Glo Calibre and Shelves

[rainio]

Call me a thicko,
but how do we manipulate shelves with the new calibre version?
I configured it as per the forum post by putting "#bookshelves" in the bookshelves field (though I'm not sure whether this is required).
On connecting I can see a readout of the glo's books with the relevant shelf location, if any.

The forum post states:
"Manage bookshelves on the device via a columns in the calibre library."

How do we do this? And, how do we create shelves in calibre?

Sorry if this is obvious but I must be missing something obvious.

Thanks.

EDIT: Oh, and calibre says it's connected to a touch, not glo.

[taming]

This is what i have done:
In the customize plugin window I have #shelves in the field across from Create Bookshelves.

I have check marks for everything other than Upload Black and white Pictures, Show Recommendations and Show Previews. I did not change anything else.

This created a shelves column. I then created the shelves I wanted. As David says in the documentation, be aware that Kobo handles shelf names in particular ways--for example, Kobo and kobo would be different shelves because of the difference in capitalization.

[jusmee]

I am trying to understand this myself - mind if I tag along?

I went to Calibre's preferences and added a custom column called "shelf". Do I just add the text "shelf" to the field in the customize plugin dialog - or does it need a # in front of it?

[PeterT]

The steps I have done are the following

1. Added a custom column to calibre
   • Preferences | Change Calibre Behaviour | Add your own columns
   • Select Add custom column
   • Select Tags in Quick create
   • I used Lookup Name myshelves and Column heading My Shelves
2. Configured the Kobo Touch driver
   • Preferences | Advanced | Plugins
   • Expand Device Interface plugins section and look for KoboTouch driver
   • With KoboTouch highlighted, select Customize plugin
   • In the area for shelf info, type #myshelves, series
   • Select any other relevant options

Now, when you edit the metadata for a book, look for the Custom Metadata area (where it is found depends on the view you are using). In the field My Shelves type in whatever shelves you want the books to be placed.

If you do as I did and also add series to the driver options, a shelf will be created automatically for each book series, and the books added to that shelf.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by PeterT

The steps I have done are the following

1. Added a custom column to calibre
   • Preferences | Change Calibre Behaviour | Add your own columns
   • Select Add custom column
   • Select Tags in Quick create
   • I used Lookup Name myshelves and Column heading My Shelves
2. Configured the Kobo Touch driver
   • Preferences | Advanced | Plugins
   • Expand Device Interface plugins section and look for KoboTouch driver
   • With KoboTouch highlighted, select Customize plugin
   • In the area for shelf info, type #myshelves, series
   • Select any other relevant options

Now, when you edit the metadata for a book, look for the Custom Metadata area (where it is found depends on the view you are using). In the field My Shelves type in whatever shelves you want the books to be placed.

If you do as I did and also add series to the driver options, a shelf will be created automatically for each book series, and the books added to that shelf.

Can you clarify why the '#' is needed for myshelves and not for series ? This is still eluding me .

[PeterT]

Any time a custom column is used within calibre, it HAS to be referenced with a # symbol in front of it.

[davidfor]

To answer the simple questions first, as far as the calibre Kobo driver is concerned, the Touch, Glo and Mini are the same. And it will stay that way until a difference is found that means it has to change.

As Taming said, exactly what is specified for the columns for shelves depends on the columns you are using. My current setting is:

#kobobookshelves,series,#status

The first and last are custom columns that I have created. The middle one is calibres series column. The names here are the lookup names of the columns. If you are using custom columns, you have to specify this name when creating the column. Anywhere else the lookup name for a custom column is used, it has to have the "#" in front of it. If you don't know the lookup name for a column, put the cursor over the column heading in the calibre library list. A tool tip will come up with something like:

The lookup/search name is "#kobobookshelves"

Which tells me exactly what to use.

[rainio]

Thank you for your replies, but I'm still having problems.
I guess calibre isn't very intuitive for me.

So, I created a shelf #shelves in the device/settings and added the column through calibre/preferences, but that only created a column in the main library, not the device/library.
The weired thing is that the shelves are shown, but under the column "Collections" in the device/library (ie. Im_reading and a shelf I created on the kobo called Nonfiction), but I can't edit the metadata of the books on the "device" so can't change the location of the devices books from within calibre.

Also, jusmee mentioned "Preferences | Change Calibre Behaviour | Add your own columns",
but isn't it "Preferences ¦ Interface ¦ Add your own columns".

Thanks for you patience!

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by rainio

Thank you for your replies, but I'm still having problems.
I guess calibre isn't very intuitive for me.

So, I created a shelf #shelves in the device/settings and added the column through calibre/preferences, but that only created a column in the main library, not the device/library.

That is what you should do and what should happen.

The weired thing is that the shelves are shown, but under the column "Collections" in the device/library (ie. Im_reading and a shelf I created on the kobo called Nonfiction), but I can't edit the metadata of the books on the "device" so can't change the location of the devices books from within calibre.

That is working exactly how it is designed. Based on the column specified, The driver maintains the shelves on the device. The device list simply shows the current state on the device. The "Collections" column (the column name is common to all devices) shows what shelves the books are on on the device plus a few special "collections". These collections are really states of the books such "Im_Reading" and "Read". You can't change the shelves here. And yes, that means if you have books on the device that are not in the calibre library, you can't change the shelf they are on from calibre.

Also, jusmee mentioned "Preferences | Change Calibre Behaviour | Add your own columns",
but isn't it "Preferences ¦ Interface ¦ Add your own columns".

Strangely enough, you are both right. If you press the down-arrow next to the preferences button, a menu opens. The first option is "Change Calibre Behaviour". And as "Interface" is not an action (menu item or button) some people would skip it in the description of how to do this.

[XrXca]

Is there any way to (other than a custom column) to specify that anything that doesn't have a series goes in shelf 'X'
I've done it now by creating a custom column defined as {series:ifempty(Other)} (Tried putting that directly into the driver setting but didn't work (no surprise))
The only problem is that I'm having to add that custom column to all my libraries...

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by XrXca

Is there any way to (other than a custom column) to specify that anything that doesn't have a series goes in shelf 'X'
I've done it now by creating a custom column defined as {series:ifempty(Other)} (Tried putting that directly into the driver setting but didn't work (no surprise))
The only problem is that I'm having to add that custom column to all my libraries...

Sorry, that's about the only way to do it.

That's a very nice trick. I haven't played with the template language enough to learn this sort of thing. Allowing something like this isn't a bad idea, except I'd hate to try to explain it. I'll put it on my "think about" list. It won't happen until I a day when I am looking for something to distract me from work. And no, that won't be tomorrow. Probably.

[rainio]

Thank you for your answers.
I have a few more beginner questions:

So I added a book into the main library after configuring the shelves, changed its shelf to "test", transferred it to the device and it showed up in a new shelf called test.
So that works.
How can we change the shelf of books already on the device (assuming they were transferred with calibre)?
If we can't alter metadata of books when viewing the books from within the device in calibre, do we have to alter each shelf from within the main library and send them again to the device?
(Is there any way to drag/drop onto a shelf or automate shelf changing? Going into each books custom metadata would be about as arduous as changing the shelf on the device.)

Thanks.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by rainio

Thank you for your answers.
I have a few more beginner questions:

So I added a book into the main library after configuring the shelves, changed its shelf to "test", transferred it to the device and it showed up in a new shelf called test.
So that works.
How can we change the shelf of books already on the device (assuming they were transferred with calibre)?
If we can't alter metadata of books when viewing the books from within the device in calibre, do we have to alter each shelf from within the main library and send them again to the device?

I happened to answer that question earlier today. It is the second part of https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...06#post2252406. There may be some other things in that thread of interest to you.

(Is there any way to drag/drop onto a shelf or automate shelf changing? Going into each books custom metadata would be about as arduous as changing the shelf on the device.)

It you are using a tag-type column, find the column in the tag browser. Then you can drag the books onto the shelf there. Or, you can select them and use the "Edit metadata in bulk" to change them all.

[katytude]

Originally Posted by PeterT

The steps I have done are the following

1. Added a custom column to calibre
   • Preferences | Change Calibre Behaviour | Add your own columns
   • Select Add custom column
   • Select Tags in Quick create
   • I used Lookup Name myshelves and Column heading My Shelves
2. Configured the Kobo Touch driver
   • Preferences | Advanced | Plugins
   • Expand Device Interface plugins section and look for KoboTouch driver
   • With KoboTouch highlighted, select Customize plugin
   • In the area for shelf info, type #myshelves, series
   • Select any other relevant options

Now, when you edit the metadata for a book, look for the Custom Metadata area (where it is found depends on the view you are using). In the field My Shelves type in whatever shelves you want the books to be placed.

If you do as I did and also add series to the driver options, a shelf will be created automatically for each book series, and the books added to that shelf.

Thank you very much, Peter. Following your directions I now have Calibre creating shelves for the series that I have. I am now wondering how to use the Number column (book N from the Series) to be added to the book title so it shows in the Kobo book list.

Is this something to be done in the device driver or while formatting the epub in Calibre? Thanks for any input.

[PeterT]

That gets done via what is called a "metadata plugboard". Through these you are able to modify items like the book's title or author as it gets transferred to your device.

Goto Preferences | Import/Export | Metaboard plugboards

It looks complex, but is not.

On the line that reads Add new plugboard do the following

• In the box Format (choose first) select epub
• in the Device (choose second) box select KOBOTOUCH
• In the Source Template the magic happens . Here you have a lot of options
  • To modify the book's title to <Series> - <Number> - <Title> type

    {series}{series_index:0>2s| - | - }{title}

  • To modify the book's title to <Number> - <Title> type

    {series_index:0>2s|| - }{title}

  • To modify the book's title to <First Letter of Each word in Series> - <Number> - <Title> type

    {series:re(([^\s])[^\s]+(\s|$),\1)}{series_index:0>2s| - | - }{title}

• Finally in Destination Field select title

Once all that is done, take a DEEP breath and hit the Save Plugboard button and then the Apply checkmark at the top of the screen.

You will find a lot more discussion of these over in the calibre Library Management forum with more examples in this thread.