Adding Two or more Search expressions into one - how?

Chris_Snow · 01-09-2014, 07:07 PM

Greetings,

I have a couple of virtual libraries setup to return a certain set of books. They are pretty basic using two custom columns

1 = Reading List (SE = #yesno:yes)
2 = Ready2Read (SE = #r2ryesno:yes)

There is also a column

3 = Read (SE = #yesnoread:yes)

They are all columns that show a tick, a red circle x, or a blank space as an option.

Now what I'd like to achieve is to alter the above so that when I use the "Ready2Read" virtual library, it will still use the current expression (#r2ryesno:yes), but also Reading List = No and Read = No.

I've tried all sorts of things, but I can't get it to work. These expression things are tough for an old-boy like me

Much appreciated.

(This is by far the hardest part of calibre of me)

eschwartz · 01-09-2014, 07:49 PM

#r2ryesno:yes and #yesno:no and #yesnoread:no

A cool thing you might not be aware of is the ability to search using the tag browser (click once, and it matches the field, click twice and it matches everything BUT the tag) and chain your searches!!!

If you hold down Ctrl while you select elements in the tag browser, the search will be constructed to match all elements.

There is a button on the bottom, "Alter Tag Browser". It will let you switch between "Search type when selecting multiple items" - "match any of the items" and "match all of the items"

eschwartz · 01-09-2014, 07:52 PM

All you really need to do is use the word "and" to require both searches. The search box uses boolean operators.

BetterRed · 01-09-2014, 08:02 PM

(#r2ryesno:"true") and (#yesno:"false") and (#yesnoread:"false")

IMO the parentheses make it easier to read

From another old boy - you'll probably find it a lot easier to if you change the name of those variables to in_reading_list, ready_to_read and have_read

BetterRed · 01-09-2014, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

#r2ryesno:yes and #yesno:no and #yesnoread:no

A cool thing you might not be aware of is the ability to search using the tag browser (click once, and it matches the field, click twice and it matches everything BUT the tag) and chain your searches!!!

If you hold down Ctrl while you select elements in the tag browser, the search will be constructed to match all elements.

There is a button on the bottom, "Alter Tag Browser". It will let you switch between "Search type when selecting multiple items" - "match any of the items" and "match all of the items"

Fairly certain Yes/No columns don't show in tag bruiser

eschwartz · 01-09-2014, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Fairly certain Yes/No columns don't show in tag bruiser

Didn't know, don't use them.

Chris_Snow · 01-09-2014, 09:16 PM

Hey Guys...I thought this was an English forum

Not sure what language you're speaking

Thx for the help. I'll try some of these suggestions and see how I go. I have fairly basic needs as far as calibre goes, but with each little thing I learn, I realise it can do so much more. Knowing what to do with it all is also something I have to think about. I don't use the tag browser, but maybe I need to give it another look?

Off to try the formulas. Once I see how the expressions are grouped and used, I can usually suss things myself. Thx.

Edit: One more thing...what do you use to call the blank space? (They are all columns that show a tick, a red circle x, or a blank space as an option.)

eschwartz · 01-09-2014, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_Snow

Hey Guys...I thought this was an English forum

Not sure what language you're speaking

Thx for the help. I'll try some of these suggestions and see how I go. I have fairly basic needs as far as calibre goes, but with each little thing I learn, I realise it can do so much more. Knowing what to do with it all is also something I have to think about. I don't use the tag browser, but maybe I need to give it another look?

Off to try the formulas. Once I see how the expressions are grouped and used, I can usually suss things myself. Thx.

That's why I give code, explanations and links, all in one. And its not eek, its geek!

davidfor · 01-09-2014, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

(#r2ryesno:"true") and (#yesno:"false") and (#yesnoread:"false")

"true" and "false" are not the same as "yes" and "no". Or at least they aren't when using three values, which the OP is. "true" means the value has been set and "false" the value hasn't. So:

Code:

#r2ryesno:true

is actually the same as

Code:

#r2ryesno:no or #r2ryesno:yes

Quote:

IMO the parentheses make it easier to read

I agree but not with how you have used them

I would write it as:

Code:

#r2ryesno:yes and (#yesno:no and #yesnoread:no)

To me, that makes it clearer what the purpose of the search is. But, reading between the lines of the OP question, I would probably code this as:

Code:

#r2ryesno:yes and not (#yesno:yes or #yesnoread:yes)

And as an example of find those with blank, the following should show all the books that not been set to yes or no for any of the lists:

Code:

#r2ryesno:false and #yesno:false and #yesnoread:false

Quote:

From another old boy - you'll probably find it a lot easier to if you change the name of those variables to in_reading_list, ready_to_read and have_read

I'm definitely with you one this. Clear names make this sort of thing so much easier.

theducks · 01-09-2014, 10:29 PM

it is: true
not "true"

The former is a logical
the later is a string (word)

Chris_Snow · 01-09-2014, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

That's why I give code, explanations and links, all in one. And its not eek, its geek!

davidfor · 01-09-2014, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

it is: true
not "true"

The former is a logical
the later is a string (word)

Actually, they both work but the no quotes version is more correct so I have fixed my post.

Chris_Snow · 01-09-2014, 10:51 PM

Okay...I used this first

Code:

#r2ryesno:"true" and #yesnoread:"false" and #yesno:"true"

and it seems to return what I wanted. That is...the book is ready to read...I haven't read it...and yes, it's on my reading list. Great!

But with the expressions that were stated later in the thread I found they didn't work - eg

Code:

#r2ryesno:yes and #yesnoread:no and #yesno:yes

In fact, I haven't been able to get any of them to work using yes or no expressions.

Quote:

...you'll probably find it a lot easier to if you change the name of those variables to in_reading_list, ready_to_read and have_read

Can someone explain how (or where?? ) I use these variables. You're right, they are easier to understand.

I've realised my original problem was that I wasn't using the "and" part of the expression, but I'd like to get this yes/no working if I can.

And...is NOT the expression for the blank space?

eschwartz · 01-09-2014, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_Snow

Can someone explain how (or where?? ) I use these variables. You're right, they are easier to understand.

rename the custom columns

davidfor · 01-09-2014, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_Snow

Okay...I used this first

Code:

#r2ryesno:"true" and #yesnoread:"false" and #yesno:"true"

and it seems to return what I wanted. That is...the book is ready to read...I haven't read it...and yes, it's on my reading list. Great!

But with the expressions that were stated later in the thread I found they didn't work - eg

Code:

#r2ryesno:yes and #yesnoread:no and #yesno:yes

In fact, I haven't been able to get any of them to work using yes or no expressions.

In what way didn't it work? Did you see an error or didn't it show the books you expected? If the latter, are you sure there are books that match the condition? For this sort of thing, I usually build up the query one step at a time. That way I can check from a previous query if there are results that should be on the next.

So, I would start with "#r2ryesno:yes". Then change to "#r2ryesno:yes and #yesnoread:no" before going to the final query. If that didn't seem to work, I would try "#r2ryesno:yes and #yesno:yes" and look through the list for what should have matched the full query.

Quote:

And...is NOT the expression for the blank space?

From memory, the only way to get the blank is with the "false" comparison. So, "#r2ryesno:false". Or, for the books that have not been assigned to any of the lists:

Code:

#r2ryesno:false and #yesnoread:false and #yesno:false

01-09-2014, 07:07 PM	#1
Chris_Snow Zealot Posts: 148 Karma: 8170 Join Date: Jul 2013 Device: kobo glo	Adding Two or more Search expressions into one - how? Greetings, I have a couple of virtual libraries setup to return a certain set of books. They are pretty basic using two custom columns 1 = Reading List (SE = #yesno:yes) 2 = Ready2Read (SE = #r2ryesno:yes) There is also a column 3 = Read (SE = #yesnoread:yes) They are all columns that show a tick, a red circle x, or a blank space as an option. Now what I'd like to achieve is to alter the above so that when I use the "Ready2Read" virtual library, it will still use the current expression (#r2ryesno:yes), but also Reading List = No and Read = No. I've tried all sorts of things, but I can't get it to work. These expression things are tough for an old-boy like me Much appreciated. (This is by far the hardest part of calibre of me)

01-09-2014, 08:02 PM	#4
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,740 Karma: 30237526 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	(#r2ryesno:"true") and (#yesno:"false") and (#yesnoread:"false") IMO the parentheses make it easier to read From another old boy - you'll probably find it a lot easier to if you change the name of those variables to in_reading_list, ready_to_read and have_read Last edited by BetterRed; 01-09-2014 at 08:05 PM.

01-09-2014, 09:16 PM	#7
Chris_Snow Zealot Posts: 148 Karma: 8170 Join Date: Jul 2013 Device: kobo glo	Hey Guys...I thought this was an English forum Not sure what language you're speaking Thx for the help. I'll try some of these suggestions and see how I go. I have fairly basic needs as far as calibre goes, but with each little thing I learn, I realise it can do so much more. Knowing what to do with it all is also something I have to think about. I don't use the tag browser, but maybe I need to give it another look? Off to try the formulas. Once I see how the expressions are grouped and used, I can usually suss things myself. Thx. Edit: One more thing...what do you use to call the blank space? (They are all columns that show a tick, a red circle x, or a blank space as an option.) Last edited by Chris_Snow; 01-09-2014 at 09:23 PM.

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01-09-2014, 07:49 PM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	#r2ryesno:yes and #yesno:no and #yesnoread:no A cool thing you might not be aware of is the ability to search using the tag browser (click once, and it matches the field, click twice and it matches everything BUT the tag) and chain your searches!!! If you hold down Ctrl while you select elements in the tag browser, the search will be constructed to match all elements. There is a button on the bottom, "Alter Tag Browser". It will let you switch between "Search type when selecting multiple items" - "match any of the items" and "match all of the items"

01-09-2014, 07:52 PM	#3
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	All you really need to do is use the word "and" to require both searches. The search box uses boolean operators.

01-09-2014, 10:29 PM	#10
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,072 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	it is: true not "true" The former is a logical the later is a string (word)