Number of books read by year, month

[Sarmat]

Is it possible to see how many books I have read by years or specific months?
It would be great to have a hierarchy like that:

2017
1
2
..12
2018
1
..12

I can see two possible solutions:
1) I would really prefer this one if its possible. I have a column for the date when the book was read. It has format yyyy.MM.dd
it would be great if dates were taken from this column.

2) Creating a subcategory
It really can make the hierarchy I have described earlier but I have to enter date when the book was read in another format in order this hierarchy to work: yyyy.MM.dd
What I really don't like about this second option is that when entering the date in the column it doesn't propose you today's date by default (because you have to use “Comma-separated text, like tags, shown in the Tag browser.” type in order to create subcategory, you cant use "date" type for a column).
And that involves a lot of additional work when entering dates (if you read a lot like me).

Can you give me an advise pls?

[Terisa de morgan]

Two columns: one for date and a composite column that prints the date according the format you need.

[pdurrant]

Isn't your column for date read an actual calibre date type column? If it isn't, I suggest converting to that, and then lots of search stuff will work.

[Sarmat]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Isn't your column for date read an actual calibre date type column? If it isn't, I suggest converting to that, and then lots of search stuff will work.

no, I have a separate column for date read just because calibre autofills it's Date column with the date the book was added to calibre, I have to delete it each time and it's boring

but ok, I if use Calibre Date column for my date of reading - how it helps to achieve my goal?

[Sarmat]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Two columns: one for date and a composite column that prints the date according the format you need.

sorry but i don't completely understand what you mean

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Sarmat

no, I have a separate column for date read just because calibre autofills it's Date column with the date the book was added to calibre, I have to delete it each time and it's boring

but ok, I if use Calibre Date column for my date of reading - how it helps to achieve my goal?

The suggestion was a DATE type custom column. You were correct about Calibre's 'Date" named column

[Sarmat]

Originally Posted by theducks

The suggestion was a DATE type custom column. You were correct about Calibre's 'Date" named column

yes, I have date type column for the date read.
but still have the same question:

how can i have such hierarchy:

2017
1 (january)
2 (february)
..12 (december)
2018
1
..12

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Sarmat

yes, I have date type column for the date read.
but still have the same question:

how can i have such hierarchy:

2017
1 (january)
2 (february)
..12 (december)
2018
1
..12

You can Sort on your read column and see the results, but Calibre does not directly offer Spreadsheet type summaries (at least for dates. see the tag browser: it shows counts)
So, your option is to use either the Command line interface (calibredb --list)or Catalog to create a CSV that you can use with your favorite spreadsheet

[Terisa de morgan]

Or use a regexp/function/program mode that converts 02/11/2018 in "2018.11.02"

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Sarmat

yes, I have date type column for the date read.
but still have the same question:

how can i have such hierarchy:

2017
1 (january)
2 (february)
..12 (december)
2018
1
..12

I don't think there's a way for calibre to do this automatically. But you could export to CVS file (Convert books/Create a catalog of books in your library) and then manipulate it in excel or similar.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Two columns: one for date and a composite column that prints the date according the format you need.

↑ ↑ ↑ ✔️

You would enter the date read into the Date type column, '=' will give you today's date. Then use a template to extract yyyy.MM from that column into a composite column that behaves like tags.

You should then be able to get roughly what you want in tag browser

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I don't think there's a way for calibre to do this automatically. But you could export to CVS file (Convert books/Create a catalog of books in your library) and then manipulate it in excel or similar.

Have a look at Goodreads Statistics: number of books read in a year

You could write a plugin that did the accumulations and displayed the results in a pop up window.

DaltonST might be interested in adding it to his Job and/or Calibre Spy plugins. His JobSpy plugin has some data visialisation tools.

BR

[Sarmat]

thanks for yr answers

some of you keep telling that calibre can't do what i want
but it's not so
I CAN do that (look at the second option in my first message)
it looks like this it the left panel:

http://piccy.info/view3/12806064/06f...ba06693cb8377/

but in order for calibre make an hierarchy like that I have to create a column with type "Comma-separated text, like tags, shown in the Tag browser."
(according to https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/sub_groups.html)

and this custom column looks like this:

http://piccy.info/view3/12806069/9e3...21c87a58c712d/

so I can do that, but instead of autofilling date I will have to fill in in each time manually and in the format which is wierd for me

ADDED later: it seems i was wrong, it does autofils todays date when I click on this field
so part of the problem is gone
i have problem only with several hundreds books which i have read earlier and for which I will have to enter date in that strange format manually
but that is not really a big deal once there wont be such problem with future books.

[Sarmat]

Originally Posted by theducks

So, your option is to use either the Command line interface (calibredb --list)or Catalog to create a CSV that you can use with your favorite spreadsheet

I have created the CSV catalog but it's too messy by default, you can't really see anything there.
Perhaps after changing template and choosing just some column for extracting - it could be more visible and useful.

[Sarmat]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

↑ ↑ ↑ ✔️

You would enter the date read into the Date type column, '=' will give you today's date. Then use a template to extract yyyy.MM from that column into a composite column that behaves like tags.
You should then be able to get roughly what you want in tag browser
BR

that was one of the first things I have tried.
I can create that second column based on the first column
and it will have format like
yyyy.MM.dd
the problem is that calibre thinks it's ONE tag despite dots so there is no hierarchy in this case

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Sarmat

that was one of the first things I have tried.
I can create that second column based on the first column
and it will have format like
yyyy.MM.dd
the problem is that calibre thinks it's ONE tag despite dots so there is no hierarchy in this case

You need to tell calibre that the column is to be treated as a hierarchy. This is on the "Tag browser" tab of the "Look & feel" page of the preferences.