ebook-meta/caliber inconsistency

glenm · 09-11-2023, 09:09 AM

I'm looking at the command line utilities that are part of the Caliber install and I've come across an inconsistency in the metadata extracted from an epub file by Caliber and the metadata extracted from the same file by ebook-meta.

When I add the book to Caliber with the book information being read from the file not the filename I get no series information. See attachment called Snip 1.png.
When I run ebook-meta against the same file I get series information. See attachment called Snip 2.png
When I search the internal files in the epub file there is no series information.

Where is ebook-meta getting the series information that it is displaying?

Thanks

BetterRed · 09-11-2023, 07:14 PM

Which format?

If you open it in an appropriate viewer for that format you should be able to see what's there and what form it takes?

EDIT - Oops: I see you said epub, open it up in the calibre editor and take a look at the .opf file. I have a gut feeling that Add only extracts DC metadata elements.

BR

kovidgoyal · 09-11-2023, 10:19 PM

ebook-meta and the main calibre program use the exact same code to read metadata. Indeed, all the command line utilities and calibre share the same actual implementations of everything, its just the interfaces that are different.

glenm · 09-12-2023, 04:29 AM

So if they both use the same code base to read metadata then there is something different elsewhere.
If I use ebook-meta on the source file (the one NOT added to Caliber) then no series info is shown, as expected.
Add this book to Caliber and the Caliber Main program shows no Series info, again as expected.
Use ebook-meta on the file in the Caliber library folder and there IS series information.

The epub file in the Caliber library and the original source file are identical according to WinMerge, and the epub file in Caliber contains no series information.

So when ebook-meta is run on the file that has been imported into Caliber where is it getting the series information from as the epub file and the opf file don't contain any series information?

kovidgoyal · 09-12-2023, 05:35 AM

The OPF file. Presumably you added a series in the GUI which will be present in the OPF file.

glenm · 09-12-2023, 06:53 AM

After a bit of experimentation I've found that if the title of the book has a number in it and the number survives the shortening of the title when the caliber folder structure is created,
e.g. Book file is Classroom of the Elite ~ Year 2 ~ Volume 05.epub and when it is added to caliber the folder structure created is ...\tmp(ln2)\Syougo Kinugasa\Classroom of the Elite ~ Year 2 ~ v (2681) and the file is renamed to Classroom of the Elite ~ Year 2 - Syougo Kinugasa.epub.

ebook-meta returns Series : Classroom of the Elite Year #2 for the series information

In caliber if I rename the book to Classroom of the Elite ~ Year Two ~ volume 5, the folder structure becomes ...\tmp(ln2)\Syougo Kinugasa\Classroom of the Elite ~ Year Two ~ (2681) and the file is renamed Classroom of the Elite ~ Year T - Syougo Kinugasa.epub

ebook-meta returns no series information.

The OPF file in all cases contains no series information and none is stored in metadata.db

theducks · 09-12-2023, 10:49 AM

The BOOKS content.OPF?
The one in The Library folder is the backup of what the GUI shows

One of my Rakutan Kobo books has:

Code:

<meta property="belongs-to-collection" id="id-4">The Draconis Memoria</meta>
    <meta refines="#id-4" property="collection-type">series</meta>
    <meta refines="#id-4" property="group-position">1</meta>

Calibre embeds (on demand) series

Code:

 <meta name="calibre:series" content="Quarters"/>
    <meta name="calibre:series_index" content="1.0"/>

USUALLY adding book via the GUI, finds those and fills in the DB entries.
But Calibre has plugins that can 'clear out' non-DC metadata, so it is possible the GUI has Series and the book no longer does.

I don't know how the reverse would happen?

You replace an existing Format (drop into the MDE) or add the format to an empty book. The metadata is not reread from the book.

glenm · 09-13-2023, 04:25 AM

I created an empty library, added 1 book, that contains no series information in it, by dragging and dropping it. Did not change the book in any way, either in the Caliber GUI or using any other method and the behaviour I described above occurs.
I then changed the name of the book in the Caliber GUI to remove any digits, in this case remove a 2, and the behaviour I described above does not occur.
And as I said the OPF file and the Caliber database do not contain any series information.

09-11-2023, 09:09 AM	#1
glenm Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Adelaide Australia Device: Windows	ebook-meta/caliber inconsistency I'm looking at the command line utilities that are part of the Caliber install and I've come across an inconsistency in the metadata extracted from an epub file by Caliber and the metadata extracted from the same file by ebook-meta. When I add the book to Caliber with the book information being read from the file not the filename I get no series information. See attachment called Snip 1.png. When I run ebook-meta against the same file I get series information. See attachment called Snip 2.png When I search the internal files in the epub file there is no series information. Where is ebook-meta getting the series information that it is displaying? Thanks Attached Thumbnails

09-12-2023, 06:53 AM	#6
glenm Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Adelaide Australia Device: Windows	After a bit of experimentation I've found that if the title of the book has a number in it and the number survives the shortening of the title when the caliber folder structure is created, e.g. Book file is Classroom of the Elite ~ Year 2 ~ Volume 05.epub and when it is added to caliber the folder structure created is ...\tmp(ln2)\Syougo Kinugasa\Classroom of the Elite ~ Year 2 ~ v (2681) and the file is renamed to Classroom of the Elite ~ Year 2 - Syougo Kinugasa.epub. ebook-meta returns Series : Classroom of the Elite Year #2 for the series information In caliber if I rename the book to Classroom of the Elite ~ Year Two ~ volume 5, the folder structure becomes ...\tmp(ln2)\Syougo Kinugasa\Classroom of the Elite ~ Year Two ~ (2681) and the file is renamed Classroom of the Elite ~ Year T - Syougo Kinugasa.epub ebook-meta returns no series information. The OPF file in all cases contains no series information and none is stored in metadata.db Last edited by glenm; 09-12-2023 at 06:55 AM. Reason: added more info

09-12-2023, 10:49 AM	#7
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,037 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	The BOOKS content.OPF? The one in The Library folder is the backup of what the GUI shows One of my Rakutan Kobo books has: Code: <meta property="belongs-to-collection" id="id-4">The Draconis Memoria</meta> <meta refines="#id-4" property="collection-type">series</meta> <meta refines="#id-4" property="group-position">1</meta> Calibre embeds (on demand) series Code: <meta name="calibre:series" content="Quarters"/> <meta name="calibre:series_index" content="1.0"/> USUALLY adding book via the GUI, finds those and fills in the DB entries. But Calibre has plugins that can 'clear out' non-DC metadata, so it is possible the GUI has Series and the book no longer does. I don't know how the reverse would happen? You replace an existing Format (drop into the MDE) or add the format to an empty book. The metadata is not reread from the book.

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09-11-2023, 07:14 PM	#2
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,715 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Which format? If you open it in an appropriate viewer for that format you should be able to see what's there and what form it takes? EDIT - Oops: I see you said epub, open it up in the calibre editor and take a look at the .opf file. I have a gut feeling that Add only extracts DC metadata elements. BR Last edited by BetterRed; 09-11-2023 at 07:32 PM.

09-11-2023, 10:19 PM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,331 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	ebook-meta and the main calibre program use the exact same code to read metadata. Indeed, all the command line utilities and calibre share the same actual implementations of everything, its just the interfaces that are different.

09-12-2023, 04:29 AM	#4
glenm Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Adelaide Australia Device: Windows	So if they both use the same code base to read metadata then there is something different elsewhere. If I use ebook-meta on the source file (the one NOT added to Caliber) then no series info is shown, as expected. Add this book to Caliber and the Caliber Main program shows no Series info, again as expected. Use ebook-meta on the file in the Caliber library folder and there IS series information. The epub file in the Caliber library and the original source file are identical according to WinMerge, and the epub file in Caliber contains no series information. So when ebook-meta is run on the file that has been imported into Caliber where is it getting the series information from as the epub file and the opf file don't contain any series information?

09-12-2023, 05:35 AM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,331 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The OPF file. Presumably you added a series in the GUI which will be present in the OPF file.

09-13-2023, 04:25 AM	#8
glenm Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Adelaide Australia Device: Windows	I created an empty library, added 1 book, that contains no series information in it, by dragging and dropping it. Did not change the book in any way, either in the Caliber GUI or using any other method and the behaviour I described above occurs. I then changed the name of the book in the Caliber GUI to remove any digits, in this case remove a 2, and the behaviour I described above does not occur. And as I said the OPF file and the Caliber database do not contain any series information.

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