Did I lose a book to auto merge?

please55 · 09-16-2016, 06:12 AM

Trying to consolidate my libraries I copied a single book from my French library over to my main library via the Copy (delete after copy). Unfortunately, I have the same book in English and it got merged (ignore incoming duplicate formats). Is there a way to undo this? Recover my original book?

On OSX

BetterRed · 09-16-2016, 06:21 AM

Did you look in Trash? Don't you run Time Machine?

BR

please55 · 09-16-2016, 06:37 AM

Checked trash, oddly not there. Was wondering if that was effect of merge. However hadn't thought of my disk backup. I'll check that. But mostly wondering if this atypical behavior because I would have expected something to have been moved to trash.

Basically, I guess I'm asking, what did auto merge do with the original file given I'm not finding it in trash?

kovidgoyal · 09-16-2016, 06:54 AM

Auto merge does not move files to trash. Only deleting does that. Auto-merge is off by default for a reason.

please55 · 09-16-2016, 01:52 PM

I'll rephrase for possibly more clarity.

I have two libraries and have the option enabled to auto merge books and ignore duplicate incoming formats.

Today I copied a book (call it #1) from one library to another using the delete after copy command. Because both books had the same title and author, Calibre popped up notification that the records had been merged as per current settings. The original book (#1) is no longer in its original location nor the other library it was merged with AND it cannot be found in the trash.

I keep full disk backups. To be sure the original book (#1) did exist in the first library (wasn't just an empty record). Although they are the same book / author, #1 is a french text & therefore not the same file.

So what happened?

BetterRed · 09-16-2016, 04:50 PM

@please55 - Kovid wrote "Automerge does not move files to trash." Which implies that any files replaced by the Automerge operation are hard deleted.

He then wrote " Only deleting does that," I interpret that as meaning "Only Removing does that", i.e. a user initiated delete of a book from a library.

Finally he wrote "Auto-merge is off by default for a reason." My emphasis. As you've found out turning it on can result in data loss, that's why it's default setting is off.

If you turn Add Books->Automerge... off, calibre will pop a dialogue if it detects a book already exists with the same title as the one its about to add, the dialogue has several buttons as to what to do about it.

I suggest you save the FR version somewhere, restore the lost EN version from backup and then decide on you want to do with the FR version.

BR

BetterRed · 09-16-2016, 05:03 PM

@please55 - when I want to copy books from library A to library B, I use the Find library duplicates option of the Find Duplicates optional plugin before initiating the copy (I use similar title, ignore author). If any duplicates are found I decide there and then what I want to do about them.

BR

please55 · 09-16-2016, 06:29 PM

Ah, thanks for that interpretation. I didn't realize that's what he meant. Sounds good, I'm okay with the behaviour, just didn't understand I was dealing with a hard delete.

09-16-2016, 06:37 AM	#3
please55 Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 72010 Join Date: Nov 2014 Device: none	Checked trash, oddly not there. Was wondering if that was effect of merge. However hadn't thought of my disk backup. I'll check that. But mostly wondering if this atypical behavior because I would have expected something to have been moved to trash. Basically, I guess I'm asking, what did auto merge do with the original file given I'm not finding it in trash? Last edited by please55; 09-16-2016 at 06:42 AM.

09-16-2016, 01:52 PM	#5
please55 Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 72010 Join Date: Nov 2014 Device: none	I'll rephrase for possibly more clarity. I have two libraries and have the option enabled to auto merge books and ignore duplicate incoming formats. Today I copied a book (call it #1) from one library to another using the delete after copy command. Because both books had the same title and author, Calibre popped up notification that the records had been merged as per current settings. The original book (#1) is no longer in its original location nor the other library it was merged with AND it cannot be found in the trash. I keep full disk backups. To be sure the original book (#1) did exist in the first library (wasn't just an empty record). Although they are the same book / author, #1 is a french text & therefore not the same file. So what happened? Last edited by please55; 09-16-2016 at 04:06 PM.

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09-16-2016, 06:12 AM	#1
please55 Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 72010 Join Date: Nov 2014 Device: none	Did I lose a book to auto merge? Trying to consolidate my libraries I copied a single book from my French library over to my main library via the Copy (delete after copy). Unfortunately, I have the same book in English and it got merged (ignore incoming duplicate formats). Is there a way to undo this? Recover my original book? On OSX Last edited by please55; 09-16-2016 at 06:18 AM.

09-16-2016, 06:21 AM	#2
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,660 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Did you look in Trash? Don't you run Time Machine? BR

09-16-2016, 06:54 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,251 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Auto merge does not move files to trash. Only deleting does that. Auto-merge is off by default for a reason.

09-16-2016, 04:50 PM	#6
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,660 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@please55 - Kovid wrote "Automerge does not move files to trash." Which implies that any files replaced by the Automerge operation are hard deleted. He then wrote " Only deleting does that," I interpret that as meaning "Only Removing does that", i.e. a user initiated delete of a book from a library. Finally he wrote "Auto-merge is off by default for a reason." My emphasis. As you've found out turning it on can result in data loss, that's why it's default setting is off. If you turn Add Books->Automerge... off, calibre will pop a dialogue if it detects a book already exists with the same title as the one its about to add, the dialogue has several buttons as to what to do about it. I suggest you save the FR version somewhere, restore the lost EN version from backup and then decide on you want to do with the FR version. BR

09-16-2016, 05:03 PM	#7
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,660 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@please55 - when I want to copy books from library A to library B, I use the Find library duplicates option of the Find Duplicates optional plugin before initiating the copy (I use similar title, ignore author). If any duplicates are found I decide there and then what I want to do about them. BR

09-16-2016, 06:29 PM	#8
please55 Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 72010 Join Date: Nov 2014 Device: none	Ah, thanks for that interpretation. I didn't realize that's what he meant. Sounds good, I'm okay with the behaviour, just didn't understand I was dealing with a hard delete.

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