How about wildcards in Search terms?

[abrogard]

Sorry guys, I can't understand the manual and all this stuff about regular expressions. Too geeky. I am a simpleton.

I am trying to search for all the text files beginning with ' q' because I think they're all junk.

So I want to input this search string: 'q*.txt'

but, as you'd know, calibre won't accept that.

Please don't send me to look at the manual. Just tell what string to input?

regards,

ab

[Sunlite]

I think the following should find you what you are searching for:

title:"~^q" format:txt

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by abrogard

Sorry guys, I can't understand the manual and all this stuff about regular expressions. Too geeky. I am a simpleton.

I am trying to search for all the text files beginning with ' q' because I think they're all junk.

So I want to input this search string: 'q*.txt'

but, as you'd know, calibre won't accept that.

Have a look at the Advanced Search options, viz:



"Advanced" is a bit of a misnomer, it's more like a Search Wizard or Helper.

BR

[abrogard]

Thanks. Worked wonderfully.
Thanks for the advanced search tip. I didn't know it was under there. It's a great feature.
I must try to come to grips with it all.
I wonder why Calibre by default doesn't list the titles in alphabetic order when I click for sort by title?
I tried to read up on that and came away with a kind of vague understanding that it is not ordering on the titles we see but on something else... ? Seems a bit weird..

[BetterRed]

By default sorting ignores leading articles - "The" and "A/An"

So. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" would sort on "Lion" and "A Tale of Two Cities" on "Tale"

It can be controlled by a setting in Preferences->Tweaks - search for 'article'

[abrogard]

Ah.. thanks for that. It's a wonderful prog. I do think that's a tad too clever though.

My instinct would be to do the 'normal' sort by default and then allow options for the more advanced sorts.

But it's all good.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by abrogard

Ah.. thanks for that. It's a wonderful prog. I do think that's a tad too clever though.

My instinct would be to do the 'normal' sort by default and then allow options for the more advanced sorts.

But it's all good.

That IS the "normal" sort for libraries, which is what Calibre is. That's why it's the default

[abrogard]

ahh.. thanks, I didn't know that. my 'normal' is more general I guess. in that case for such a great prog which must continually be expanding into the 'uninitiated' space of the general public I'd still think it better to have the 'general' option or perhaps 'mode' would be a better way to put juxtaposed with the 'professional'.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by abrogard

ahh.. thanks, I didn't know that. my 'normal' is more general I guess. in that case for such a great prog which must continually be expanding into the 'uninitiated' space of the general public I'd still think it better to have the 'general' option or perhaps 'mode' would be a better way to put juxtaposed with the 'professional'.

But the option you want is available, easily, why whinge and moan that it is not the default, as if having to click a couple of times to change the setting is some kind of hardship or design flaw? The library option is also more practical for large libraries. Try searching hundreds or thousands of books that all start with "The" and you'll realize why "library sort" exists.

[abrogard]

well I think I'll opt out there. characterising my posts as 'whinge and whine' I think is unnecessary, unpleasant, inappropriate and inaccurate. I'll leave you to it. Nice knowing you.