messed up my calibre..need help

Kaysclie · 01-10-2021, 02:55 PM

I was trying to add a column to my calibre listings and I messed it all up. It looks like it thinks I am searching for books and instead of them all being listed by authors I get listed by dates. How can I fix everything back to normal..all books listed by authors ??

BetterRed · 01-10-2021, 04:24 PM

Click on the Author(s) header.

Clear the search by clicking the 'x' in the search bar (right hand end).

BR

Kaysclie · 01-10-2021, 04:39 PM

I am afraid that didn't work. I clicked the x in the search bar and it had no effect. Anything else I can do to get calibre as it originally worked....listing all books alphabetically by authors?

BetterRed · 01-10-2021, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaysclie

I am afraid that didn't work. I clicked the x in the search bar and it had no effect. Anything else I can do to get calibre as it originally worked....listing all books alphabetically by authors?

What 'listing' are you referring to - the book list on your screen or a catalogue list?

To post a screen shot, click the paper clip icon in Advanced mode

Click image for larger version

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BR

Kaysclie · 01-10-2021, 05:17 PM

There is a gear icon and bar running across the top of the calibre screen. After to the right of that bar is a search icon and next to that a saved search icon.
How do I get to advanced mode to make a screen shot?

BetterRed · 01-10-2021, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaysclie

There is a gear icon and bar running across the top of the calibre screen. After to the right of that bar is a search icon and next to that a saved search icon.
How do I get to advanced mode to make a screen shot?

If you click the Quote button on this post you will be in Advanced mode, that will allow you attach a screen shot image file, but you need to use your operating system or a 3rd party tool to take the screen shot.

If there is nothing in the search bar, then there is no active search, so the 'x' won't be there.

Did you click on the Author(s) header? If you did you should see a little arrow, if it sorts Z->A, click it again to sort A->Z, viz:

click ==>>

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BR

Kaysclie · 01-10-2021, 06:58 PM

To be a little clearer, if I click on the tag browser everything is listed by date. I want to get everything just being back to normal...all books listed by authors alphabetically. What can I do? Calibre seems to be in search mode...everything I click in the tag browser comes up in search mode. This is what my tag browser looks like.
authors
languages
series
formats
publisher
rating
news
tags
identifiers

BetterRed · 01-10-2021, 07:46 PM

There is no "normal" as such.

The prime purpose of the Tag Browser is to make searches easy by clicking on the entries it contains.

Have you clicked on the Author(s) column header in the book list? See the screen shot in my previous post

Maybe this will help ==>> Calibre User Manual: Search & sort

BR

haertig · 01-10-2021, 07:52 PM

Open Calibre. In the lower right corner (at least on my older version of Calibre) is an icon that looks like a crossed wrench and screwdriver that is labeled "Layout". Click on that, then make sure that "Cover Grid" is not active. What you want your Calibre main display to look like is more like a spreadsheet than a bunch of pictures of book covers. Once you have the display looking like a spreadsheet, at the top of the listing window are the column name headers. Title, Author, Series, etc. The specific columns you see, and what order they are in, are things that you may have set previously, or they could all be at the Calibre defaults. Anyway, click on the column header that you want to sort on, e.g., "Author". Click that column header again to reverse the sort order, e.g., to change from sorting A-Z to sorting Z-A. It's just a toggle between forward sort and reverse sort.

If you want to sort by multiple things, click the column headers in the reverse order that you want the sort. e.g., I sort my view first by author, then by series, then by title. So I click the headers in this (reverse) order: title, then series, then author. Calibre remembers your sorting preference as you open and close the program. You only need to go through this setting of sort order once, or until you screw it up later by accident (as appears to be your current problem).

Then go back to the "Layout" icon and re-enable "Cover Grid" if that's what you had before and want that display to return.

Kaysclie · 01-10-2021, 08:49 PM

"Did you click on the Author(s) header? If you did you should see a little arrow, if it sorts Z->A, click it again to sort A->Z, viz:"
I don't have that header across the top of my calibre(which I think is the problem)

haertig "Once you have the display looking like a spreadsheet, at the top of the listing window are the column name headers. Title, Author, Series, etc. The specific columns you see, and what order they are in, are things that you may have set previously" Same reply I don't get those headers. I just don't know what to do.

BetterRed · 01-10-2021, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaysclie

"Did you click on the Author(s) header? If you did you should see a little arrow, if it sorts Z->A, click it again to sort A->Z, viz:"
I don't have that header across the top of my calibre(which I think is the problem)

Is Authors checked in Preferences->Add your own columns

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BR

Kaysclie · 01-10-2021, 09:12 PM

After spending hours trying and retrying the helpful advice from the people who gave of their time to me here, I have Calibre working again!

I just kept retrying over and over and somehow everything finally clicked. I don't know what I originally did to cause my train wreck, but thank you both
BetterRed and haertig.

01-10-2021, 02:55 PM	#1
Kaysclie Addict Posts: 341 Karma: 265272 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: sunny Florida Device: Forma, Aura One,Ipad Pro 10.5, Oasis 3	messed up my calibre..need help I was trying to add a column to my calibre listings and I messed it all up. It looks like it thinks I am searching for books and instead of them all being listed by authors I get listed by dates. How can I fix everything back to normal..all books listed by authors ??

01-10-2021, 06:58 PM	#7
Kaysclie Addict Posts: 341 Karma: 265272 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: sunny Florida Device: Forma, Aura One,Ipad Pro 10.5, Oasis 3	To be a little clearer, if I click on the tag browser everything is listed by date. I want to get everything just being back to normal...all books listed by authors alphabetically. What can I do? Calibre seems to be in search mode...everything I click in the tag browser comes up in search mode. This is what my tag browser looks like. authors languages series formats publisher rating news tags identifiers Last edited by Kaysclie; 01-10-2021 at 07:05 PM. Reason: add info

01-10-2021, 07:46 PM	#8
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,724 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	There is no "normal" as such. The prime purpose of the Tag Browser is to make searches easy by clicking on the entries it contains. Have you clicked on the Author(s) column header in the book list? See the screen shot in my previous post Maybe this will help ==>> Calibre User Manual: Search & sort BR Last edited by BetterRed; 01-10-2021 at 07:48 PM.

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01-10-2021, 04:24 PM	#2
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,724 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Click on the Author(s) header. Clear the search by clicking the 'x' in the search bar (right hand end). BR

01-10-2021, 04:39 PM	#3
Kaysclie Addict Posts: 341 Karma: 265272 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: sunny Florida Device: Forma, Aura One,Ipad Pro 10.5, Oasis 3	I am afraid that didn't work. I clicked the x in the search bar and it had no effect. Anything else I can do to get calibre as it originally worked....listing all books alphabetically by authors?

01-10-2021, 05:17 PM	#5
Kaysclie Addict Posts: 341 Karma: 265272 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: sunny Florida Device: Forma, Aura One,Ipad Pro 10.5, Oasis 3	There is a gear icon and bar running across the top of the calibre screen. After to the right of that bar is a search icon and next to that a saved search icon. How do I get to advanced mode to make a screen shot?

01-10-2021, 07:52 PM	#9
haertig Wizard Posts: 1,897 Karma: 31522252 Join Date: Sep 2017 Device: PW3, Fire HD8 Gen7, Moto G7, Sansa Clip v2, Ruizu X26	Open Calibre. In the lower right corner (at least on my older version of Calibre) is an icon that looks like a crossed wrench and screwdriver that is labeled "Layout". Click on that, then make sure that "Cover Grid" is not active. What you want your Calibre main display to look like is more like a spreadsheet than a bunch of pictures of book covers. Once you have the display looking like a spreadsheet, at the top of the listing window are the column name headers. Title, Author, Series, etc. The specific columns you see, and what order they are in, are things that you may have set previously, or they could all be at the Calibre defaults. Anyway, click on the column header that you want to sort on, e.g., "Author". Click that column header again to reverse the sort order, e.g., to change from sorting A-Z to sorting Z-A. It's just a toggle between forward sort and reverse sort. If you want to sort by multiple things, click the column headers in the reverse order that you want the sort. e.g., I sort my view first by author, then by series, then by title. So I click the headers in this (reverse) order: title, then series, then author. Calibre remembers your sorting preference as you open and close the program. You only need to go through this setting of sort order once, or until you screw it up later by accident (as appears to be your current problem). Then go back to the "Layout" icon and re-enable "Cover Grid" if that's what you had before and want that display to return.

01-10-2021, 08:49 PM	#10
Kaysclie Addict Posts: 341 Karma: 265272 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: sunny Florida Device: Forma, Aura One,Ipad Pro 10.5, Oasis 3	"Did you click on the Author(s) header? If you did you should see a little arrow, if it sorts Z->A, click it again to sort A->Z, viz:" I don't have that header across the top of my calibre(which I think is the problem) haertig "Once you have the display looking like a spreadsheet, at the top of the listing window are the column name headers. Title, Author, Series, etc. The specific columns you see, and what order they are in, are things that you may have set previously" Same reply I don't get those headers. I just don't know what to do.

01-10-2021, 09:12 PM	#12
Kaysclie Addict Posts: 341 Karma: 265272 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: sunny Florida Device: Forma, Aura One,Ipad Pro 10.5, Oasis 3	After spending hours trying and retrying the helpful advice from the people who gave of their time to me here, I have Calibre working again! I just kept retrying over and over and somehow everything finally clicked. I don't know what I originally did to cause my train wreck, but thank you both BetterRed and haertig.