need database (ODBC?) connection to update fields

[alkmaar]

Hi i have searched in de various posts, also have posted before in a different way on this topic, but I am looking for a SIMPLE way to update fileds in the database , 2 or 3 newly defined fields (I have many books and want to easy find them back by adding cabinet and shelf number)
Not 1 by 1 that is too much work, so if I have a database connection I can scan the books by isbn number which are on a certain shelf in a certain cabinet, add the cabinet and shelf data for this set in the 2 or 3 fields, in one go, and go on to the next shelf)
How to easy set up such thing, I have tried plugins tot populate fileds but they either don't work, or dont update by unique internal ID. (but use title instead, which is not reliable)
Even when I can only list one book by isbn it is still more efficient than i just add shelf and cabinet info one by one, in the normal program interface it would mean many hours of work.

[kovidgoyal]

https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...calibredb.html

[BetterRed]

I'm confused - do you want to copy data from an external database into a calibre library database or vice-versa.

And when you say 'scan the books by isbn number which are on a certain shelf in a certain cabinet" are you referring to optical scanning or reading a database.

The calibre ID is the library database books table row number that SQLite assigns when a book is added, it won't be in your ODBC database unless you have a way of putting it there - and it may change.

Which plugins did you try that don't work, IIRC the Import List plugin matches on title and author using exact, similar, and fuzzy algorithms, and I have a vague notion that the Job Spy Import from CSV tool might have an ISBN matching option.

BR

[alkmaar]

hi thanks for your reply, hope i can clarify

on a physical book is usually a barcode with the isbn number.
at firts when I add a new book I use a hand optical scanner to scan the isbn and add it in the option 'add by isbn number' and have Caz libre search for the additional information.

indeed calibre adds tje internal id, which i can read and add even to a custom field.

now I have many books, book cabinets, with shelves.
To find the book I want to, by cabinet, by shelf, scan the books somehow (excel for example) and add in calibre the corresponding cabinet number and shelf number in custom fields.

the same later maybe also for purchase price paid

I have found the isbn id is not always reliable, the internal id is.

so if I export all data, import t in excel, do my thing there with scanning, lookup the book and add the shelf etc, I want to export the fields
internal id preferably, plus sgelf, cabinet and optionally price, create for ex as mple a csv file to import back in calibre so the 2 or 3 custom fields will be populated.

alternatively if i have a odbc or other connection i can update in the data base directly.

perhaps by also scanning shelf and cabinet (i can generate barcodes and print thise in excel)

so scan: isbn sgelf cabinet, lookup in excel to populate complete set, save the fields i need as csv included id and or isbn, than import back

hope this clarifiesthanks again

[PeterT]

I'm not a user of it but I think the Import List plugin might help here