PRS-T1 Is it possible to import highlights with Calibre?

diddy · 01-15-2012, 04:36 PM

Hi,
I am thinking about starting using Calibre to manage my T1. Does Calibre support importing annotations (highlights, notes) from the T1?
Thanks,
Diddy

vxf · 01-15-2012, 08:42 PM

To my knowledge, not. That has led me to NOT use calibre and stick with SONY's software - despite all its flaws.

JSWolf · 01-15-2012, 08:55 PM

Actually, the correct term is export. You are exporting the highlights from the T1.

diddy · 01-16-2012, 06:56 AM

Thanks for the answers! Yes, export - thanks for clarifying.

geoffwood · 01-16-2012, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Actually, the correct term is export. You are exporting the highlights from the T1.

Good lord, how pedantic, the intent of the original question was perfectly clear. Surely if you are "Importing into Calibre" that is the functional equivalent of Exporting from the T1.

slieveen · 01-16-2012, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geoffwood

Good lord, how pedantic, the intent of the original question was perfectly clear. Surely if you are "Importing into Calibre" that is the functional equivalent of Exporting from the T1.

In fairness, I read the title and also first understood the question to refer to a transfer to the device and not from. So it wasn't "perfectly clear".

vxf · 01-16-2012, 06:09 PM

Doesn't make a difference. Either way, you can't do it.

JSWolf · 01-16-2012, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slieveen

In fairness, I read the title and also first understood the question to refer to a transfer to the device and not from. So it wasn't "perfectly clear".

I read it the same way the first time I read the thread title. That's why I clarified it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vxf

Doesn't make a difference. Either way, you can't do it.

Well stated. Thanks.

Bookworm_Girl · 01-17-2012, 01:47 AM

Annotations is one reason why I was hesitant to switch to calibre. However, I decided the other benefits out-weighed it. Here is what I plan to do. I am going to manage my library with calibre. The Sony software has a feature that allows you to transfer books from the T1 to Reader for Mac/PC. You select the book and then click on the button called "Copy to My Library". I just tried it, and my notes were copied along with the book. So at least I can still export notes through the Sony software as needed.

You may not be aware that the Sony software has a limitation on the number of characters per highlight that can be exported to the RTF file. It is best to highlight in small consecutive segments. The maximum is 100 characters per each highlight in a DRM'ed book. It is ~200 characters for a non-DRM'ed book. The limit on the non-DRM'ed book is really small. In the old Sony software it was 2000 characters!

diddy · 01-17-2012, 03:33 AM

Thanks. So you keep all your books which have annotations always on the T1 unless you copy it to the Reader library? Is this correct?
Thanks for pointing out the limitations as well ... I wasn't aware of this.

Bookworm_Girl · 01-17-2012, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diddy

Thanks. So you keep all your books which have annotations always on the T1 unless you copy it to the Reader library? Is this correct?
Thanks for pointing out the limitations as well ... I wasn't aware of this.

I think that's the only option. However, I am one of those people who like to keep all of my books on my ereader. Why not if I can?

When I am done reading the book, then I typically export the notes to an RTF document. Because of the character limitation I usually spend time expanding the notes in a text editor (sort of defeats the point!). Then I delete the notes from my ereader. On the old Sony models sometimes the ereader could slow-down if you had too many notes (like over 100). So far nobody is complaining about the T1 in this regard. For books that I want to keep the notes permanently (which is really just a handful), then I think I'll keep copies of them in the Reader for Mac library. It was easier with the older models to also copy the annotations from the ereader and make backups such that you could easily restore notes to a "fresh/blank" ebook file if you needed to. That data seems to be built into the database files on the T1.

diddy · 01-18-2012, 03:22 AM

It seems like all the highlights of all books are stored in books.db. This wouldn't be a big problem if Sony had decided to only store the start and end position of one highlight. But actually the text itself gets stored in this file. So if you make really a lot of highlights, this one books.db file can get really big which might slow down the ereader.

Bookworm_Girl · 01-18-2012, 11:16 PM

I don't have any experience with SQLite databases. I imagine that if you had the right software to open the database file (and knew what you were doing) that you could read the records and export the notes.

diddy · 01-19-2012, 06:01 AM

Yes, this should be doable. If I find some time one day I might look into this.

BooksBooks · 01-20-2012, 11:59 AM

SQLLiteSpy works great:
connect the ereader
open SQLLiteSpy
file - open
choose reader - sony_reader - database - books.db
doubleclick on the annotations table
select the records you want.
And copy/paste them to excel...

(Far more reliable than the sony software: I never got anything out of that.)

01-15-2012, 04:36 PM	#1
diddy Connoisseur Posts: 93 Karma: 12 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Sony PRS-650	Is it possible to import highlights with Calibre? Hi, I am thinking about starting using Calibre to manage my T1. Does Calibre support importing annotations (highlights, notes) from the T1? Thanks, Diddy

01-20-2012, 11:59 AM	#15
BooksBooks Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 17960 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Sony PRS-T1	SQLLiteSpy works great SQLLiteSpy works great: connect the ereader open SQLLiteSpy file - open choose reader - sony_reader - database - books.db doubleclick on the annotations table select the records you want. And copy/paste them to excel... (Far more reliable than the sony software: I never got anything out of that.) Last edited by BooksBooks; 01-20-2012 at 12:07 PM.

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01-15-2012, 08:42 PM	#2
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	To my knowledge, not. That has led me to NOT use calibre and stick with SONY's software - despite all its flaws.

01-15-2012, 08:55 PM	#3
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,727 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Actually, the correct term is export. You are exporting the highlights from the T1.

01-16-2012, 06:56 AM	#4
diddy Connoisseur Posts: 93 Karma: 12 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Sony PRS-650	Thanks for the answers! Yes, export - thanks for clarifying.

01-16-2012, 06:09 PM	#7
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	Doesn't make a difference. Either way, you can't do it.

01-17-2012, 01:47 AM	#9
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Annotations is one reason why I was hesitant to switch to calibre. However, I decided the other benefits out-weighed it. Here is what I plan to do. I am going to manage my library with calibre. The Sony software has a feature that allows you to transfer books from the T1 to Reader for Mac/PC. You select the book and then click on the button called "Copy to My Library". I just tried it, and my notes were copied along with the book. So at least I can still export notes through the Sony software as needed. You may not be aware that the Sony software has a limitation on the number of characters per highlight that can be exported to the RTF file. It is best to highlight in small consecutive segments. The maximum is 100 characters per each highlight in a DRM'ed book. It is ~200 characters for a non-DRM'ed book. The limit on the non-DRM'ed book is really small. In the old Sony software it was 2000 characters!

01-17-2012, 03:33 AM	#10
diddy Connoisseur Posts: 93 Karma: 12 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Sony PRS-650	Thanks. So you keep all your books which have annotations always on the T1 unless you copy it to the Reader library? Is this correct? Thanks for pointing out the limitations as well ... I wasn't aware of this.

01-18-2012, 03:22 AM	#12
diddy Connoisseur Posts: 93 Karma: 12 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Sony PRS-650	It seems like all the highlights of all books are stored in books.db. This wouldn't be a big problem if Sony had decided to only store the start and end position of one highlight. But actually the text itself gets stored in this file. So if you make really a lot of highlights, this one books.db file can get really big which might slow down the ereader.

01-18-2012, 11:16 PM	#13
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	I don't have any experience with SQLite databases. I imagine that if you had the right software to open the database file (and knew what you were doing) that you could read the records and export the notes.

01-19-2012, 06:01 AM	#14
diddy Connoisseur Posts: 93 Karma: 12 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Sony PRS-650	Yes, this should be doable. If I find some time one day I might look into this.

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