Custom Column Sort

Heyou · 10-14-2015, 12:55 PM

I store all my audiobooks in Calibre. I added a column for Narrator although I have to add the name manually because I don’t think any plugins pull that information from the file or the net.
My problem arose when I tried to add a column for the Length of the audiobook.
My preferred format is 12h23m and it works just fine in a text column except that it will not sort in order showing shortest to longest or vise versa. I had hoped that it would short in a numeric order starting with the hours, but it doesn’t. I have tried using the column as an integer instead of text and using the format of 12.23 which works for sorting.
Any ideas on how to short correctly in my preferred format?
Thanks.

eschwartz · 10-14-2015, 01:03 PM

No -- you need to use a numeric value. There are no numeric column types suitable for displaying audiobook length.

Text values with numeric digits will still be sorted as text.

theducks · 10-14-2015, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heyou

I store all my audiobooks in Calibre. I added a column for Narrator although I have to add the name manually because I don’t think any plugins pull that information from the file or the net.
My problem arose when I tried to add a column for the Length of the audiobook.
My preferred format is 12h23m and it works just fine in a text column except that it will not sort in order showing shortest to longest or vise versa. I had hoped that it would short in a numeric order starting with the hours, but it doesn’t. I have tried using the column as an integer instead of text and using the format of 12.23 which works for sorting.
Any ideas on how to short correctly in my preferred format?
Thanks.

Your problem is because it is a Text field and Text always uses Alpha Numeric sort rules

100h59m (biggest)
pad leading 0's to ALL to allow the largest number of Hours you foresee. Minutes must be 00-59 and it should sort

000h09m

Note: you should be able to use the S&R (a couple of passes in REGEX mode) to regularize your entries
NOT TESTED
^(\d)h(\d)m ;matches both with single digit from start of line
0\1h0\2m

Heyou · 10-14-2015, 01:41 PM

Thanks for the quick response.
the place holder zero's worked.
012h23m

BetterRed · 10-14-2015, 04:07 PM

@Heyou - I use a custom column called duration/Duration of Column type Date with format 'mm:ss' to do this. For me it's not worth having 'hh:mm:ss' because very few of my audio/video 'books' run for more than hour.

Addendum - I just discovered it doesn't sort as one might hope it would - I never tried before now. Can't imagine why I would want to sort on it.

BR

chaley · 10-15-2015, 03:02 AM

@BetterRed: try changing the tweak "Choose whether dates are sorted using visible fields" (ID: sort_dates_using_visible_fields).

BetterRed · 10-15-2015, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaley

@BetterRed: try changing the tweak "Choose whether dates are sorted using visible fields" (ID: sort_dates_using_visible_fields).

@chaley - dang me, works a treat - you guys think of everything - nearly

Cheers BR

10-14-2015, 12:55 PM	#1
Heyou Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: iPad	Custom Column Sort I store all my audiobooks in Calibre. I added a column for Narrator although I have to add the name manually because I don’t think any plugins pull that information from the file or the net. My problem arose when I tried to add a column for the Length of the audiobook. My preferred format is 12h23m and it works just fine in a text column except that it will not sort in order showing shortest to longest or vise versa. I had hoped that it would short in a numeric order starting with the hours, but it doesn’t. I have tried using the column as an integer instead of text and using the format of 12.23 which works for sorting. Any ideas on how to short correctly in my preferred format? Thanks.

10-14-2015, 04:07 PM	#5
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,619 Karma: 29710338 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@Heyou - I use a custom column called duration/Duration of Column type Date with format 'mm:ss' to do this. For me it's not worth having 'hh:mm:ss' because very few of my audio/video 'books' run for more than hour. Addendum - I just discovered it doesn't sort as one might hope it would - I never tried before now. Can't imagine why I would want to sort on it. BR Last edited by BetterRed; 10-14-2015 at 04:13 PM.

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10-14-2015, 01:03 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)	No -- you need to use a numeric value. There are no numeric column types suitable for displaying audiobook length. Text values with numeric digits will still be sorted as text.

10-14-2015, 01:41 PM	#4
Heyou Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: iPad	Thanks for the quick response. the place holder zero's worked. 012h23m

10-15-2015, 03:02 AM	#6
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,336 Karma: 8012652 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	@BetterRed: try changing the tweak "Choose whether dates are sorted using visible fields" (ID: sort_dates_using_visible_fields).

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