How can I remove Published Date from metadata using ebook-meta

[Pixelastic]

Hi,

I'm trying to remove the metadata "Published Date" from the metadata of an epub file using `ebook-meta`.

I can change the value just fine, but do not find the way to completly remove it. If I pass a value of 0 or -1 it just convert it to a date, and any non-numeric string throws an error.

Here is what I tried so far :

ebook-meta input.epub --date='0'
ebook-meta input.epub --date='-1'
ebook-meta input.epub --date='-'
ebook-meta input.epub -d '0'

What is the correct way to remove this data ? With any string-based metadata I simply pass an empty string when I want to clear it, but an empty string as a different effect on a date.

[kovidgoyal]

You cannot. Set the date to 1-1-101 and calibre will treat it as unknown.

[Pixelastic]

Thanks. Might be worth adding it to the `ebook-meta --help`.

[Pixelastic]

Oh, actually I posted without trying it first, and it does not seem to work.

$ ebook-meta input.epub --date=1-1-101
Original metadata::
	Title               : Le Bûcher d'un Roi
	Title sort          : Le Trône de Fer 13 - Le Bûcher d'un Roi
	Author(s)           : Georges R.R. MARTIN [MARTIN, Georges R.R.]
	Series              : Le Trône de Fer #13
	Languages           : fra
	Published           : 0100-12-31T12:00:00+00:00

Changed metadata::
	Title               : Le Bûcher d'un Roi
	Title sort          : Le Trône de Fer 13 - Le Bûcher d'un Roi
	Author(s)           : Georges R.R. MARTIN [MARTIN, Georges R.R.]
	Series              : Le Trône de Fer #13
	Languages           : fra
	Published           : 0100-12-31T12:00:00+00:00

Or maybe `ebook-meta` does not treat 1-1-101 as Unknown in read mode ?

[kovidgoyal]

The calibre GUI will treat it as unknown, not ebook-meta

[Pixelastic]

Ok thanks, this will do for now. Any plan for adding the ability to remove metadata (opposed to changing it) in the future ?

Also, I'd like to mention that I appreciate the quick answers from the creator of the tools himself!

[kovidgoyal]

No plans.