[GUI Plugin] Kindle Collections (old)

[meme]

Originally Posted by DamaskRose

Columns with the name of "Author - Series" if auther has a series, or "Author" if no series"

However, the explanation for this section is still listed as "to do." I know nothing about using python, although I have used other programming languages in the past.

Is this function supported in the current version of the code, or do I need to try to create my own amendment to the code? I'm worried I'm going to bork up my code irreparably if I try to do anything with it myself.

The first post in this thread has been updated to give some examples now. Been meaning to get back to that, so that's for the question

Custom columns are created in Calibre. The plugin has nothing to do with them other than to use the information in the columns just like any built-in Author or Series column. And you don't need to modify the code or know python

[etbull]

Noob here, having trouble creating my collections. I installed the latest plugin from the first post and I am on Calibre 0.7.52 (OS X). I want to sort by series and author (2 or more books), so used the format from the first post:

Set 'Series' to 'Create', set prefix to "__"
Set 'Author sort' to 'Create', set prefix to "_"

I previewed the collection first and it looked good so then I selected create collection from the Kindle manager. Then as directed I eject my kindle and restart it, but no collections are on the kindle.

I will attach my report

[meme]

A PDF for a text file

What does the plugin menu option View Collections show you? You don't need to post it, but it will tell you if it thinks it sees any collections on the Kindle.

Are you sure you restarted the Kindle as per the instructions in the first post?

Since you already have collections called Games and Reference on the Kindle according to your report - are they visible on the Kindle?

[etbull]

Thanks meme, you are wonderful and I am a dork

I wasn't restarting the kindle properly. I was thinking I had to turn it off using the switch on the bottom, rather than through the menu!

[meme]

Great to see its working for you

[dnolle]

Hello,
Just tried plugin with Calibre 0.7.52 (first version I have tried. I am gettign the follwoing error when trynig to "View Collections on Kindle"

calibre, version 0.7.52
ERROR: Unhandled exception: <b>KeyError</b>:'lastAccess'

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugins\Ki ndle Collections.zip\kindle_collections_code.py", line 1583, in view_existing_kindle_collections
File "C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugins\Ki ndle Collections.zip\kindle_collections_code.py", line 1616, in generate_existing_kindle_collections_report
File "C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugins\Ki ndle Collections.zip\kindle_collections_code.py", line 651, in get_time_sorted_names
File "C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugins\Ki ndle Collections.zip\kindle_collections_code.py", line 651, in <lambda>
KeyError: 'lastAccess'

[meme]

Originally Posted by dnolle

KeyError: 'lastAccess'

You have an invalid entry in your Kindle's collection file. If you run in debug mode you might see the last collection read before it dies and you might be able to edit the file to correct it, but you might want to wait a bit as editing the file directly could easily make it worse. I'll update the plugin to check for invalid collection entries in the file and warn you/ignore them so that they don't cause the plugin to stop.

[michalc]

Originally Posted by meme

What version of Calibre are you using? What version of the plugin?

Is the plugin installed? Go to Preferences->Plugins->User Interface Plugins. Is Kindle Collections listed?

If you go to Preferences->Customize Toolbar->The main toolbar when a device is connected, is the Kindle Collection icon on the right? (try scrolling to the bottom)

With the device connected, is your main toolbar too full to show the plugin's icon - i.e. is there a small ">>" on the far right of the toolbar indicating there are more icons do display?

- calibre version 0.7.4.9
- plugin version 1.4.3
- plugin is installed
- plugin is listed
- if i go to preferences->customize toolbar->the main toolbar when a device is connected, the KC icon is not on the right (even when scrolling to the bottom)
- with the device connected, main toolbar is not too full to show the plugin's icon

[meme]

Originally Posted by michalc

- calibre version 0.7.4.9
- plugin version 1.4.3
- plugin is installed
- plugin is listed
- if i go to preferences->customize toolbar->the main toolbar when a device is connected, the KC icon is not on the right (even when scrolling to the bottom)
- with the device connected, main toolbar is not too full to show the plugin's icon

Do you have any other plugins installed? Do their icons show up? (They may not show up on the toolbar when the device is connected though).

[hrynkiw]

Originally Posted by michalc

- if i go to preferences->customize toolbar->the main toolbar when a device is connected, the KC icon is not on the right (even when scrolling to the bottom)

Is the Kindle Collections menu item still on the LEFT? You may have to use the arrow key to move it to the right column to install it on the menu bar yourself.

(When I installed this plug-in last week, I don't think there was an actual icon in the left column. I think it just said "Kindle Collections" in text.)

[saxondawg]

I have successfully converted all my calibre tags to Kindle on-board collections. It worked well, because my tags were always the same as the Kindle collection I planned to assign them to.

My question is, whenever I now tag a book in Calibre, will it automatically send it to the matching collection when I place that book on the Kindle? First time, I don't think it did this. I did not manually assign the collection on Kindle because I was aware that Calibre will overwrite Kindle tags; I just quickly converted ALL tags to Kindle collections again. It's not too much of a hassle, but I'm assuming that is unnecessary--that the collections will be assigned automatically in Calibre as long as the tags mirror them. Right? Hope I'm being clear.

[meme]

If you make updates to your books in Calibre such as adding or modifying tags for the book, you will need to run the plugin again to update the collections on the Kindle (and restart your Kindle). You don't need to send the book to the device again if you've just updated tags, although the book must be on the Kindle for the plugin to see it.

If the Kindle worked like other ereaders and read its collection data from the metadata in the book, then you wouldn't need to do this (and you wouldn't need the plugin). But the Kindle has a separate file that stores which books are in which collections, and running Create Collections updates that file with the latest information from calibre.

[saxondawg]

Originally Posted by meme

If you make updates to your books in Calibre such as adding or modifying tags for the book, you will need to run the plugin again to update the collections on the Kindle (and restart your Kindle). You don't need to send the book to the device again if you've just updated tags, although the book must be on the Kindle for the plugin to see it.

If the Kindle worked like other ereaders and read its collection data from the metadata in the book, then you wouldn't need to do this (and you wouldn't need the plugin). But the Kindle has a separate file that stores which books are in which collections, and running Create Collections updates that file with the latest information from calibre.

Thank you, Meme. So if I'm understanding, I format a new book for Kindle in Calibre, tag it, and send it to Kindle. It will not adhere to the appropriate collection on its own--I need to update the whole Kindle worth of tags. If so, that's really not a problem, because it just takes a minute.

[meme]

Correct, you need to update the Kindle's list of collections using the plugin after you format/tag/send the book to the Kindle. Its the restart of the Kindle that takes the longest time.

[Nyssa]

Meme,

What is the proper procedure for deleting a collection?

I finished a series I was reading, so I selected them in Calibre and chose to delete them from the device, thinking that the next time I ran the collection plugin, the collection would be deleted as well. Instead, the collection remained, showed "0" books and its change message was "None (preserve Kindle-only is True)", which should not be the case.
I then went into "Edit Collections" and saw "Internal Kindle Files" where the books would normally be. So I added the books back to the Kindle, so that I wouldn't mess anything up.

What should I do in the future, should I want the collection manager to delete a collection?

Also, what happens if a collection no longer meets the chosen criteria?
I have it set up to only create collections for all Authors and/or Series with a minimum of 3 books. What will happen if I choose to remove one of the books, leaving only 2?