Merge chapters after import?

nekokami · 08-17-2009, 08:13 PM

I have a large collection of ebooks. Most are one book per file, multiple books per directory, but some are broken up into HTML chapters, and a directory is only one book. I'm running an import right now at multiple books per directory, and I can see from the status dialog box that I'm going to end up with multiple "books" in these cases. Is there a way to select a group of files afterward and tell Calibre that these are really one book?

Thanks for a great tool!

kovidgoyal · 08-17-2009, 09:25 PM

No, I'm afraid not. However, if you import these books one at a time, each time importing the "index" HTML file, calibre should zip up all the chapters into a single ZIP file and import that for you.

nekokami · 08-17-2009, 09:34 PM

Will Calibre have done this already, since those index files are in the list? Or do I need to use the "one book per directory" setting for Calibre to know to do that? If the first case is true, then I can just delete the individual chapters. Otherwise I'll need to re-import those books.

Also, I think in many or most cases, the zip file containing all the HTML files is in the parent directory-- does Calibre handle those directly? Again, if it does, I can just delete the individual chapters.

Thanks for the quick response! I can tell I'm going to have to pay (donate) for this tool, or I'll feel guilty, since it's so useful. It will have to wait until the end of the week, though.

kovidgoyal · 08-17-2009, 09:42 PM

It will handle the zips directly. However calibre looks for a file caleed index.html/toc.html or an OPF file in the zips to tell it the document structure.

nekokami · 08-18-2009, 12:13 PM

Calibre seems to have misinterpreted my filenames and has assigned authors as titles and titles as authors in many cases. I can see where this is reflected in the Calibre library directory. If I move files around in that directory, will Calibre reflect the changes I make? I think that would be easier than manually editing the metadata for each book. (I have over 7000 book entries, though I don't believe I have that many individual books-- many are these chapter entries that appear to have nothing in them.)

kovidgoyal · 08-18-2009, 12:25 PM

You can't move files around, calibre will lose track of them. When importing books you can control what becomes the title andwhat the author via Preferences->Advanced

nekokami · 08-18-2009, 12:33 PM

Ok.

Will I need to re-import my books? Or is there a way to tell Calibre to toss the existing metadata and regenerate it?

kovidgoyal · 08-18-2009, 12:43 PM

No, you'll have to re-import

nekokami · 08-19-2009, 12:19 AM

Hm. That's disappointing. It took quite a while to import last time. (Naturally, I will experiment more with the regexp this time before importing the whole lot.)

I assume I'll need to select all books (click first, scroll down to bottom, shift-click last) and click the trash can to remove all the books before I import again?

What happens if I run import again on a directory I've imported once already? Do previously imported files get ignored, or do I end up with double copies of everything?

kovidgoyal · 08-19-2009, 11:14 AM

calibre will ask you if you want to import the duplicates.

nekokami · 08-19-2009, 01:31 PM

Well, I deleted all the former entries, and that got rid of the files, too, I believe. Calibre just finished scanning the original directory and is now building the new directory in its own folder.

If I edit the metadata of an entry, e.g. change the author name to match other books by the same author, will Calibre move the files in its directory? Also, if Calibre has multiple files for a single book, which one will it use to generate the ePub output?

kovidgoyal · 08-19-2009, 01:41 PM

changing metadata will cause the files to be moved You can choose the input format at convert time

08-17-2009, 08:13 PM	#1
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Merge chapters after import? I have a large collection of ebooks. Most are one book per file, multiple books per directory, but some are broken up into HTML chapters, and a directory is only one book. I'm running an import right now at multiple books per directory, and I can see from the status dialog box that I'm going to end up with multiple "books" in these cases. Is there a way to select a group of files afterward and tell Calibre that these are really one book? Thanks for a great tool!

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08-17-2009, 09:25 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,308 Karma: 27111242 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	No, I'm afraid not. However, if you import these books one at a time, each time importing the "index" HTML file, calibre should zip up all the chapters into a single ZIP file and import that for you.

08-17-2009, 09:34 PM	#3
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Will Calibre have done this already, since those index files are in the list? Or do I need to use the "one book per directory" setting for Calibre to know to do that? If the first case is true, then I can just delete the individual chapters. Otherwise I'll need to re-import those books. Also, I think in many or most cases, the zip file containing all the HTML files is in the parent directory-- does Calibre handle those directly? Again, if it does, I can just delete the individual chapters. Thanks for the quick response! I can tell I'm going to have to pay (donate) for this tool, or I'll feel guilty, since it's so useful. It will have to wait until the end of the week, though.

08-17-2009, 09:42 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,308 Karma: 27111242 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	It will handle the zips directly. However calibre looks for a file caleed index.html/toc.html or an OPF file in the zips to tell it the document structure.

08-18-2009, 12:13 PM	#5
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Calibre seems to have misinterpreted my filenames and has assigned authors as titles and titles as authors in many cases. I can see where this is reflected in the Calibre library directory. If I move files around in that directory, will Calibre reflect the changes I make? I think that would be easier than manually editing the metadata for each book. (I have over 7000 book entries, though I don't believe I have that many individual books-- many are these chapter entries that appear to have nothing in them.)

08-18-2009, 12:25 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,308 Karma: 27111242 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You can't move files around, calibre will lose track of them. When importing books you can control what becomes the title andwhat the author via Preferences->Advanced

08-18-2009, 12:33 PM	#7
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Ok. Will I need to re-import my books? Or is there a way to tell Calibre to toss the existing metadata and regenerate it?

08-18-2009, 12:43 PM	#8
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,308 Karma: 27111242 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	No, you'll have to re-import

08-19-2009, 12:19 AM	#9
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Hm. That's disappointing. It took quite a while to import last time. (Naturally, I will experiment more with the regexp this time before importing the whole lot.) I assume I'll need to select all books (click first, scroll down to bottom, shift-click last) and click the trash can to remove all the books before I import again? What happens if I run import again on a directory I've imported once already? Do previously imported files get ignored, or do I end up with double copies of everything?

08-19-2009, 11:14 AM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,308 Karma: 27111242 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	calibre will ask you if you want to import the duplicates.

08-19-2009, 01:31 PM	#11
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Well, I deleted all the former entries, and that got rid of the files, too, I believe. Calibre just finished scanning the original directory and is now building the new directory in its own folder. If I edit the metadata of an entry, e.g. change the author name to match other books by the same author, will Calibre move the files in its directory? Also, if Calibre has multiple files for a single book, which one will it use to generate the ePub output?

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08-19-2009, 01:41 PM	#12
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,308 Karma: 27111242 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	changing metadata will cause the files to be moved You can choose the input format at convert time