Searching in Calibre

bubulac · 07-17-2016, 06:02 PM

Hello everybody,
I wonder if there is any way to search for books in Calibre using multiple tags as criteria.
For example, find all books with the tags Fantasy, Horror and Young Adult.
Any suggestions as to how to do that?
Thank you,
Cristian

eschwartz · 07-17-2016, 06:28 PM

You can quickly construct searches via the tag browser. CTRL+click to select additional search criteria.

This will create a search in the searchbar and show you what it should look like. For example:

Code:

tags:"=tag1" and tags:"=tag2"

theducks · 07-17-2016, 07:47 PM

If you don't want to TYPE that in.
In the tag Browse
Click (Tags section): Fantasy,
NOW Hold the control key, click Horror.
Still holding the control key, Click Young adult

Green + means 'Include', clicking a selection a second tim get 'Exclude' (a Red minus)

Hierarchical items ALSO have Double + (include all members) and Double - ('exclude all members)

MarjaE · 07-17-2016, 10:48 PM

Easiest way to search for multiple tags is to type two words in the search bar. It'll pick up some strays, but it doesn't require you to be able to use the keyboard and the mouse at the same time.

shalym · 07-21-2016, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarjaE

Easiest way to search for multiple tags is to type two words in the search bar. It'll pick up some strays, but it doesn't require you to be able to use the keyboard and the mouse at the same time.

Except when you do that, it does it as an "or" search--even if you explicitly type "and".

If you have a hard time using the mouse and keyboard at the same time, best is to just type in the explicit search. For example, in my library, I typed in "humor and mystery" into the search field. It picked up every book tagged with humor, and every book tagged with mystery, as well as the one book that includes both tags. However, when I type in

Code:

tags:"=Humor" and tags:"=Mystery"

I get the one book that includes both tags, which is what I was actually looking for.

Shari

chaley · 07-21-2016, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shalym

Except when you do that, it does it as an "or" search--even if you explicitly type "and".

If you have a hard time using the mouse and keyboard at the same time, best is to just type in the explicit search. For example, in my library, I typed in "humor and mystery" into the search field. It picked up every book tagged with humor, and every book tagged with mystery, as well as the one book that includes both tags. However, when I type in

Code:

tags:"=Humor" and tags:"=Mystery"

I get the one book that includes both tags, which is what I was actually looking for.

Shari

This isn't correct. If you type A B (or A and B) then you get books with both A and B *somewhere in the metadata*. In your case I suspect that you are allowing calibre to search comments (Preferences / Searching / What to search by default) when you use an unprefixed search, and the comments contain the other word.

You can test this by adding a bizarre tag to one book, for example ARTJQP112345, then searching for "something ARTJQP112345" (without the quotes). Calibre will find at most the one book with the bizarre tag. It won't find anything if the "something" doesn't appear in at least one of the allowed metadata fields.

shalym · 07-21-2016, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaley

This isn't correct. If you type A B (or A and B) then you get books with both A and B *somewhere in the metadata*. In your case I suspect that you are allowing calibre to search comments (Preferences / Searching / What to search by default) when you use an unprefixed search, and the comments contain the other word.

You can test this by adding a bizarre tag to one book, for example ARTJQP112345, then searching for "something ARTJQP112345" (without the quotes). Calibre will find at most the one book with the bizarre tag. It won't find anything if the "something" doesn't appear in at least one of the allowed metadata fields.

Ah...you are correct. My search preferences did not explicitly exclude the "comments" field. However, since MarjaE did not explain that the comments field should be excluded, and since it seems like the default is to include all fields in a search, it definitely needs clarifying.

Sorry, I shouldn't have just assumed that it was doing an "or" search without looking closer at the search results.

Shari

MarjaE · 07-22-2016, 09:04 PM

I don't have a comments field. I have trouble typing, and often mis-type the first time, so I would have trouble typing in these complex searches.

theducks · 07-22-2016, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarjaE

I don't have a comments field. I have trouble typing, and often mis-type the first time, so I would have trouble typing in these complex searches.

Everybody has a Comments field. It is Labled Details and is viewed (or hidden) using the Book Icon at the bottom

07-17-2016, 06:02 PM	#1
bubulac Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Glo HD	Searching in Calibre Hello everybody, I wonder if there is any way to search for books in Calibre using multiple tags as criteria. For example, find all books with the tags Fantasy, Horror and Young Adult. Any suggestions as to how to do that? Thank you, Cristian

07-17-2016, 06:28 PM	#2
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)	You can quickly construct searches via the tag browser. CTRL+click to select additional search criteria. This will create a search in the searchbar and show you what it should look like. For example: Code: tags:"=tag1" and tags:"=tag2"

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07-17-2016, 07:47 PM	#3
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,988 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	If you don't want to TYPE that in. In the tag Browse Click (Tags section): Fantasy, NOW Hold the control key, click Horror. Still holding the control key, Click Young adult Green + means 'Include', clicking a selection a second tim get 'Exclude' (a Red minus) Hierarchical items ALSO have Double + (include all members) and Double - ('exclude all members)

07-17-2016, 10:48 PM	#4
MarjaE Guru Posts: 937 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	Easiest way to search for multiple tags is to type two words in the search bar. It'll pick up some strays, but it doesn't require you to be able to use the keyboard and the mouse at the same time.

07-22-2016, 09:04 PM	#8
MarjaE Guru Posts: 937 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	I don't have a comments field. I have trouble typing, and often mis-type the first time, so I would have trouble typing in these complex searches.

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