Firmware Update AKC! - Automatic Kindle Collection Generator

[thermopyle]

Hey, first post here, just wanted to share a program I wrote for my Kindle 3 with you guys because this place was a great information resource for while I was writing the thing.

AKC! is a console-based application written in C# that generates collections on your Kindle based on your Kindle's directory structure. Running it is as simple as putting it in the root directory of your Kindle, double-clicking on it, and then you're done. No user-input required, though .net 4.0 needs to be installed.

The program basically allows for emulating a "View by Folders" option on the Kindle, which sadly is not a built-in function. With that in mind, this program does nothing more than run through the directory structure of your Kindle's documents folder and adds every file to a collection based on the sub-directories it's in. For example:

x:\documents\Jim Butcher\Dresden Files\Storm Front.mobi

Storm Front is added to the collections Jim Butcher and Dresden files. As I said, it's small.

I suggest using this program with Calibre. If you do so, you can create all kinds of collections based on Calibre column values. You can, for example, add a Genre1 and Genre2 field, putting books into multiple categories such as Paranormal and Mystery, or an Read Status field, with values of Read and Unread for easy sorting of which books you've yet to go through. Simply adding the column and including it in the "Send to Disk" template, then running AKC!, will allow you to easily sort your books according to any categories you wish.

Now, as I'm sure most people are aware, there are tricks to get the kindle to display collections alphabetically (choose "Sort by Title" and have a character before the collection name, such as ( or [ to force it to the top) Here are the two I'm using, plus an extra, in from top to bottom as the Kindle will display them (with this program, you have to use symbols that can be used in folder names):

( -- These are my author collections

[ -- These are my series collections

{ -- This would follow the above two. Just FYI if anybody has a use for it.


Here is my Calibre "sending to device" template: ({author_sort}/[{series}/{title} - {authors}

If you look at it, you'll realize that if the author or series is missing, you'll end up with a folder named ( or [, respectively. The program will automatically add files in such folders to (No Collection and [No Collection, respectively. This acts as a catch-all for those books that do not belong in any other collection. For me, standalone books will end up in [No Collection, as a grouping of books that are not in a series. Same with books without a defined author; they'll appear in (No Collection. You can use whatever template you wish, and the program will use those symbols interchangeably with your template.

So, to use the program:

Download the program here.
Backup your collections.json file from your your /system/ folder(this program currently does not do so).
Put CollectionGenerator in the root directory of your Kindle.
Double-click on CollectionGenerator.
Reboot your Kindle, and your collections will be there. ^_^

Note: I do not have any DRM books, so I do not know if this will work for them. Let me know if it does, please. If not, I'll try to fix it.

Version information: Current version is .62

.6 - Initial Version
.61 - ( now creates a (No Collection collection, similar to [ created [No Series originally. [ now gives the more generic [No Collection to fit other directory templates.
.62 - Fixed a bug that caused partial matches to be dumped together. For example, books in a directory named Dr. Who Adventures would be added instead to the Dr. Who collection, if both are present.

Planned:

.7 - Will add the ability to leave user-defined collections intact. Users can create their own collections with a leading ~, which the program would leave alone when generating the directory-based collections.

[daffy4u]

Awe-SOME! Thanks!

[tmb20x]

I wonder if your program makes a new .json file?
Thank for your sharing

[thermopyle]

Originally Posted by tmb20x

I wonder if your program makes a new .json file?
Thank for your sharing

It makes a new collections.json file in the /system folder. Be sure to back up your existing copy first, or rename it, if you want to be able to switch back to it after trying the program out or if you prefer your previous collections file. It will overwrite whatever is already present.

[thermopyle]

I'm showing a number of downloads for the program, and plenty of views of the thread, but no real feedback so far.

For the people that are viewing but not downloading, why aren't you downloading? Are you already using another collection program and not interested in trying a different one, or does this one not fit what you're looking for (if so, why not?)

For those who have downloaded it...how did it work for you? Any issues? Recommendations?

Feedback is definitely appreciated.

[tmb20x]

Originally Posted by thermopyle

I'm showing a number of downloads for the program, and plenty of views of the thread, but no real feedback so far.

For the people that are viewing but not downloading, why aren't you downloading? Are you already using another collection program and not interested in trying a different one, or does this one not fit what you're looking for (if so, why not?)

For those who have downloaded it...how did it work for you? Any issues? Recommendations?

Feedback is definitely appreciated.

I'm using KindleCollectionManager_v0.4.1 and I feel good. The only thing that your program is better than KindleCollectionManager_v0.4.1 is that your program is small. I think the most people are interested in is the ability of making sub-collection (collections in collection)

[Scott Nielsen]

Originally Posted by thermopyle

For the people that are viewing but not downloading, why aren't you downloading? Are you already using another collection program and not interested in trying a different one, or does this one not fit what you're looking for (if so, why not?)

Not quite what I'm looking for. I'm still hoping that one of you clever folks will eventually come up with solution that allow the Calibre tags - which I maintain meticulously - to create collections on the Kindle.

[thermopyle]

Originally Posted by Scott Nielsen

Not quite what I'm looking for. I'm still hoping that one of you clever folks will eventually come up with solution that allow the Calibre tags - which I maintain meticulously - to create collections on the Kindle.

You can use this program for that. Simply have your "Send to Disk" format include the Calibre tag column you wish to use as part of the file path output, then after the file is sent to the Calibre, run my program.

For example, set your Calibre save to disk template like this:

#Custom_Field/{title} - {authors}

This would put your files on the Kindle at this path:

x:/documents/Custom_Field/Storm Front - Jim Butcher.mobi (an example).

Then when you run my program, whatever tag value you have in Custom_Field will be used to create the collection, and any books with that particular tag value will be added to it.

At least, this should work. I haven't done it myself (I don't use any tags other than author, title, and series), but as long as you have Calibre output the file with the tag as the path, my program can use the directories it creates accordingly.

[Baldrake]

That's very cool.

[Scott Nielsen]

Originally Posted by thermopyle

Then when you run my program, whatever tag value you have in Custom_Field will be used to create the collection, and any books with that particular tag value will be added to it.

At least, this should work. I haven't done it myself (I don't use any tags other than author, title, and series), but as long as you have Calibre output the file with the tag as the path, my program can use the directories it creates accordingly.

Ah, interesting. If a tag creates a directory structure, does that mean if a book have, say, three tags assigned to it there will be three separate copies created on the Kindle?

[thermopyle]

Originally Posted by Scott Nielsen

Ah, interesting. If a tag creates a directory structure, does that mean if a book have, say, three tags assigned to it there will be three separate copies created on the Kindle?

No, the only thing the program does is add a book to a collection based on each subdirectory it's in. For example, if your book is sent from Calibre to this user-defined location:

x:/documents/Custom_Field_value/Author/Series/book.mobi

book.mobi will be added to the Custom_Field_value (Read/unread, etc., whatever you output), Author, and Series collections.

[dujik]

I tried it and its not working but probably because i`m not doing it right so let me ask you this;
Will your program work if i dont use calibre in any way and i named files as i want.
So for example i put two random books in the same folder x:/documents/ebook/
How do i achieve to collection "ebook" appear on my DX with two books under it
Is the file name crucial?
Please just dont mention Calibre in your answer, thanks.

[thermopyle]

Originally Posted by dujik

I tried it and its not working but probably because i`m not doing it right so let me ask you this;
Will your program work if i dont use calibre in any way and i named files as i want.
So for example i put two random books in the same folder x:/documents/ebook/
How do i achieve to collection "ebook" appear on my DX with two books under it
Is the file name crucial?
Please just dont mention Calibre in your answer, thanks.

The program does not require Calibre at all, it simply builds off the directory structure you've created on your Kindle (Calibre just makes those directories if you use it.) You can create any directories you want and the program won't know the difference between that and Calibre-generated folders.

Having said that, where are you running the program from? I just want to make sure you have it in the correct location, which is the root directory of your Kindle. Just put it on the Kindle and run it from there (it uses relative pathing and so needs that as its starting location.)

If that doesn't work, is you collections.json file in the system folder? If not, where is it? Does the program crash or give you an error? Does AKC simply not make changes to your collections, with your previous collections staying as they were, or does it wipe those out and leave you with none?

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by thermopyle

The program does not require Calibre at all, it simply builds off the directory structure you've created on your Kindle (Calibre just makes those directories if you use it.) You can create any directories you want and the program won't know the difference between that and Calibre-generated folders.

So, it seems that if you have one book that would fall into more than one collection (tag, category...), you would have to have more than one copy of the book on the Kindle (which a couple of people were asking).

If I want a book in the "mystery" and also "paranormal" collections, I'd have to have a copy of the book in each folder? And after the book has been read I'd have to add another copy to the "books I've read" collections? Am I understanding this correctly?

[reech]

Smart, this works very well for me. However, there's still no damnable 'putting your series in the right order' feature in the Kindle! At least with 3G I can always look up