Feature request: "Save to disk / without meta-info"

[theducks]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Why do you have library management metadata in the EPUB, it didn't get there unless you put it there wittingly - perhaps with the Polish Tool, or you didn't prevent the editor putting it there. But the tool to remove it is the Modify ePub plugin - I have used it to remove non Dublin Core metadata elements on hundreds of thousands of ePubs.


BR

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Why do you have library management metadata in the EPUB, it didn't get there unless you put it there wittingly - perhaps with the Polish Tool, or you didn't prevent the editor putting it there. But the tool to remove it is the Modify ePub plugin - I have used it to remove non Dublin Core metadata elements on hundreds of thousands of ePubs.

I think the problem is that it is all or nothing. You can turn off updating the metadata when you save-to-disk, but, that means it doesn't update the Dublin Core metadata. All the ways of updating the metadata are like that. To produce a book to give to someone else and that you don't want them to see your personal metadata additions, you pretty much have to edit the metadata after exporting the book outside of calibre.

Note: The OP has used the word "publish". If this is to actually publish the book to sell in a store, then I don't think the OP should expect calibre to produce the final result. I think they should be expecting to do some handling afterwards to clean up things like the metadata before publishing.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by davidfor

I think the problem is that it is all or nothing. You can turn off updating the metadata when you save-to-disk, but, that means it doesn't update the Dublin Core metadata. All the ways of updating the metadata are like that. To produce a book to give to someone else and that you don't want them to see your personal metadata additions, you pretty much have to edit the metadata after exporting the book outside of calibre.

I guess that's why I make sure I have the dc elements correct after adding a book to my Intake library, I Polish it there with update metadata checked before I move it to my Books library.

Before Saving I flick through the EPUB in the Viewer to see if there any obvious bungles, and I press 't' to check the ToC and 'i' to check the metadata - if any custom columns snuck in I use Modify to remove them.

Originally Posted by davidfor

Note: The OP has used the word "publish". If this is to actually publish the book to sell in a store, then I don't think the OP should expect calibre to produce the final result. I think they should be expecting to do some handling afterwards to clean up things like the metadata before publishing.

Even though I don't publish commercially, I do do a final tidy up in Sigil, which includes any tidying up of the DC metadata elements.

One size fits all Instant Pot cooking has a lot to answer for

BR

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I guess that's why I make sure I have the dc elements correct after adding a book to my Intake library, I Polish it there with update metadata checked before I move it to my Books library.

I've never checked what happens with updating the metadata when a book is copied to another library. In that case, calibre could be doing a save-to-disk followed by an add-to-library, in which case the metadata probably is updated first (depending on options). Or it might be doing a more direct copy and updating the new library from the old.

Before Saving I flick through the EPUB in the Viewer to see if there any obvious bungles, and I press 't' to check the ToC and 'i' to check the metadata - if any custom columns snuck in I use Modify to remove them.

I tend to do all that in the editor. I pretty much know that if I start looking at problems, I'll be editing the book soon enough. And, to be honest, the editor generally starts up a lot faster the viewer with version 4.x. The other advantage is that the metadata gets updated when I open the editor, so it is a single action.

[BetterRed]

When I move books from Intake to Books I get the metadata that is in the format file because I just did a Polish to embed the Intake libraries metadats and then a Modify to reduce it to dc-only and I only copy a couple custom columns when I copy from Intake to Books.

One reason I prefer Sigil for final clean up is because of its idiot-proof metadata edit tool, and I am not saying calibre ought have such a thing - in fact I would argue the opposite.

I have the update metadata option disabled in the calibre editor, I often just use it to looks at a Reports or Live Preview which are 'read only' uses. And there's no point in it injecting non dc metadata, I'll only take them out again

BR

[Horus68]

Originally Posted by PenguinCEO

The "custom" metadata concern the particular ordering of my epubs in my library, and are valid only on my pc and on my copy of calibre; they may contain informations that I do not want to share, informations that do not interest the public as they are not part of the book.

If you copy a book, using Calibre right click on books, from the "Library 1" (with custom columns) to the "Library 2" (a clean library with no custom columns) the values of the custom columns are cleared for the book copied.
So no information (custom columns values) will be handled to library 2.
Books will have "calibre:user_metadata" (and the available options for each custom fields) but with empty values.
Non custom columns will have their values intact.
Not a pretty solution but an effective one to hide the values on each book to give to others.

[PenguinCEO]

故事主要描述當伐木

[stumped]

"I received only irony, sarcasm, idiocy."

OK, how about a dash of suspicion

You'd get more sympathy if you present the user case for why a legit purchased book which you have added to/edited in calibre needs a data wipe. I can't think of anything legit you could be planning to do with such book(s) , that needs such a feature.

your copy of such books is bought (licenced actually) for your use only. it should not be en-route to others

if they are public domain, then just share the download links and not the library files

if you must "cover your tracks", then perhaps take up your own suggestion of using a text editor

[PenguinCEO]

故事主要描述當伐木

[stumped]

Originally Posted by PenguinCEO

And since you can't think of anything legitimate you publicly suspect others of behaving illegitimately?

Yep,

As I said, a dash of suspicion.

Easily addressed. Or you could just bluster some more...

[Horus68]

Originally Posted by PenguinCEO

But isn't it easier to use a text editor?

You can do what you prefer.
If I want to send 100 books with no personal metadata copying to a second plain library would be the easiest way! At least for me!

On your bad mood using the forum, take a breath and start again.
You got different replies from several users with possible solutions, just not the solution you want because that solution does not exists (I'm not an authority here but since you got replies from this forum top posters and even 2 from the Calibre author you should already seen the big picture).

Note: on forums, I will always be grateful when someone replies to me even if I choose not to use some of their solutions. I always remember they could be reading a book instead of reading my posts!

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Horus68

If you copy a book, using Calibre right click on books, from the "Library 1" (with custom columns) to the "Library 2" (a clean library with no custom columns) the values of the custom columns are cleared for the book copied.
So no information (custom columns values) will be handled to library 2.
Books will have "calibre:user_metadata" (and the available options for each custom fields) but with empty values.
Non custom columns will have their values intact.
Not a pretty solution but an effective one to hide the values on each book to give to others.

That is not quite true: Calibre will ASK if you wish to ADD those columns. You can decline
I don't remember if this persists on every time you transfer IF, you decline. (all my Libraries that I do this , match columns (lookup names)

[stumped]

Still waiting for the usage case...

OP has books in a library. He intends those books to be inspected by others, (otherwise this thread has no purpose) but he does not want those others to know that the books have passed through his hands

asking why? leads to gaslighting ....

[Horus68]

Originally Posted by theducks

That is not quite true: Calibre will ASK if you wish to ADD those columns. You can decline
I don't remember if this persists on every time you transfer IF, you decline. (all my Libraries that I do this , match columns (lookup names)

You are correct, I missed that step even if was fully aware of it
Also: Calibre always ask when copying books to a library with different custom columns (as it should be!)

[PenguinCEO]

故事主要描述當伐木