple genres... Where should it go in that case? I'm actually using a separate field with a short simplified genre for collections. But I still would like to see the long detailed genre description. I still believe that Calibre should manage natively subtitle field because it is still a metadata - even though not "core" - that should be acquired when importing an ePub. I feel that I'm loosing something when subtitle is set for purchased books.

05-14-2022, 08:36 AM	#13
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,283 Karma: 78869092 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	A book can be in as many collections as you want, so it could be in Kobo Store, Murder, and Mystery collections with only one copy of the book on the device. Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

05-14-2022, 02:12 PM	#15
mhoule418 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Québec city Device: calibre, Kobo (Libra 2, Clara HD, Aura H2O)	Thanks to all for your suggestions. Here is my final way of setting things in calibre. 1- In the *Tags, I have created 5 new values from interest 5-Very high to 1-Very low (on top of other tags). 2- As I produce a catalog book* (useful tool, that i tranfer to the device) 3- Opening the catalog and going to the 5-Very high interest to find my most interest first. I don't know why I haven't though of it myself (thinking that Tags were only reserved for Sci-Fi, Romance, Thriller, Sport or whaterver categories we can think of). Case solved.

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