[GUI Plugin] Kobo Utilities

[Lavender]

Question about the kobo database backup function. I set this up initially to create backups in /calibre library/.dev/clara_bw on my Windows machine. I thought that creating a .directory would make it hidden, and prevent it from interacting with the actual calibre library content. I happen to run the check library function in calibre as a test, and got a warnings that the .dev folder are listed as invalid entries, and extra authors. Will this be a problem? I would like to keep all my calibre data in one directory, but I don't want calibre trying to import my kobo database backups as if they're books or modifying them.

Thank you for the advice in advance.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Lavender

Question about the kobo database backup function. I set this up initially to create backups in /calibre library/.dev/clara_bw on my Windows machine. I thought that creating a .directory would make it hidden, and prevent it from interacting with the actual calibre library content. I happen to run the check library function in calibre as a test, and got a warnings that the .dev folder are listed as invalid entries, and extra authors. Will this be a problem? I would like to keep all my calibre data in one directory, but I don't want calibre trying to import my kobo database backups as if they're books or modifying them.

Thank you for the advice in advance.

. (dot) folder / files are not Hidden on windows

AFAIK Check Library is giving you a warning only. You just need to remember to not FIX that

Something to think about: Multiple Libraries on the same computer
My Kobo sometimes gets books from a different one

Also, in my configuration case: I also keep backups of the firmware for my Aura2 and my Libra2 . They are not the same.

Sinc I also want both Kobo backup BACKED UP, I put them (Kobo/devicetype folders) in normally backed up user folders

[PeterT]

Even on a linux machine while the directory would be hidden to certain usage (such as the ls command or a file manager) it would still show up in calibre's check library function.

[DNSB]

For my multiple libraries, I kept the Calibre Library name though in a non-standard location but use it as the root directory with my libraries (Main, Intake) stored as sub-directories of that directory. You could disconnect your calibre library, move it into a new subdirectory of calibre library and then reconnect it allow your backup to exist in the root of calibre library outside the actual library.

[Majutsushi]

I've just released version 2.21.0 with the following changes:

• Always show all menu items to improve discoverability and reduce confusion. If a feature is not currently available the menu item will be disabled and a tooltip will be shown explaining why.
• Fixed another bug in the "Remove Annotation Files" feature
• Correctly update the "Device" tab in the options when connecting a device while the dialog is open

[stregone]

Originally Posted by Majutsushi

Is anyone still using the "Order Series Shelves" functionality? It seems to be from a time before the firmware supported series tracking natively, and you would have used shelves (now collections) for that instead. Since this should be unnecessary now I'm thinking of removing it to simplify things, I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

I was looking for a way to sort a collection in a reading list order and came across this. Can you modify it so that you can sort based on custom column? I have the Reading List plugin set the books to the custom column made for collections, and then another custom 'series like text' column set to the reading order. But there doesn't appear to be a way to sort by that reading order on the device itself.

I'm still really new to this, not sure if I am explaining it correctly.

[Majutsushi]

In theory this should be possible, but I don't think it would be a great solution. Looking at the code it would be a non-trivial change to make it work that way, because the current code actually uses the series information on the device for sorting. Which makes me wonder now what the point of this feature was in the first place, since you can just sort a series in the dedicated series tab.

So rewriting this feature to help with a specific feature of another plugin seems non-ideal to me, and also introduces potential issues. For example, you would have to manually run this feature when connecting a device after every change in the reading list to avoid coordination issues with the other plugin, and there is a risk of some configuration getting out of sync. It would be better if the Reading List plugin itself took care of this.

Thinking about it a bit more, I think the best solution would actually be to change the collections management in the Kobo driver to automatically sort a collection if the source of that collection is a series column (maybe toggled with an option). Then it would work automatically for any custom series column, not just the Reading List one. That would also be a non-trivial change though.

[Majutsushi]

Changes in this release:

• Fixed a bug that prevented the plugin from working in supported Calibre versions before 5.41

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Majutsushi

Thinking about it a bit more, I think the best solution would actually be to change the collections management in the Kobo driver to automatically sort a collection if the source of that collection is a series column (maybe toggled with an option). Then it would work automatically for any custom series column, not just the Reading List one. That would also be a non-trivial change though.

If I remember right, the way to do that was changing the date of addition to the ereader (or perhaps the collection, I don't remember right), and it's here.... because it needs a second connection if you add books in the series. Because there is no "automatic sort" for collections in Kobo, you have some specific criteria and you cannot change it.

[DrChiper]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

[...] because it needs a second connection if you add books in the series. Because there is no "automatic sort" for collections in Kobo, you have some specific criteria and you cannot change it.

I've a little bit trouble to understand this: DavidFor always stated that 2 connections were needed when uploading books with additioal metadata like collections:

• one for the actual book
• a 2nd time for updating the database with the metadata

Further, sorting collections on the Kobo can be obtained via setting sort:Series (provided you had made the uploaded books part of some series in the appropriate series column).
So, for my understanding, what kind of automagically sorting is actually discussed here?

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by DrChiper

I've a little bit trouble to understand this: DavidFor always stated that 2 connections were needed when uploading books with additioal metadata like collections:

• one for the actual book
• a 2nd time for updating the database with the metadata

Further, sorting collections on the Kobo can be obtained via setting sort:Series (provided you had made the uploaded books part of some series in the appropriate series column).
So, for my understanding, what kind of automagically sorting is actually discussed here?

The original option was for a moment that series were not present in the FW. So you:

1. Create collections associated to series
2. Send books
3. Set date in the books so sorting by date in the ereader would be like sorting by serie

Now, when series are recognized by FW and you can sort by series, this is not needed. If you want to adapt this mechanism to collections, you have to use the same trick.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

The original option was for a moment that series were not present in the FW. So you:

1. Create collections associated to series
2. Send books
3. Set date in the books so sorting by date in the ereader would be like sorting by serie

Now, when series are recognized by FW and you can sort by series, this is not needed. If you want to adapt this mechanism to collections, you have to use the same trick.

That is an excellent idea to sort in collections using series.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by DrChiper

I've a little bit trouble to understand this: DavidFor always stated that 2 connections were needed when uploading books with additioal metadata like collections:

• one for the actual book
• a 2nd time for updating the database with the metadata

Further, sorting collections on the Kobo can be obtained via setting sort:Series (provided you had made the uploaded books part of some series in the appropriate series column).
So, for my understanding, what kind of automagically sorting is actually discussed here?

the first connection ends with the Kobo doing "processing" (I assume this reads the books OPF).
That make the actual DB entries on the device.
Until that happens, there is no place for the extra data to be put. Which happens in the second or later (eg Update Metadata) connections.

[DrChiper]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

If you want to adapt this mechanism to collections, you have to use the same trick.

On my KLC I have

• series (can be sorted by "book number")
• collections (can be sorted by "series")

in which entries after selection and showing the books *both* can sort via series, so what am I missing?

[DrChiper]

Originally Posted by theducks

the first connection ends with the Kobo doing "processing" (I assume this reads the books OPF).
That make the actual DB entries on the device.
Until that happens, there is no place for the extra data to be put. Which happens in the second or later (eg Update Metadata) connections.

Yes, that's what I at the time was told by DavidFor and is what did I practice (connect 2x) ever since I migrated from Sony to Kobo