[GUI Plugin] Reading List

[ownedbycats]

Question: Can templates be input into the "value in column to add/remove"?

[JimmXinu]

Only if db.bulk_modify_tags() does, so I doubt it. I'm not going to crawl down that code, so you can either assume not, or try it and see.

[niki11784]

I'm looking for something to help me sort my books on my device by publish date. Would this plug in help me with that?

[JimmXinu]

Not directly. Reading List doesn't have any ability to determine publish date, or get your device to do anything about display order.

[ownedbycats]

Since your listed device is a Clara HD, I believe Kobo Utilities has an option to sort by publication date.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by niki11784

I'm looking for something to help me sort my books on my device by publish date. Would this plug in help me with that?

As @ownedbycats said, it can be done using my Kobo Utilities plugin. The Metadata update function can set the date that is used for the "Date added" sort to any date column that is in calibre. The published date is a fairly sensible date to use for that.

[ownedbycats]

For the record: Templates don't work in Reading List's column update.

While it seems useful enough to request, I can just use action chains instead.

[capink]

After clearing a reading list, the sorting of calibre is messed up by the plugin, with books from the last displayed list (marked by the plugin) are pushed to the bottom of the view. This happens because the plugin modifies calibre's sort to be based on the marked field.

The version attached to this post fixes this problem by restoring calibre's sort to its original state after a reading list is cleared.

There is only one case in which the sorting will not be restored, under calibre versions <= 5.43, it happens if the user switches to another library while a reading list is still in display. Thanks to Kovid, this is taken care of in future calibre versions.

[JimmXinu]

Perhaps because I use View Manager and bind space bar to my preferred view/sort, I'm not 100% convinced that this should replace the existing behavior.

This ties restoring the previous sort order to changing or clearing the search, quitting Calibre and changing library. Reasonable assumptions, but not perfect. Especially since the library_about_to_change() call won't be available in older calibre versions.

For example, a user who has manipulated their sorts manually or with View Manager while viewing a list will have those changes silently discarded. This is especially unintuitive for a list where the user has 'Apply reading list order when viewing list' unchecked.

Ideally, I'd prefer to see this implemented as an optional feature, similar to 'Apply reading list order when viewing list'; and to not be applied when 'Apply reading list order when viewing list' isn't checked.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

Perhaps because I use View Manager and bind space bar to my preferred view/sort, I'm not 100% convinced that this should replace the existing behavior.

This ties restoring the previous sort order to changing or clearing the search, quitting Calibre and changing library. Reasonable assumptions, but not perfect. Especially since the library_about_to_change() call won't be available in older calibre versions.

For example, a user who has manipulated their sorts manually or with View Manager while viewing a list will have those changes silently discarded. This is especially unintuitive for a list where the user has 'Apply reading list order when viewing list' unchecked.

Ideally, I'd prefer to see this implemented as an optional feature, similar to 'Apply reading list order when viewing list'; and to not be applied when 'Apply reading list order when viewing list' isn't checked.

That is an excellent idea to make restoring the sort order an option.

[capink]

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

This is especially unintuitive for a list where the user has 'Apply reading list order when viewing list' unchecked.

Ideally, I'd prefer to see this implemented as an optional feature, similar to 'Apply reading list order when viewing list'; and to not be applied when 'Apply reading list order when viewing list' isn't checked.

I am new to the plugin, so I was not aware of the "Apply reading list order when viewing list" option, I thought that is the default behavior of the plugin. In light of this, what you said about making it optional makes perfect sense. Attached below is another modification to make the new feature optional.

BTW, the files algorithms.py and wizards.py are redundant. It seems kiwidude original plan was to incorporate the Import List functionality into the Reading List plugin. He later changed his mind and forgot to remove the files.

[JimmXinu]

New Test Version

2022-06-10
- "Restore sort after viewing list" option added as per capink's contribution.

I tweaked the wording of the tooltip to explicitly say what "quits the reading list view" means and changed the config widgets layout method because addStyleSheet also applied to the tooltip text.

Also removed unused algorithms.py and wizards.py files as suggested.

To be honest, I had forgotten "Apply reading list order when viewing list" was optional until I went looking to see where a good place to put your restore option checkbox would be.

[criscros]

For some reason, all the sudden if I add a new book to the reading list, it adds all books in the series. I kind of remember a setting like that mentioned somewhere, but I can't find it now.
Any clue as to how to turn that off?
Thanks!

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by criscros

For some reason, all the sudden if I add a new book to the reading list, it adds all books in the series. I kind of remember a setting like that mentioned somewhere, but I can't find it now.
Any clue as to how to turn that off?
Thanks!

There's an option to add the entire series. You sure you didn't accidentally hit that?

[criscros]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

There's an option to add the entire series. You sure you didn't accidentally hit that?

Is that in the plugin settings somewhere?