Functions of the "save to disk" feature?

[varaonaid]

Hello,

I've been working on getting to know Calibre a bit better and found the very interesting feature that allows one to save books to disk in their choice of format and layout. This struck me as an important feature yet I meant sure of how one might use it. Is it a typical way of backing up the library? I thought that was done by copying the Calibre Library folder.

Could anyone please share some ways that one might use this? If I should be using it to back up or something, please let me know. Thanks so much!

EDIT: In thinking about this, is it possible to use a template, as described in the help section, to specify the filenames of the ebooks during export. Then exporting these named ebook files to a sensible folder hierarchy. Once that's completed, using the add books feature to add these files again to a new library (having either started a new one or backed up and deleted the contents of the old). The help section said of the save to disk feature "Saved books can be re-imported to the library without any loss of information by using the Add books action." I had read that in theory, Calibre can rename your actual files but I've not yet come across how to do that and this seemed like a good possibility. Is this correct or am I crazy? (Or both.)

[JSWolf]

First thing you need to do is go to Preferences > Saving books to disk and deselect all the check boxes except Show files in browser after saving to disk and Convert non-English characters to English Equivalents.

If you do not do this, you get your eBooks modified every time you save them to disk and that's not a good thing to happen.

[dwig]

Originally Posted by varaonaid

...In thinking about this, is it possible to use a template, as described in the help section, to specify the filenames of the ebooks during export. Then exporting these named ebook files to a sensible folder hierarchy. Once that's completed, using the add books feature to add these files again to a new library...

You can manage how calibre names the files exported with "Save to disk..." by creating an appropriate "Plugboard" in preferences.

That said, there is no point in doing this and in creating a "sensible folder hierarchy" if all you are going to do is reimport the books into another calibre library as calibre will place the imported copies where it want them in folders named the way it wants and with filenames is wants. You "exported" filenames and folder structure will not be used by calibre.

[theducks]

Just to clear things
Plugboards modifies standard Metadata fields inside the book

Templates in Save to Disk, Save to Folder and Save to Device all adjust the file name/path

The Template Language is use for both

[dwig]

Originally Posted by theducks

Just to clear things
Plugboards modifies standard Metadata fields inside the book

Templates in Save to Disk, Save to Folder and Save to Device all adjust the file name/path

The Template Language is use for both

Correct, my error (brain fart?) for posting before I had enough coffee.

[Krazykiwi]

As for actual uses, I use this primarily to drop books onto Google Drive to pick up on other devices, without having to worry about finding whatever cable goes with whatever device, and hoping the cat hasn't bitten a hole in it.

I also have a folder there shared with my kids, where I drop books off for them.

At work I use this to create arbitrary collections of texts in discrete folders for analysis purposes.

In all these cases, I'm not creating folder structures at all, just dropping book files (sans covers and opf's) directly into a folder. I also run the server for when I am on a device and thinking "I need something new to read". I just find I'm often messing about in Calibre and think "Ooh, I want to read that one next." I could as well use a folder as a device at home, but this way suits me fine - I like that Calibre offers multiple ways to do things, and I can pick what suits me best.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by varaonaid

... is it possible to use a template, as described in the help section, to specify the filenames of the ebooks during export. Then exporting these named ebook files to a sensible folder hierarchy.

I use an e-book reader that supports hierarchic directories.
So I have Calibre create elaborate system of hierarchic directories and subdirectories and book names based on Metadata.
This way I can navigate large number of books that I tend to keep on my reader.

There is another interesting feature - Create catalog function in Calibre.

I select large number of books in Calibre, create catalog from them and then export them to directory structure.
Catalog is a nice book that lists all authors, series, book titles, covers, blurbs - all nicely hyperlinked,

[theducks]

You mean, like:

Series_Books/{series}/{series_index}-{title}

Green is a literal
Orange is a folder (slash is the folder marker)
Black is the composite of fields and the Literal '-'

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Krazykiwi

I like that Calibre offers multiple ways to do things, and I can pick what suits me best.

The OP mentioned using Save to Disk as a backup, I suppose you could but...

The only purpose of doing backups is to provide the mean to do a restore, in full or in part. And IMO the best way to do that is to keep an exact copy of the folders and files on another device - local and/or remote.

By doing that you'll have a backup library that calibre can utilise directly in the event of a disaster, big or small. Otherwise you will have to step through some half-remembered and rarely-used process when you're in a state of mind where you probably can't even remember what you had for breakfast

The easiest way to achieve this is to use a tool that synchronises folders by only copying what changed since last backup. I use one called GoodSynch, others I've seen mentioned wrt to calibre include Time Machine, SyncToy, rsync, and Free File Synch.

You want something that maintains a true copy of your data - not something bundles your data into a 'package' that only it can read. Or one that scatters confetti-like hidden system files where ever it pleases. Nor one that changes folder and file names according to the whim of some geek on some far away planet.

If you have a true backup on another device, I suggest it be removable, then in the event of a hardware failure you can just point calibre at the library on the backup drive and use it.

And if you do something that screws up a book or a few books, you can remove the book(s) from your 'real library' and use calibre's Copy to library feature to copy the book(s) from the 'backup library' to the 'real library'.

I back up daily via a GoodSync task scheduled to run at shut down. It only takes a few minutes. I also do weekly backups to an FTP service, again using GoodSync. My backups include calibre's configuration folder, and similar folders from other applications - such as GoodSynch.

BR