Retain/Reapply Search when VL Switching

BetterRed · 10-24-2016, 06:20 PM

Is there a setting to retain, or reapply, the current search when switching between different virtual libraries. Currently it always clears the search.

I've been 'blaming' View Manager's lack of awareness of Virtual Libraries for this ever since VL's were 'invented'. But because it's been driving me nuts recently, I did a test on a newly installed release 70 portable with default settings and no optional PI's and I got the same behaviour - VL Switching loses the current search.

A search initiated from the Tag Browser does not create an entry in Search history, so that's not a solution. FWIW: a search initiated by one of the Similar Books options does create an entry in Search history

My preference would be a setting that caused the current search to be retained (or re-applied) when switching Virtual Libraries, but if it's easier to provide a setting to force retention of Tag Browser initiated searches in Search History, so that I can reapply them manually, then that would better than having to reconstruct the search term in the Tag Browser.

I'm surprised this hasn't been requested before.

Aside : has any thought ever been given to keeping search history at the library level, rather than global. Because the custom columns are too disparate I will never combine my physical libraries. Sifting through terms in search history that refer to columns that don't exist in the current library is somewhat 'untidy'

BR

BetterRed · 10-24-2016, 07:50 PM

I appreciate I can save the search, but remembering to do that every time is unlikely. These are 'spur of the moment' searches driven by the results of previous searches - and I'm searching several data sources - calibre, some web sites, and a couple of EN notebooks.

AFAIK there is no way to save a search from the keyboard or the book list context menu, and the drop down list in the search bar truncates the default names so I can't tell one search from another. So I have to open the tag browser which is normally closed, expand the Saved search list and select the relevant saved search - and then close the Tag browser.

I'll try it - it should be easier when my roller bar mouse arrives

Maybe there could be a Saved Search tool (plug-in ?) in the book list context menu, with a Save Current Search option, an Apply Saved Search option that listed the saved searches (not truncated), and a similar Remove Save Search option.

BR

theducks · 10-24-2016, 08:08 PM

Keyboard searches, are queued on the pulldown.
So all you need to do is click the (down) arrow and then Go.

kovidgoyal · 10-24-2016, 10:34 PM

Searches are cleared deliberately when switching VLs, since they could very well lead to null results in the new VL causing confusion. For example if you click on a series in the tag browser and then switch to a VL that contains no books in that series, the series node will no longer be present in the tag browser at all.

I dont quite understand the problem. Since you have to use the mouse to switch VLs anyway, re-applying the previously used search is just a one click (in the case of tag browser searches) or two clicks in the case of search history searches away.

BetterRed · 10-25-2016, 06:51 PM

@theducks - part of my 'problem' is that tag browser initiated searches are not saved in search history.

For disability reasons (injured hands) I avoid using the mouse, my aim is bad, I'm liable to click on the wrong thing or double click, and right click requires two hands. And as age wearies them they're getting worse

@Kovid - I like tabbed interfaces, but I never use the mouse to switch to different tabs. I use ctrl+alt→ and ctrl+alt← to switch to Next or Previous, in 3 browsers, 2 file managers, 1 console manager, 2 text editors, 5 MS Office applications (via a pay4me addon), Sigil, Calibre etc. If an application has a tabbed interface that can't be traversed via the customisable keyboard shortcuts I look for an alternative. I access search history by pressing '/' and '↓' until I find what I want.

I don't have the Tag Browser open, so can't see what's there when I switch to another VL - and nor do I need to know what's there anyway. If a search term within a VL lists no books then for me that's a valid result - e.g. I have no 'books' published by "Yale Law" before "2011" in my "2B Converted" VL, that's good to know.

The problem is that I have to open optional sidebars, click on things, and then close the side bars. I run calibre in a smallish window because I need to see other windows. I would like to be able access more things (ideally everything) via the booklist context menu - particularly

Author Link (with a flyout list of author names if more than one),
Saved Searches

Save current,
Select (with a flyout list of saved searches)
Remove (with a flyout list of saved searches).

I access the book list context menu via the keyboard - not via right mouse button clicking. I'm thinking of buying a roller bar 'mouse', but they're ~USD370.00, which is a rather a lot, and they take up a lot of physical desk space which I don't have. I already wasted a similar amount on a foot operated mouse.

BR

10-24-2016, 06:20 PM	#1
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,737 Karma: 30237526 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Retain/Reapply Search when VL Switching Is there a setting to retain, or reapply, the current search when switching between different virtual libraries. Currently it always clears the search. I've been 'blaming' View Manager's lack of awareness of Virtual Libraries for this ever since VL's were 'invented'. But because it's been driving me nuts recently, I did a test on a newly installed release 70 portable with default settings and no optional PI's and I got the same behaviour - VL Switching loses the current search. A search initiated from the Tag Browser does not create an entry in Search history, so that's not a solution. FWIW: a search initiated by one of the Similar Books options does create an entry in Search history My preference would be a setting that caused the current search to be retained (or re-applied) when switching Virtual Libraries, but if it's easier to provide a setting to force retention of Tag Browser initiated searches in Search History, so that I can reapply them manually, then that would better than having to reconstruct the search term in the Tag Browser. I'm surprised this hasn't been requested before. Aside : has any thought ever been given to keeping search history at the library level, rather than global. Because the custom columns are too disparate I will never combine my physical libraries. Sifting through terms in search history that refer to columns that don't exist in the current library is somewhat 'untidy' BR Last edited by BetterRed; 10-24-2016 at 07:02 PM.

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10-24-2016, 07:50 PM	#2
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,737 Karma: 30237526 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	I appreciate I can save the search, but remembering to do that every time is unlikely. These are 'spur of the moment' searches driven by the results of previous searches - and I'm searching several data sources - calibre, some web sites, and a couple of EN notebooks. AFAIK there is no way to save a search from the keyboard or the book list context menu, and the drop down list in the search bar truncates the default names so I can't tell one search from another. So I have to open the tag browser which is normally closed, expand the Saved search list and select the relevant saved search - and then close the Tag browser. I'll try it - it should be easier when my roller bar mouse arrives Maybe there could be a Saved Search tool (plug-in ?) in the book list context menu, with a Save Current Search option, an Apply Saved Search option that listed the saved searches (not truncated), and a similar Remove Save Search option. BR

10-24-2016, 08:08 PM	#3
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,068 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Keyboard searches, are queued on the pulldown. So all you need to do is click the (down) arrow and then Go.

10-24-2016, 10:34 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,366 Karma: 27230406 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Searches are cleared deliberately when switching VLs, since they could very well lead to null results in the new VL causing confusion. For example if you click on a series in the tag browser and then switch to a VL that contains no books in that series, the series node will no longer be present in the tag browser at all. I dont quite understand the problem. Since you have to use the mouse to switch VLs anyway, re-applying the previously used search is just a one click (in the case of tag browser searches) or two clicks in the case of search history searches away.

10-25-2016, 06:51 PM	#5
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,737 Karma: 30237526 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@theducks - part of my 'problem' is that tag browser initiated searches are not saved in search history. For disability reasons (injured hands) I avoid using the mouse, my aim is bad, I'm liable to click on the wrong thing or double click, and right click requires two hands. And as age wearies them they're getting worse @Kovid - I like tabbed interfaces, but I never use the mouse to switch to different tabs. I use ctrl+alt→ and ctrl+alt← to switch to Next or Previous, in 3 browsers, 2 file managers, 1 console manager, 2 text editors, 5 MS Office applications (via a pay4me addon), Sigil, Calibre etc. If an application has a tabbed interface that can't be traversed via the customisable keyboard shortcuts I look for an alternative. I access search history by pressing '/' and '↓' until I find what I want. I don't have the Tag Browser open, so can't see what's there when I switch to another VL - and nor do I need to know what's there anyway. If a search term within a VL lists no books then for me that's a valid result - e.g. I have no 'books' published by "Yale Law" before "2011" in my "2B Converted" VL, that's good to know. The problem is that I have to open optional sidebars, click on things, and then close the side bars. I run calibre in a smallish window because I need to see other windows. I would like to be able access more things (ideally everything) via the booklist context menu - particularly Author Link (with a flyout list of author names if more than one), Saved Searches Save current, Select (with a flyout list of saved searches) Remove (with a flyout list of saved searches). I access the book list context menu via the keyboard - not via right mouse button clicking. I'm thinking of buying a roller bar 'mouse', but they're ~USD370.00, which is a rather a lot, and they take up a lot of physical desk space which I don't have. I already wasted a similar amount on a foot operated mouse. BR

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