Modified Date on Titles.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Editing an Author or Series only changes the title being edited, though perhaps I've never ONLY edited the case and maybe that behaves the same.

I tested it. Changing only the case of an author or series changes it for all books. The same for all the other columns I mentioned in post #13.

The reason that only one case version can exist in the database is the one DaltonST gave in post 4. The database is configured to ignore case when selecting/joining. Given that design choice, only two behaviors are possible when entering a value that differs only in case: use the existing case or use the new case.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I spent 20+ years designing & implementing Relational databases. The difference in how tags work vs editing a Series name or an Author name isn't inherent to using SQL, it's a design decision. It could create a new entry in the tag table rather than change the entry, that naturally all the titles use. I've not seen this behaviour on other columns. There may be sound logic to it. I don't really use tags and thus I haven't thought about it.

Editing an Author or Series only changes the title being edited, though perhaps I've never ONLY edited the case and maybe that behaves the same.

I have many books I have have 2 versions of the same Author.
Author and Author (ed)

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by chaley

I tested it. Changing only the case of an author or series changes it for all books. The same for all the other columns I mentioned in post #13..

I understand why that is. Obviously I've only ever changed spellings before and not case so I didn't realise initially why 48 extra books showed as modified when I happened to edit the tag case on a book I'd just added.

Actually historically case is comparatively recent in Western Europe enabled by adoption of miniscule script invented by Irish monks and made widespread by Charles the Great of the Franks (Charlemagne). Many languages still don't really have it. I think German maybe capitalises nouns more often than English.

I'll only edit case only in a shared field if it really needs it, I think e e cummings is the only author I know not using Title Case. If its someone with a von or similar I don't mind all the instances updating if they where Somename Von Somebody and I change it to von. Names of books imported with a middle de can be inconsistent; would case of first or last import win?

I don't mind how the tags and case insensitivity works. Some how I've managed to use Calibre for years and not notice this. I just initially couldn't understand what had happened!

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I installed "Last Modified", but I can't see how I should configure it to ignore tag edits.

I think it's these two options, if you mean editing from the tag browser

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I think it's these two options, if you mean editing from the tag browser

Where is that Settings menu?

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Where is that Settings menu?

There's a 'Last Modified' option to add to the menus.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Names of books imported with a middle de can be inconsistent; would case of first or last import win?

Oh yes, 'de' etc can be maddening. Is it a particle (de) or just part of someone's name (De)? Is the person living, and if so how do they spell it? I have seen long arguments about whether to use Charles De Gaulle or Charles de Gaulle. One side argues that it isn't a title and so should be De. Others say the opposite. Aaargh.

As for imports, I suspect from looking at the code that what's in the database would win (first import) but I haven't ever tested it.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

There's a 'Last Modified' option to add to the menus.

Yes. I added Last Modified to the Menu & toolbar etc. But clicking on it after restart had no settings or checkboxes.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Yes. I added Last Modified to the Menu & toolbar etc. But clicking on it after restart had no settings or checkboxes.

[dunhill]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

There's a 'Last Modified' option to add to the menus.

It's a "last modified" plugin because I don't see it in my calibre.
I answer myself, if it is a plugin

[ownedbycats]

Yes, it's a plugin. Follow the quoted posts and it's mentioned.

[BetterRed]

I have a vague memory of someone telling me that the reason the built-in last_modified date exists and behaves as it does is/was related to synchronising the metadata in a calibre library with the metadata on devices.

BR

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I have a vague memory of someone telling me that the reason the built-in last_modified date exists and behaves as it does is/was related to synchronising the metadata in a calibre library with the metadata on devices.

I don't know of any devices that do that. But, it wouldn't be unreasonable to. And I considered it for the KoboTouch driver. The issue is knowing when the device was last connected. That isn't stored anywhere. There is a last connection date in the driveinfo.calibre file, but, it is updated as soon as the device is connected. Which isn't useful for working out the changes since the last time the device was connected.

But, the modified date is used as part of the backup of metadata to the OPF files in the book directories. Changing a tag like has been discussed will trigger the update of the modified date and then OPFs to be updated.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by davidfor

I don't know of any devices that do that. But, it wouldn't be unreasonable to. And I considered it for the KoboTouch driver. The issue is knowing when the device was last connected. That isn't stored anywhere. There is a last connection date in the driveinfo.calibre file, but, it is updated as soon as the device is connected. Which isn't useful for working out the changes since the last time the device was connected.

But, the modified date is used as part of the backup of metadata to the OPF files in the book directories. Changing a tag like has been discussed will trigger the update of the modified date and then OPFs to be updated.

I can't see a last_modified date element in the book metadata,opf file. So, what is the database last_modified value compared against to trigger the write of a fresh book data metadata.opf file?

I added 'calibre' as a tag to the Quick Start Guide at 2022-06-16 15:05:54, but I can't see anything like that date in the .opf.



Its not the file system date_modified either. I changed that to 2022-07-16, and then added another tag - and a fresh opf file was written.



BR

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I can't see a last_modified date element in the book metadata,opf file. So, what is the database last_modified value compared against to trigger the write of a fresh book data metadata.opf file?

I added 'calibre' as a tag to the Quick Start Guide at 2022-06-16 15:05:54, but I can't see anything like that date in the .opf.

Attachment 194397

Its not the file system date_modified either. I changed that to 2022-07-16, and then added another tag - and a fresh opf file was written.

Attachment 194398

BR

I have never looked for the last modified date in the OPF. And with the way calibre handles it, it would make no sense. If you needed to use these to rebuild your library, the last modified date would be set to the current time. Or when the book was added to the rebuild library.

But, that wasn't really what I was meaning. Triggering writing of the OPF is done when the metadata is change. The data gets marked as "dirty", the modified time is updated and then the book is put into the queue for the backup. If you do a lot of changes quickly, such as changing a common tag, you can see the the last thing happening in the "Library metadata backup status" under "Library Maintenance". That shows how many are to be written.