New "Mark Read" feature: question about how it should work

[chaley]

I am most of the way through implementing the ability to mark books as "Read" in CC and have that info sync'ed with calibre. Before I go further, I want to do a sanity test to check that what I am doing makes sense.

The first half of the feature, marking books Read in CC, is done in book details. There is a drop-down box on the first line of metadata with the label "Read" where you can select "Yes", "No", or empty. Of course, you choose what these values mean, but my thought is that "Yes" means I have read it, "No" means that I haven't read it but want to real-soon-now, and empty means I haven't decided. There is a new built-in group in the grouping drawer called "Marked Read" that has the same three choices, permitting you to browse any one of the three categories. Like other categories they work with long-press, giving you the equivalent of virtual libraries.


The second half of the feature, syncing with calibre, will work as follows:

1) There will be an option in Settings to tell CC the lookup name of a Yes/No custom column that CC is to sync with. There is another option to tell CC the lookup name of a date-type custom column that is to receive CC's date read value.

2) There is no problem with not specifying a calibre column with which to sync. If you don't then the info is only in CC.

3) Values are synced when you connect as a wireless device. The rules are (in order):

• If you have changed the value in CC, the calibre column is set to CC's value.
• If you have changed the value in calibre, CC will get that value.
• The calibre date column will always be set to CC's value.

4) Syncing the first time after telling CC which calibre columns to use is special. In this case, the rule used one-time-only is (the value from CC will be copied to the calibre column if it is Yes or No, otherwise the value in the calibre column will be copied to CC).


Given the limits of text descriptions, does this make sense to you?

[theducks]

Charles
I only have a Date for read (blank date being an implied 'not read'). Will this condition break your plan?

[Purple Lady]

I have a custom column that is blank or contains the value of read or unread. I have the values instead of a yes or no column to make it easier to construct a column I used for my Sony sub collections and now for grouping in CC. I should be able to set my custom read column based on a new yes or no one, right?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by theducks

Charles
I only have a Date for read (blank date being an implied 'not read'). Will this condition break your plan?

It shouldn't, as long as you like the semantics. You would set up a sync column for the date info but not for the read info. When you change the 'Read' indicator in CC and then connect as a wireless device, CC's read date would be copied to the calibre column.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by chaley

It shouldn't, as long as you like the semantics. You would set up a sync column for the date info but not for the read info. When you change the 'Read' indicator in CC and then connect as a wireless device, CC's read date would be copied to the calibre column.

Perfect

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I have a custom column that is blank or contains the value of read or unread. I have the values instead of a yes or no column to make it easier to construct a column I used for my Sony sub collections and now for grouping in CC. I should be able to set my custom read column based on a new yes or no one, right?

I think so, but the devil will be in the details. Probably it will be sufficient to change the template for the composite column (the constructed one) to use "Yes" and "No" instead of "read" or "unread".

I have a similar problem. My "Read" column has many possible values because I use it for priority as well as status. Once all this works I will split the two apart, using the current column to control what I transfer to the device and the yes/no column to keep track of what I have read. I probably won't use the "No" value, and will use bulk edit to copy my existing "read" indicator to the yes/no column as "Yes".

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by chaley

I think so, but the devil will be in the details. Probably it will be sufficient to change the template for the composite column (the constructed one) to use "Yes" and "No" instead of "read" or "unread".

I have a similar problem. My "Read" column has many possible values because I use it for priority as well as status. Once all this works I will split the two apart, using the current column to control what I transfer to the device and the yes/no column to keep track of what I have read. I probably won't use the "No" value, and will use bulk edit to copy my existing "read" indicator to the yes/no column as "Yes".

Read and unread is in the name of my grouping which is why I had those values. My groupings are Genre unread Fantasy, Genre read Fantasy, etc.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Read and unread is in the name of my grouping which is why I had those values. My groupings are Genre unread Fantasy, Genre read Fantasy, etc.

You can probably use the template in your composite column:

{#mybool:switch(yes,read,no,unread,)}

instead of this one that you are probably using now:

{#read}

[kaufman]

This looks fine to me, but rather then creating a new column and grouping, wouldn't it be easier to just add the tags "Read" and "Reading" if the user told you to from the book details screen. You could even allow users to createn a list of tags they wanted to add in CC settings and then just select the proper one from a drop down. The nice thing about doing it this way is that it would handle purple lady's way of marking, it wouldnt require you to add a new grouping which you might have to hide for people not using it, it would be easy to make updates in calibre as well and if wouldn't force users to create new columns.

Just a thought.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by kaufman

This looks fine to me, but rather then creating a new column and grouping, wouldn't it be easier to just add the tags "Read" and "Reading" if the user told you to from the book details screen. You could even allow users to createn a list of tags they wanted to add in CC settings and then just select the proper one from a drop down. The nice thing about doing it this way is that it would handle purple lady's way of marking, it wouldnt require you to add a new grouping which you might have to hide for people not using it, it would be easy to make updates in calibre as well and if wouldn't force users to create new columns.

Just a thought.

I wouldn't want a tag, I need it to be a different column because of how I build other columns. I would probably just continue how I do things now if it was a tag, so if that's what others want it's fine with me.

[kaufman]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I wouldn't want a tag, I need it to be a different column because of how I build other columns. I would probably just continue how I do things now if it was a tag, so if that's what others want it's fine with me.

No problem, its was just an idea. I'm not invested in it that much. I just thought it might be easier for everyone.

By the way, you can do a lot with Calibre and custom columns using tags. I used to use separate columns for a lot of things because I didn't know how to do it with a tag. Some helpful person on Mobileread showed me how to do it with a small program block. If you are interested, take a look at:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=2761871

[theducks]

Just an idea: Invert your thinking. Call the column Finished

(blank) = not started
No = still reading
Yes = done

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by kaufman

No problem, its was just an idea. I'm not invested in it that much. I just thought it might be easier for everyone.

By the way, you can do a lot with Calibre and custom columns using tags. I used to use separate columns for a lot of things because I didn't know how to do it with a tag. Some helpful person on Mobileread showed me how to do it with a small program block. If you are interested, take a look at:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=2761871

Of course, it does take longer to get a program block set up, but it's a good way to do complex things with general metadata. I think though, in this case, custom columns are a better fit.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Of course, it does take longer to get a program block set up, but it's a good way to do complex things with general metadata. I think though, in this case, custom columns are a better fit.

chaley I am your target market as I have a yes/no column titled #read now. So what you propose will work for me. I also like the idea of a date column.

[jackie_w]

The plan sounds OK to me. I have the same setup as Walt. I don't currently log a date_finished in calibre.

I suspect I'm not the real target market for this one as I currently delete books from all readers as soon as they're finished. I'll need to think about whether it's worth me leaving them on there long enough for CC to autosync to the calibre 'yes/no' column.

As I cant resist a new feature, I'll try it and see how it goes