What's the difference?

bluepeter · 03-15-2026, 01:24 PM

The attached screenshot is a part of the Books folder on my computer. All books in it were put there by using Calibre's Save to disk function, and therefore reflect the author name as recorded in Calibre. You'll see that there are two separate entries for Megan E. O'Keefe - and they aren't even adjacent. The second screenshot shows that they are immediately adjacent when I sort by author name in Calibre.

I can't see any difference in the names, and yet this happens. Any ideas why? And how it can be fixed?

(I don't know if it's relevant, but one book was bought from Amazon and the other from Kobo.)

Sirtel · 03-15-2026, 01:32 PM

The ' is different.

bluepeter · 03-15-2026, 01:42 PM

It is? OK, fair enough. I've no idea how you could see that. They look the same to me. But thank you very much.

Copying the author's name from one set of metadata and using it to overwrite the other has fixed it.

Sirtel · 03-15-2026, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluepeter

It is? OK, fair enough. I've no idea how you could see that. They look the same to me. But thank you very much.

I'm extremely nearsighted. If I put my nose against the computer screen, I can see the tiny difference in the shape.

bluepeter · 03-15-2026, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I'm extremely nearsighted. If I put my nose against the computer screen, I can see the tiny difference in the shape.

Whilst I'm rather longsighted - I go to the optometrist to get my arms lenthened!

Anyway, thanks for your help.

Karellen · 03-15-2026, 03:35 PM

You could always use a Diff Checker.
Here is an example... https://www.diffchecker.com/

If you have Notepad++, you can install and use the Compare plugin

theducks · 03-15-2026, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluepeter

It is? OK, fair enough. I've no idea how you could see that. They look the same to me. But thank you very much.

Copying the author's name from one set of metadata and using it to overwrite the other has fixed it.

And some of the initials end with a period (and that is not allowed in windows, thus the _ )
After verifying (not 2 authors with very similar names), I normalize Authors names. There are quite a few authors whose publishers include / skip initials on the covers. I pick the most common as my standard.(you can correct them in the Tag browser and that takes care of it in 1 go.

un_pogaz · Yesterday, 07:15 AM

Like Sirtel say, the apostrophe ' is different.
Their is two caracter used as apostrophe: straight apostrophe and curved apostrophe

Code:

' ’

It's a bit of a gamble trying to figure out whether a book's metadata will use one or the other, so it's best to normalize them.
To found authors with curved apostrophe, use this search:

Code:

authors:~’

03-15-2026, 01:24 PM	#1
bluepeter Addict Posts: 287 Karma: 1028630 Join Date: May 2024 Location: Salisbury, UK Device: Clara BW, Mini, Kindle (11G), Paperwhite (10G), Boox Poke 5	What's the difference? The attached screenshot is a part of the Books folder on my computer. All books in it were put there by using Calibre's Save to disk function, and therefore reflect the author name as recorded in Calibre. You'll see that there are two separate entries for Megan E. O'Keefe - and they aren't even adjacent. The second screenshot shows that they are immediately adjacent when I sort by author name in Calibre. I can't see any difference in the names, and yet this happens. Any ideas why? And how it can be fixed? (I don't know if it's relevant, but one book was bought from Amazon and the other from Kobo.) Attached Thumbnails

Yesterday, 07:15 AM	#8
un_pogaz Chalut o/ Posts: 665 Karma: 720026 Join Date: Dec 2017 Device: Kobo	Like Sirtel say, the apostrophe ' is different. Their is two caracter used as apostrophe: straight apostrophe and curved apostrophe Code: ' ’ It's a bit of a gamble trying to figure out whether a book's metadata will use one or the other, so it's best to normalize them. To found authors with curved apostrophe, use this search: Code: authors:~’

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03-15-2026, 01:32 PM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 14,846 Karma: 245111335 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	The ' is different.

03-15-2026, 01:42 PM	#3
bluepeter Addict Posts: 287 Karma: 1028630 Join Date: May 2024 Location: Salisbury, UK Device: Clara BW, Mini, Kindle (11G), Paperwhite (10G), Boox Poke 5	It is? OK, fair enough. I've no idea how you could see that. They look the same to me. But thank you very much. Copying the author's name from one set of metadata and using it to overwrite the other has fixed it.

03-15-2026, 03:35 PM	#6
Karellen Wizard Posts: 1,788 Karma: 9501034 Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2	You could always use a Diff Checker. Here is an example... https://www.diffchecker.com/ If you have Notepad++, you can install and use the Compare plugin