[GUI Plugin] Book List Plus

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

[...]solution would be to nail the Sort [by] button to the Search bar in baseline calibre like the Virtual Library button - having it come and go unexpectedly is disconcerting. It would still be be available to add to other toolbars and menus.

BR

Well, I haven't looked into the question in detail, but I recall having the same feeling that the sort by button needs to be fixed.

[Zebedi]

Thanks for this and all your other plugins. I find most of them very useful.

I am having a little trouble with this one. It runs very well, but calibre freezes when I switch libraries. I don’t have it open, it’s just in the status bar. I can switch to the other library, but when I try to switch back then everything freezes until I can close it with task manager (windows 11, latest calibre). When it restarts my columns headings have all reverted to default alignment. I am unable to reset them until i have BLP disabled. I have also tried disabling it before changing libraries and this sometimes works but not always.

[Comfy.n]

Hi, thank you for the detailed report. In my tests I didn't spot issues when switching libraries, but this wasn't tested extensively, really. Regarding the columns reset: are you using the Mirror native book list option? (columns tab)

[Comfy.n]

Hmm, please test this: check the option in Columns tab to use separate settings per Library. Just a hunch, but this could help clarify in what conditions that is happening, and narrow the issue.

[Zebedi]

I use the view manager plugin to sort columns. When it freezes and I restart only the alignment that is affected, the widths stay the same. Unfortunately there does not seem to be any way to reset the alignment except manually each time.

I am using different settings in the other libraries as I have not really set up their columns. I created libraries from my collections in order to have smaller libraries to send to my reading apps instead of trying to deal with one large one. I will double check the settings tomorrow when I have laptop on.

[Comfy.n]

BTW, the View Manager profiles will apply to BLP only if 'Mirror native list' option is checked.

[Zebedi]

Yes that is ticked and works ok, have only setup the main library but will look at the others tomorrow.

[BetterRed]

I use View Manager with different column layouts and sort sequences on multiple libraries.

After installing BLP, when I switched from my Books library to my Media library, calibre went into doom loop (10 mins with hour glass) and I killed it. When I restarted calibre (I always start in Books via --with-library option) I couldn't reproduce… been fine since. I have Mirror native Book list column layout checked and Use separate Book List Plus settings per library unchecked.

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Pretty sure this is not intentional:



The Toggle button location: drop down should have a blank (i.e. none) option. I don't want BLP in Layout or at left end of Search bar, I will toggle it with a shortcut, and use All actions to get at the Config etc.

The Main toolbar click: setting operates if BLP is added to any toolbar - Main, Search or Optional But the Short name option doesn't operate in any of them

BR

[Comfy.n]

Noted. The library switching issue is definitely a thing, then. Hopefully next version will address all issues; i've already found a fix for the current cell differentiation.

[BetterRed]

@Comfy.n - after re seeing Zebedi's post this morning, my time, I tried to reproduce the doom loop issue again. I flipped in and out of nine libraries, tried different VM views, tried different BLP settings… couldn't reproduce.

The one time I did get the problem, I am not sure that I was on the latest release of BLP, might have been when it was still Experimental.

BR

[Comfy.n]

thanks

[Zebedi]

If I tick use separate BLP settings per library on each library I can sometimes switch between them without them freezing, not always, (after 4 successful switches, the next one froze), however in the main library the headings go back to default and I still can’t alter the headings alignment without freezing.

It does not always work, and the only way I can alter the headings is to disable BLP and then re-enable.

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by Zebedi

[...]headings go back to default and I still can’t alter the headings alignment without freezing.[..]

On Columns tab there is a Profile feature. Saving a profile should prevent the column headers reset, but this "going back to default" isn't expected behaviour indeed - even if no profile is active.

[Zebedi]

Have setup the profile and saved it thanks. Before switching libraries I have started disabling BLP and then re enabling, which takes longer but avoids freezing.

[Comfy.n]

This test version has some fixes, including the current cell differentiation. I'd appreciate if you folks could test it.

Regarding the columns reset issue: if you use "Mirror native list layout", whatever column widths/visibility/order you have set in native list mode will be reflected in BLP. This should be very clear, I believe that what is (was?) happening could be that you are expecting BLP to save your widths customisations while Mirror is active. If you want BLP to have its own states, then you must uncheck "Mirror native list" and save profiles.

I hope this makes sense for everyone and, if this can be made more clear in the plugin UI, I welcome suggestions on how to do it.