download metadata and covers previous button not preserving edits

asllearner · 04-15-2025, 08:14 PM

I usually download metadata one by one, but on starting a bulk download, I noticed going through the results making changes to the covers and other fields there is now a previous button for navigating through the data. However when I go to a previous book, it is not showing my previous edits...it **appears** to be preserving them anyway at the end of the runthrough (if I don't scroll back), but even if it is working I wonder if it really is getting all of it, and more importantly, I wonder if it shouldn't be showing the edits as I scroll through....(using calibre 8.2.1 on mac 10..15).

While I am at it, I think that instead of just a button < to move data from the right 'old) to left (new) pane, there should be a button << to append the data. This would be useful for things like tags and comments, where the problem is that prior fields may have relevant, nondownloadable data.

theducks · 04-15-2025, 09:32 PM

ctrl-D fetch metadata:
Identifiers has a Merge (right click the arrow), but I think that is all.

I would also love a Block the copy (when the existing is also poor and I would rather leave a blank).

kovidgoyal · 04-16-2025, 02:49 AM

You can long click or right click the button with the arrow and you get an option to merge tags instead of overwriting them.

theducks · 04-16-2025, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You can long click or right click the button with the arrow and you get an option to merge tags instead of overwriting them.

(I am so used to context menu clicks, I never think of long clicks

)

BetterRed · 04-16-2025, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

(I am so used to context menu clicks, I never think of long clicks

)

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You can long click or right click the button with the arrow and you get an option to merge tags instead of overwriting them.

If a button has a miniscule down glyph at bottom right corner, it indicates that the button has a menu that can be 'popped' with a long left button press or a right button click.

In the single book MDE dialogue the Generate cover and Download metadata buttons are examples of buttons that have the glyph and a menu, and the Trim borders button is an example of a button that lacks the glyph but has a menu.

The three buttons in MDE that have the glyph (e.g. Generate covers) cannot have their menu popped via the keyboard - the ≡/Shift+F10 keys don't work. Whereas the button that lacks the glyph (i.e. Trim borders) can have its menu popped from the keyboard… via it's Accelerator key (Alt+E). Not sure why there is this difference.

BR

chaley · 04-17-2025, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

The three buttons in MDE that have the glyph (e.g. Generate covers) cannot have their menu popped via the keyboard - the ≡/Shift+F10 keys don't work. Whereas the button that lacks the glyph (i.e. Trim borders) can have its menu popped from the keyboard… via it's Accelerator key (Alt+E). Not sure why there is this difference.

BR

Press and hold the space key when such a button has the focus.

BetterRed · 04-17-2025, 09:47 AM

Thanks

I cannot recall seeing or hearing of a long space press before (search suggests its comes from google/IOS land). Also works on glyphless buttons so I won't have to differentiate.
. . .

BR

asllearner · 04-17-2025, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You can long click or right click the button with the arrow and you get an option to merge tags instead of overwriting them.

Been using Calibre well nigh 20 years, never knew that. Go figure.

FR: possible to make merge the default??
FR: add similar merge for comments

About my original question:

Quote:

when I go to a previous book, it is not showing my previous edits...

I did an informal test, and it appears that changes are lost when moving to a previous book. Is that by design? If so, can I be sure it is just for the book I am looking at, not all previous entries? etc.

kovidgoyal · 04-17-2025, 09:52 PM

yes it is by design, and you can be sure its just for the previous book and merging comments is trivial with copy paste, although I have no objection to adding a merge option for it. And no merging is not going to be the default action.

BetterRed · 04-18-2025, 01:19 AM

@chaley - I moved some of our replies to here -->> https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=367005

BR

asllearner · 04-18-2025, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

yes it is by design,

Not how I would have done it, but I can imagine the rationale

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

and you can be sure its just for the previous book and

Does this mean if I go back several books, I lose all the edits, not just the one I ended on? The reason I ask is that when I was using it I wanted to go back several previous edits to copy or add something like a tag or notation. I was editing a bunch of related books...so I have to reedit all the books in between..

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

merging comments is trivial with copy paste,

true enough. I often have personal annotations in the comments that I don't want to lose...

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

although I have no objection to adding a merge option for it.

if it comes your way, and it would be generally useful, but not just on my account.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

And no merging is not going to be the default action.

Fair enough.

asllearner · 04-18-2025, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

... I have no objection to adding a merge option for it..

...that was fast (8.3.0). Thanks!

asllearner · 04-19-2025, 12:46 PM

[Edit: wrong link.]

I may have stumbled upon a possible bug, or at least a quirk. Sometimes the merge tag button (not the other merge buttons) does not work. (My guess is that) the merge tags button does not work if the left version is entirely contained in the right version...i.e. when a copy tags would work just as well...though this is of course a sort of workaround, it is cumbersome to use in that way (with many tags, and depending on the order, it is not always possible on inspection to confirm the condition). The merge button should still work IMHO.
video of it in action: https://imgur.com/a/mC5bhOC [corrected]

kovidgoyal · 04-19-2025, 11:35 PM

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...4837b0b8fb14d2

asllearner · 04-20-2025, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...4837b0b8fb14d2

04-15-2025, 08:14 PM	#1
asllearner Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 37422 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: none	download metadata and covers previous button not preserving edits I usually download metadata one by one, but on starting a bulk download, I noticed going through the results making changes to the covers and other fields there is now a previous button for navigating through the data. However when I go to a previous book, it is not showing my previous edits...it appears to be preserving them anyway at the end of the runthrough (if I don't scroll back), but even if it is working I wonder if it really is getting all of it, and more importantly, I wonder if it shouldn't be showing the edits as I scroll through....(using calibre 8.2.1 on mac 10..15). While I am at it, I think that instead of just a button < to move data from the right 'old) to left (new) pane, there should be a button << to append the data. This would be useful for things like tags and comments, where the problem is that prior fields may have relevant, nondownloadable data.

04-17-2025, 09:47 AM	#7
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,716 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Thanks I cannot recall seeing or hearing of a long space press before (search suggests its comes from google/IOS land). Also works on glyphless buttons so I won't have to differentiate. . . . BR Last edited by BetterRed; 04-18-2025 at 01:16 AM.

04-19-2025, 12:46 PM	#13
asllearner Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 37422 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: none	[Edit: wrong link.] I may have stumbled upon a possible bug, or at least a quirk. Sometimes the merge tag button (not the other merge buttons) does not work. (My guess is that) the merge tags button does not work if the left version is entirely contained in the right version...i.e. when a copy tags would work just as well...though this is of course a sort of workaround, it is cumbersome to use in that way (with many tags, and depending on the order, it is not always possible on inspection to confirm the condition). The merge button should still work IMHO. video of it in action: https://imgur.com/a/mC5bhOC [corrected] Last edited by asllearner; 04-19-2025 at 12:50 PM. Reason: wrong link

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04-15-2025, 09:32 PM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,046 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	ctrl-D fetch metadata: Identifiers has a Merge (right click the arrow), but I think that is all. I would also love a Block the copy (when the existing is also poor and I would rather leave a blank).

04-16-2025, 02:49 AM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,339 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You can long click or right click the button with the arrow and you get an option to merge tags instead of overwriting them.

04-17-2025, 09:52 PM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,339 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	yes it is by design, and you can be sure its just for the previous book and merging comments is trivial with copy paste, although I have no objection to adding a merge option for it. And no merging is not going to be the default action.

04-18-2025, 01:19 AM	#10
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,716 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@chaley - I moved some of our replies to here -->> https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=367005 BR

04-19-2025, 11:35 PM	#14
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,339 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...4837b0b8fb14d2