[GUI Plugin] Action Chains

[ownedbycats]

From smarteject_plugin.py is the option to display a prompt if the user attempts to ejected with unsynced books on a Reading List:

        if 'Reading List' in self.gui.iactions and prefs['checkreadinglistsync']:
            rl_plugin = self.gui.iactions['Reading List']
            list_names = rl_plugin.get_list_names(exclude_auto=True)
            all_list_names = rl_plugin.get_list_names(exclude_auto=False)
            auto_list_names = list(set(all_list_names) - set(list_names))
            if self.gui.device_manager.is_device_connected:
                sync_total = rl_plugin._count_books_for_connected_device()
                rl_plugin.sync_now_action.setEnabled(bool(sync_total > 0) or len(auto_list_names) > 0)
                if sync_total > 0:
                    if question_dialog(self.gui, _("Sync Reading List?"), _("There are books that need syncing according to Reading List.<p>Sync Books?"), show_copy_button=False):
                        rl_plugin.sync_now(force_sync=True)
                        return

Would it be possible to use something like this in Action Chains? For simplicity, just halt the chain and inform user if there's unsynced books.

[capink]

I am not really familiar with syncing in calibre, because the closed nature of kindle and the inability to manage collections, means it is better for me to just email one book at a time. But in principle, that code above could be adapted to a custom action or a "Run Python Code" action. For anyone interested, to halt the chain, instead of returning the function, you should call:

raise chain.UserInterrupt

[capink]

Version 1.20.0

• Update: Experimental: Run chains in jobs.

The main change here is that some chains can be run as calibre jobs. Chains containing any of the following actions cannot not run as jobs:

• Calibre Actions.
• Selection Modifier.
• Search Using Templates.
• Chain Caller.

The main reason for this is that these actions make changes to the GUI, and so they can only be run in the main thread.

Note that this feature is experimental and requires setting the following plugin tweak:

action_chains_experimental = True

[Comfy.n]

Looking good, though I get this error when trying to choose an icon image not available in the current listing:

Spoiler:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre_plugins.action_chains.gui.__init__", line 266, in image_combo_index_changed
File "calibre_plugins.action_chains.gui.__init__", line 277, in update_icon
RuntimeError: wrapped C/C++ object of type ImageComboBox has been deleted

If I choose an icon that has been used before, i. e., already listed in the chains dialog, all goes well. Also, I've noticed that a conflicting setting that I had disabled from JS+ plugin doesn't affect icon displaying anymore. I re-enabled that setting just to see if that new icon combo location had any positive effect on that. It has! However, the error I mentioned had happened before I re-enabled temporarily that setting.

I haven't tested yet the new feature to run actions as jobs.
This on Windows 10 21H1, Calibre 7.7

[ownedbycats]

What're the advantages of run as job?

[Comfy.n]

possibly useful to monitor job logs, depending on the log's verbosity level, I guess.
other than that, I too would like to know

Count TOC nodes runs well with the new option enabled:

Starting job: Run chain: Count TOC nodes
Chain ran successfully

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

What're the advantages of run as job?

Jobs run on a separate thread so the GUI isn't blocked, which is good for long running actions.

[capink]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

Looking good, though I get this error when trying to choose an icon image not available in the current listing:

You mean when you click on "Add New Image"? I am not able to replicate this. Was it only once? Can you post steps to re-produce that error?

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

Also, I've noticed that a conflicting setting that I had disabled from JS+ plugin doesn't affect icon displaying anymore. I re-enabled that setting just to see if that new icon combo location had any positive effect on that. It has! However, the error I mentioned had happened before I re-enabled temporarily that setting.

There is a change I made to how icons are displayed. I was not sure it was going to solve your issue since I don't understand what JS did to cause the problem in the first place.

[capink]

Originally Posted by chaley

Jobs run on a separate thread so the GUI isn't blocked, which is good for long running actions.

Yes. That is the only reason you would need to run a chain as a job. If your chains take only seconds to run, it does not make sense to run them as jobs.

[Comfy.n]

I'm going to post a small video, shortly

[Comfy.n]

I've tried to demonstrate two events:

- one triggers the message after cancelling the choose icon dialog
- the other happens after the icon gets chosen

And I also notice that an unselected line on the chains dialog has the 'Add New Image' selection kind of incorrectly, not sure. I'd think a more proper behaviour would be having this line displayed as blank (no icon).

I had also instances of Calibre exiting ungracefully out of the blank, after the icon is chosen in that dialog - that's why I wasn't able to generate a useful debug log.

[capink]

OK. That did not happen to me with Linux. Anyways, I will post a new version later tonight with a persistent editor. If it does not work, will put the icon combo back into the Action Dialog.

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by capink

OK. That did not happen to me with Linux. Anyways, I will post a new version later tonight with a persistent editor. If it does not work, will put the icon combo back into the Action Dialog.

well I had already disabled "for good" that conflicting setting, not missing it very much... Either way is fine!

[capink]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

well I had already disabled "for good" that conflicting setting, not missing it very much... Either way is fine!

The fix for icon displaying is separate and should work either way.

[capink]

Here is a new version. Try it out and see whether it helps with the icon problem.