Automatically adding from folder

[shape]

Hi, firstly, I searched thru the User Manual but couldn't find anything relevant for "Automatic adding" or “Control the adding of books”: https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gui.html#id34 – “Add Books” ends with #7 (Add an empty file to selected book records), so it must not be updated to include these features.

For Automatic adding, how can it be setup to add from folders and subfolders? AZW files require the other files within the folder in order to be properly read & imported, so they can’t be separated. If this can’t be done, then the next best option would be to be able to perform the same process by clicking a button to import all relevant files set by the filter/ignore rules from the specified folder.

And is there a way to prevent the app from deleting the files in the specified folder after being auto-added?

Also, how do you remove a file from the library without deleting it from the original drive location from which it was added?

Thanks

[kovidgoyal]

automatic adding does not support sub folders.

[shape]

Ok, thanks. Would you please consider adding a checkbox option for this under the “automatic adding” tab so it could work like the “Add from folders and sub-folders” drop-down option? And if the answer was no to my lasts 2 questions, I’d like to request a feature enhancement to add checkboxes for these 2 options as well:

– ability to leave files in the specified folder after being auto-added rather than auto-deleting them
– ability to remove files from the library without deleting them from the original drive location from which they were added

Thanks

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by shape

– ability to remove files from the library without deleting them from the original drive location from which they were added.

A bit of a weird request since I've never had calibre delete the original file when I've deleted a book from the calibre library.

As for adding azw files needing other files, are you adding KFX files? Either a KF8 or mobi ebook only needs the .azw downloaded file. If you are downloading KFX files, I seem to remember during testing a few years back, that the names of the .voucher, .azw.res and .azw.md files are unique so you shouldn't need to have them in separate directories.

[kovidgoyal]

I am afraid automatica adding is never going to support sub-folder.s

[shape]

In both cases you’re right. Thanks for catching that.

1) Deletion from the original location happens only w/ auto adding. My request should be rephrased as:

– ability to remove files from the library without deleting them from the “Calibre Library” folder. The pop-up window warning “The selected book will be permanently deleted and the files removed from the calibre library” when hitting delete should ideally have a button to leave the files intact so they can be manually moved if so desired.

2) When using the auto adding feature for AZW files, I actually get this same error either way, whether I put only the AZW file in the designated auto adding folder or all the accompanying files with it: https://www.screencast.com/t/L1mpkHIhvv. However, if I drag & drop the AZW file with auto adding enabled or use the manual methods then I get no DRM error. This would seem to be a bug.

Note that if I insert this image it won't show up. I get an exclamation point icon instead which I assume means that it can't load.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by shape

In both cases you’re right. Thanks for catching that.

1) Deletion from the original location happens only w/ auto adding. My request should be rephrased as:

– ability to remove files from the library without deleting them from the “Calibre Library” folder. The pop-up window warning “The selected book will be permanently deleted and the files removed from the calibre library” when hitting delete should ideally have a button to leave the files intact so they can be manually moved if so desired.

Personally, I think it'd make more sense to have a "delete book from Calibre library after saving to selected folder," similar to the move-to-library option. You don't want to leave things behind in the Calibre library folder.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by shape

I2) When using the auto adding feature for AZW files, I actually get this same error either way, whether I put only the AZW file in the designated auto adding folder or all the accompanying files with it: https://www.screencast.com/t/L1mpkHIhvv. However, if I drag & drop the AZW file with auto adding enabled or use the manual methods then I get no DRM error. This would seem to be a bug.

Calibre's design assumes that each book is contained in a single file. However books in Amazon's KFX format are split across multiple files. The KFX Input plugin bridges the gap by finding all of the files that make up a KFX book and combining them into a ZIP file during import. For this to work properly the files must be in the original folder structure as used by Kindle apps and devices. The auto add feature is simply not compatible with this.

[shape]

@jhowell: I see what you mean – thanks. I do have the KFX Input plugin installed and your explanation clarifies why the conversion works when I drag & drop from the original Kindle book folder but not when I take the files out of the folder and enable auto adding. Therefore, it's not a bug.

@ownedbycats: In my case I’m using the app only for conversions and I then manually move and delete the converted files, so that’s why this option you quoted would be helpful. But your suggestion would be useful as well.

[BetterRed]

@shape - Given you only use calibre to do format conversions have you considered using the ebook-convert command line tool. See ==>> Calibre: Command Line Interface

BR

[shape]

Yes, I did see that a command line tool existed but unfortunately I'm a complete novice at it. Definitely not an option for me, but thank you.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by shape

Yes, I did see that a command line tool existed but unfortunately I'm a complete novice at it. Definitely not an option for me, but thank you.

Except that based on all you questions so far, the calibre UI is completely unsuitable for you to use. It's probably time you stopped trying to force calibre to work the way you think it should work and look at the command line. It is not hard to use.

[shape]

Well, I'm giving the Save to Disk feature a try now so hopefully this can resolve some of the issues I'm having – but thanks for the suggestion.

[shape]

Also, it’s not that I think Calibre should work in a certain way, but more that a lot of users want to be able to use the app solely as a file converter without using its other library features. I primarily just want to be able to convert Kindle format to EPUB (and sometimes PDF) so that they’re compatible with Apple Books. I currently don’t have a need for the other functions/features that Calibre offers.

It turns out that the “Save to Disk” feature has a similar issue with filename truncation as the Calibre Library folder, so it doesn’t seem to be useful for my purposes. The “Add from folders and sub-folders” option w/ “Automatically convert added books...” enabled gives me everything I otherwise need.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by shape

Also, it’s not that I think Calibre should work in a certain way, but more that a lot of users want to be able to use the app solely as a file converter without using its other library features.

How many is 'a lot', and what is the source of your assertion.

Usage Statistics for calibre

As can be seen from the above there are over 3 million active calibre users -- i.e used in past 60 days.

We know more than a few of them add books to the library, adjust the metadata to their requirements, convert the books, save them to disk with the updated metadata, and then delete the books - i.e. they use the GUI library manager as a workbench.

BR