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[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

You can delete those files prior to import.

But then you lose all the tags and book metadata, unless the person importing it has the "read from file" option checked, which is something I always recommend turning off because of the junk generally in files. So the person importing would have to alternate turning it on and off, which will never work.

The timestamp is not the one inside the EPUB - when you save to disk from Calibre the separate opf file has the likes of this in it:
<meta content="2010-11-22T15:29:14+00:00" name="calibre:timestamp"/>

A simple tweak giving the option to ignore the calibre timestamp when adding files would do the trick - even better would be the ability to control what values are imported (so for example your "#read" column doesn't get stuffed with values from the person who gave you the book) but I would settle for just allowing me to easily see what books I have just added to my library, regardless of where they came from

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

But then you lose all the tags and book metadata, unless the person importing it has the "read from file" option checked, which is something I always recommend turning off because of the junk generally in files. So the person importing would have to alternate turning it on and off, which will never work.

I was talking about he external metadata.opf, in theory the metadata inside the book is updated when you use the Save to disk feature so would still import into calibre.

Originally Posted by kiwidude

The timestamp is not the one inside the EPUB - when you save to disk from Calibre the separate opf file has the likes of this in it:
<meta content="2010-11-22T15:29:14+00:00" name="calibre:timestamp"/>

This timestamp is also in the internal opf file, but I don't think it is used during import.

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

I was talking about he external metadata.opf, in theory the metadata inside the book is updated when you use the Save to disk feature so would still import into calibre.

I know - we were talking about the same thing. Yes in certain circumstance Calibre will update some of the metadata inside the book, depending on the format as you know. However Calibre will not (if you have unchecked the option I mentioned above) read it from the book file if you were to delete the external opf as a workaround. And as I said it is an option I recommend people turn off anyways unless you knew the only place you imported books from was from someone who did have quality metadata when they exported.

This timestamp is also in the internal opf file, but I don't think it is used during import.

Yes, that was what I was (badly) trying to say - you seemed to indicate the only date you could find was the published date, and Ron was saying he only found one inside the EPUB. The one that is used during an add in the scenario we are describing is indeed I believe that one in the external opf file.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

Not possible to turn it off that I am aware of, definitely something I would like to have an option for. Particularly when I share my books with my parents Calibre library - my Dad imports them, but unless he goes down the route of "adding a tag for new books" then removing it in batches etc unfortunately it is impossible for him to see the newest books that I have just sent him. Which is a real pain.

The only workaround I have found for this (when I remember) is in the source library to do a bulk edit before I export/copy to library on the books, and set the date field to Today. However I don't always remember.

I can understand for people restoring their Calibre system after corruption from the opf files why they would want date preserved. However in the other use cases (moving books between libraries as you process them, or sharing your books with another user for import into their library) it is highly undesirable to have "date added" left at it's source value imho.

Wouldn't sorting on the (Calibre) Modified Date column help somewhat?

[Ron.]

could we not just open a ticket a request this (feature) or is there a reason it has to import the date from the opf ?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Ron.

could we not just open a ticket a request this (feature) or is there a reason it has to import the date from the opf ?

It is a feature of calibre and has been discussed before. I guess a toggle as described by kiwidude might work but deleting the external opf file should allow you to add any book without the date changing from today's date.

[Ron.]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

It is a feature of calibre and has been discussed before. I guess a toggle as described by kiwidude might work but deleting the external opf file should allow you to add any book without the date changing from today's date.

then you lose all data that was in the opf not just the date

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Ron.

then you lose all data that was in the opf not just the date

Exactly what data do you lose? Information from someone's library? Isn't most of the metadata your concerned with, publisher, title, author, published date, tags, etc.. (at least for epub and probably mobi) in the ebook itself?

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by theducks

Wouldn't sorting on the (Calibre) Modified Date column help somewhat?

That is what I recommended to my Dad to do, as it seems the "best" of the limited options he has. The problem is that the Modified Date will change any time he touches any other book, such as recording in a custom column that he has read it, so it won't take long before sorting by that column does not reflect when books got added to the library.

[Ron.]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Exactly what data do you lose? Information from someone's library? Isn't most of the metadata your concerned with, publisher, title, author, published date, tags, etc.. (at least for epub and probably mobi) in the ebook itself?

it's only in the file if I converted the book with calibre

[kovidgoyal]

When you export an ebook from calibre's library, metadata is updated in that ebook. So there is no need to send someone an opf file. Indeed, if you are sharing with a limited number of people, simply use email sending in calibre.

@kiwidude: I know you're going to say, but I have my dad turn off read metadata. Even in that case the title and author will be imported correctlt, since, IIRC the default filename regex works with the default save to disk template. So you dad will have title/author and date added set correctly.

[dutch]

Have been reading through this thread and I don't know if it is in place here but I will try it anyway....
I would like to sort my books by the date added to Calibri, is this possible ? I updat my books once per month, and sometimes I add like 10 and it's hard to find them again once sorted by author.

[itimpi]

Normally when you add a book to Calibre then the Date field is set to the date you added so you can simply sort on that field. The majority of this thread was about scenarios in which that Date field does NOT get set to todays date (the default action).

[dutch]

Damn, am I stupid or what???
Thx itimpi !!

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

When you export an ebook from calibre's library, metadata is updated in that ebook. So there is no need to send someone an opf file. Indeed, if you are sharing with a limited number of people, simply use email sending in calibre.

@kiwidude: I know you're going to say, but I have my dad turn off read metadata. Even in that case the title and author will be imported correctlt, since, IIRC the default filename regex works with the default save to disk template. So you dad will have title/author and date added set correctly.

Hi Kovid,

The problem is I want to preserve everything about the book, except the date added. I've already done "all the work" of getting perfect metadata, linked ids, custom columns, tags etc setup and just want him to have the same.

So if not sending him the opf files, that leaves two choices: not importing metadata from the book at all (using the filename as you mention), or importing metadata from the book (which will only work for some metadata and on some formats, and will potentially cause problems if he adds his own books from elsewhere).

Likewise when I transfer between libraries on my machine using Copy to Library, I hit exactly the same problem. I want all the data preserved, except date added. And right now the only way I can do that is (when I remember) to select the books before I export them and manually set the date. Otherwise it can become too difficult by the time you switch to the other library to find the books you just transferred.

It just would be nice for an option to allow date added to reflect exactly that - the date added to this library, not the date added to any library in Calibre ever...