[Closed] Please help beta test calibre 7

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by chaley

That function and ability was added because sometimes one wants to see the notes along with the book without clicking on anything. Assuming one wants that, as a side benefit it makes the notes clickable. If you don't want that then you wait until if and when clicking links in the notes viewer does something.

I didn't question the need for the function per se, only the need to resort to its use to see the content of a note on the desktop UI, given it is not needed for the server UI.

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

@BR: https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...223f84b00b6df6

BR

[BetterRed]

Suggestion: Add 'View/Edit Note' to the Column Header context menu for 'category' columns. If a Note exists it would pop the Note Viewer, else it would pop the Note Editor. Would obviate the need to locate items in optional Tag Browser and Book Details panels.

Question: does anyone have any suggestions for attaching notes to upper levels of hierarchical categories. Best I can come up with is adding links in leaf node notes that reference branch node notes… that are attached to placeholder books. Would be better if one could add a note to the upper level nodes without the need for placeholder books.

BR

[kovidgoyal]

Notes are attached to individual items, how would a context menu entry on a column header know which item you want to add a note to?

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Notes are attached to individual items, how would a context menu entry on a column header know which item you want to add a note to?

I was wondering if it might make sense to add a button to the Quickview item selector, which lets you pick the items:

Spoiler:

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Notes are attached to individual items, how would a context menu entry on a column header know which item you want to add a note to?

The item (book ?) is defined by the current cell, viz:



BR

[kovidgoyal]

For example if you click on the tags header which of the books tags should have a note added to it?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

For example if you click on the tags header which of the books tags should have a note added to it?

Good point, wouldn't want a list of item values in the column header menu.

So, how about a View/Edit note option in the Manage items tags dialogue. That's even better… I can get at it with Shift+F2, viz:



BR

[ownedbycats]

Or... quickview?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Or... quickview?

Manage Categories would be a one stop shop, add new category items. apply category items to the selected books, and view/edit the item notes. But it doesn't work on single value category columns like Publisher… perhaps it could/should. For single value categories the Applied items list would only allow one value.

Disclosure: I use the Manage items: xxxx editors a lot; whereas I've never found an ongoing use for Quickview.

PS: Any thoughts on notes on hierarchical categories.

BR

[kovidgoyal]

Quickview is chaley's bailiwick he can comment on that. Manage items doesnt really work for this. Again you can select multiple items in either or both of two panels so its not clear which item you are editing notes for. The best that could be done is a right click menu on items, but whats the point? Might as well right click on book details or tag browser.

Notes are associated with individual items in the database hierarchical items are not in the database they are "virtual" constructs so notes cant be asosciated with any but the leaf node, which actually exists in the db.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Quickview is chaley's bailiwick he can comment on that. Manage items doesnt really work for this. Again you can select multiple items in either or both of two panels so its not clear which item you are editing notes for. The best that could be done is a right click menu on items, but whats the point? Might as well right click on book details or tag browser.

Entering metadata via Book details seems weird, and via the Tag browser even weirder. It's probably because I'm accustomed to entering metadata via the book list cells, either directly or via F2, Shift+F2, or helper sequences like '=' for Now in timestamp columns.

Added: I hadn't realised the Applied items list was always multi-item select, I assumed it was single-item select, with shift+click/space for multi.

I've been using the locked Book details window, I'll stick to using it.

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Notes are associated with individual items in the database hierarchical items are not in the database they are "virtual" constructs so notes cant be asosciated with any but the leaf node, which actually exists in the db.

Yeah, I figured that, still hoping one of the bright sparks might have a brain wave that's better than my placeholder contrivance.

BR

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Or... quickview?

The context menu already has an action to search for the item in the tag browser. From there you can do whatever you want.

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Entering metadata via Book details seems weird, and via the Tag browser even weirder. It's probably because I'm accustomed to entering metadata via the book list cells, either directly or via F2, Shift+F2, or helper sequences like '=' for Now in timestamp columns.

But you aren't entering book metadata. Notes and links are metadata for the item values, i.e. meta-metadata. Editing meta-metadata doesn't belong in the book list.

That said, if the current cell in the book list is in a category then it makes sense for Manage categories to propose going directly to the items in that cell (associated with that book). Like this:


Selecting "2020-10-30" would opens category editor with that item selected, like this:

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by chaley

The context menu already has an action to search for the item in the tag browser. From there you can do whatever you want.

But you aren't entering book metadata. Notes and links are metadata for the item values, i.e. meta-metadata. Editing meta-metadata doesn't belong in the book list.

That said, if the current cell in the book list is in a category then it makes sense for Manage categories to propose going directly to the items in that cell (associated with that book). Like this:
Attachment 204562

Selecting "2020-10-30" would opens category editor with that item selected, like this:
Attachment 204563

Doh, I assumed a ✔ in Manage Categories was a signal that a note for the item existed, for some explicable reason it didn't twig that I could tab to the cell and press F2 to enter/edit the item's note (just as I can for a link)

Suggestion: instead of presenting a list of category item values in the Manage categories drop down, could a checkbox option be added at the top of the Category editor (xxxxxx) dialogue — "Only show items for the selected book(s)". If multiple books is a bridge too far, make it 'selected book' and disable the option if multiple books are selected.

BR

[CloudReader]

I don't know if this is the correct place to post this or not, but thought I'd give it a shot...

Do you have any plans to add any more HTML/CSS capabilities into the comments field?

I constantly run up against barriers to formatting my metadata as I'd like, using tables and divs, styling spans, creative usage of images, etc.

It just seems like there should be a full, robust environment available in the field...

[kovidgoyal]

The markup display comes from Qt https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/richtext-html-subset.html you would need to ask them to add more capabilities.