[GUI Plugin] Overdrive Link

[jhowell]

Did you use the "Check and repair book links" menu choice?

Originally Posted by nabsltd

I didn't think to do this. That's likely the problem. Perhaps you should rename the menu item to something else, since it only applies to migrating Overdrive to the new ID system.

"Check and repair book links" detects and fixes a number of problems besides migrating links when an OverDrive site is updated.

I will add a note about this to the message that tells you to change the library ID in the configuration when OverDrive switches your library to the new website layout.

[jhowell]

Version 2.1.0 - 25 Oct 2016

Allow search of the Amazon Prime Reading catalog. (Configure a lending library with provider "Amazon" and library-id "reading".)

Fix inability to determine pre-release dates at Freading due to a website change.

Fix inability to sign in to OverDrive sites using the new 2016 website design. Also improve checking current availability of books at those sites.

Faster searching for recommendable books at Cloud Library.

Change error messages to indicate that "Check and repair book links" should be used following an OverDrive library-id configuration change.

Make link migration performed by "Check and repair book links" function properly for more libraries.

Improve detection during search of books removed from library collections. (Only effective if the "Update current availability of books with new links" configuration option is selected.)

[rracoon01]

Just tried out the new Amazon Prime configuration. Configured as described (Amazon/reading) and added a book in Calibre that I got right from their list ("KODI XBMC: Watch Thousands of Movies & Tv Shows For Free On Your Pc Mac or Android Device" by Jamy Jackson) and it failed to find it. Suggestions?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by rracoon01

Just tried out the new Amazon Prime configuration. Configured as described (Amazon/reading) and added a book in Calibre that I got right from their list ("KODI XBMC: Watch Thousands of Movies & Tv Shows For Free On Your Pc Mac or Android Device" by Jamy Jackson) and it failed to find it. Suggestions?

When I go to the Prime Reading page on Amazon, click the "Browse the catalog" link and then sort by publication date I see the most recently published book there dated Sep 27, 2016.

The book you mention that the plugin isn't finding was published on October 10. So it appears that Amazon's search index is outdated. There is nothing I can do to fix that.

ETA: Can you tell me how you discovered that book to be in Prime Reading?

[rracoon01]

Thanks, I'll check back.

I had googled Amazon Prime Books and one of the links took me to Amazon with the search "prime free books". I see now that the actual book I tested does not really say anything about prime on its page. How do you recommend searching for items that might be discoverable with the plugin?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by rracoon01

I had googled Amazon Prime Books and one of the links took me to Amazon with the search "prime free books".

There is some tricky naming going on here. "Prime Reading" is a new collection of books available for free to Prime members. It is a small subset of the Kindle Unlimited catalog. But the term "Prime" is also used for books that are part of the Kindle Owners Lending Library which is available to Prime members who own Kindles and has essentially the same catalog as Kindle Unlimited.

Originally Posted by rracoon01

How do you recommend searching for items that might be discoverable with the plugin?

Go to the Prime Reading page on Amazon and click the "Browse the catalog" link, just above "New & Notable in Prime Reading". On the page that loads the search bar will have the title "Prime Reading". You can enter search terms there to find books in Prime Reading.

(ETA: The plugin can search any of these catalogs: The full Amazon store, Kindle Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited with Narration, Kindle Owners Lending Library, and Prime Reading. See the documentation in the first post of this thread for how to configure it.)

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Version 2.1.0 - 25 Oct 2016
Fix inability to sign in to OverDrive sites using the new 2016 website design.

After I installed this version, I found my library had changed branch IDs. I fixed that with the data from the logs (thanks for that), but then I got the error "Cannot perform search at LION due to sign in failure", with the following traceback:

  File "calibre_plugins.overdrive_link.jobs", line 930, in sign_in
  File "calibre_plugins.overdrive_link.overdrive", line 458, in sign_in
LibraryError: u'Sign in error: : Password is required'

I am using individual library sign-in (I don't have an Overdrive account), and I have the correct PIN in the config. The log also shows the POST info from the attempt, but I don't want to post it here, as I suspect it might contain password info. I can PM it to you if you want.

A quick extra...I just checked on the web page, and that library does not require a password at all...just the branch and library card number. I get the same error with the plugin whether I have the PIN field filled in or not.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by nabsltd

After I installed this version, I found my library had changed branch IDs. I fixed that with the data from the logs (thanks for that), but then I got the error "Cannot perform search at LION due to sign in failure"...

I did some testing and it seems to be a problem in handling sign in for libraries that do not require a PIN. I have a possible solution, but I cannot test it myself so I have attached a test version of the plugin to this post that might fix the problem. Could you please download, install, and try it? (Test complete. Attachment removed.)

Originally Posted by nabsltd

The log also shows the POST info from the attempt, but I don't want to post it here, as I suspect it might contain password info. I can PM it to you if you want.

The post data will have your card number and since you don't have a PIN with that library that is all anyone would need to sign in with your credentials. It was a good idea not to post it here and I would like to avoid knowing it myself so don't PM it to me.

Originally Posted by nabsltd

I am using individual library sign-in (I don't have an Overdrive account)...

You could create an OverDrive account, it is easy to do. (To create an account choose "Sign in with OverDrive" and then on the next page choose "Sign up, it's free!".) You would then have the choice to sign in either way.

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Could you please download, install, and try it?

The login now works works, and updating availability is fine, but it did return an error when searching for new books because the library has branches:

Get https://lion.overdrive.com/search?sortBy=relevancy&creator=donald+AND+e.+AND+westlake&mediaType=ebook&language=en 
Response: page 1 of 1. 18 total results 
Search LION for all by donald e. westlake: : Server response error (Unexpected anchor href: /lion-hamden/content/media/286) 
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "calibre_plugins.overdrive_link.jobs", line 899, in find_book_at_lib
  File "calibre_plugins.overdrive_link.overdrive", line 617, in find_books
LibraryError: u'Unexpected anchor href: /lion-hamden/content/media/286'

You could create an OverDrive account, it is easy to do.

I have avoided doing it because I'm not sure how much data Overdrive keeps internally. I know they claim not to keep borrow history, etc., but I don't want to give them any chances to get more metrics by being able to associate all my libraries with a single Overdrive account.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by nabsltd

The login now works works, and updating availability is fine, but it did return an error when searching for new books because the library has branches: ...

Getting closer. I have attached another test version that I hope will take care of this error.

(Test complete. Attachment removed.)

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Getting closer. I have attached another test version that I hope will take care of this error.

That solved it. No errors, and search for books or update of availability works fine.

Thanks for the fast turnaround.

[nabsltd]

I found a book on an Overdrive site with a wait time of "99@", which usually means that the library owns zero copies of the book, but it still shows up in the search as owned. In this case, though, it was just a book with very few copies and a lot of holds.

So, could you change the fill in of "ol_wait_weeks" from Overdrive sites so that a book that has zero copies owned shows with "XX@" instead, while any calculated wait of 99 weeks or more shows as "99@". That way, I can add filters to my searches so that I don't keep trying to borrow books that aren't really there. I still want to track those books at that library, though, as they might eventually get a copy, so that a simple "Check Availability" would show that.

Thanks.

[cc_in_oh]

Originally Posted by nabsltd

I found a book on an Overdrive site with a wait time of "99@", which usually means that the library owns zero copies of the book, but it still shows up in the search as owned. In this case, though, it was just a book with very few copies and a lot of holds.

So, could you change the fill in of "ol_wait_weeks" from Overdrive sites so that a book that has zero copies owned shows with "XX@" instead, while any calculated wait of 99 weeks or more shows as "99@". That way, I can add filters to my searches so that I don't keep trying to borrow books that aren't really there. I still want to track those books at that library, though, as they might eventually get a copy, so that a simple "Check Availability" would show that.

Thanks.

FWIW I prefer a pre-release book showing a number - e.g. at one library I'm #5 on the hold list for The Wrong Side of Goodbye, so it has 12@. That's useful info even though it's 12 weeks from whatever date the book becomes available, not 12 weeks from today, and it's based on a worst-case single copy...

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by nabsltd

That solved it. No errors, and search for books or update of availability works fine.

Thanks for your help.

Originally Posted by nabsltd

So, could you change the fill in of "ol_wait_weeks" from Overdrive sites so that a book that has zero copies owned shows with "XX@" instead, while any calculated wait of 99 weeks or more shows as "99@".

Starting with version 2.0.0 of the plugin if a library owns no copies of a book it should not show at all under wait weeks and the book should be unlinked. If the library later obtains more copies then a new search will be required to link it again. If you have any specific cases of it not working that way let me know and I will try to fix it.

Originally Posted by cc_in_oh

FWIW I prefer a pre-release book showing a number - e.g. at one library I'm #5 on the hold list for The Wrong Side of Goodbye, so it has 12@. That's useful info even though it's 12 weeks from whatever date the book becomes available, not 12 weeks from today, and it's based on a worst-case single copy...

The plugin takes into account both the release date and the number of holds for pre-release books. If you have found a specific case where this is not being done let me know and I will try to fix the plugin. You can check the job log after an availability check to see all of the factors that went to the the wait weeks calculation for each book.

[jhowell]

Version 2.1.2 - 29 Oct 2016

Fix search error at new OverDrive sites when signed into a branch library. (Fixes "Server response error (Unexpected anchor href:...)".)


Version 2.1.1 - 29 Oct 2016

Fix inability to sign in to new OverDrive sites that do not require a PIN.