How to stop collections from disappearing?

[loveangel]

excellent ..thanks for the info

[Worldwalker]

There's no pressing need, IMO, for custom columns to be usable for collections. The same effect can be produced by either enclosing all the tags you don't want to create collections from (workflow tags, for instance) in [square brackets] or, if you want to use a custom column, do as I do and move the workflow tags into that custom column, leaving in the standard tags only those tags you want to create collections from. I have a column named "workflow" -- slightly inaccurately named, actually, because it also includes tags for internal/card destination, DNU for books that shouldn't be uploaded (mostly PDFs that give my 505 fits), etc. Everything in my normal tags column is genre, etc., to create collections.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

There's no pressing need, IMO, for custom columns to be usable for collections. The same effect can be produced by either enclosing all the tags you don't want to create collections from (workflow tags, for instance) in [square brackets]

Many of the same folks who would like custom columns for collections have let their tags build from metadata downloading. For the most part it really isn't a question of workflow, and bracketing the 100s of tags they have would be more work then it's worth.

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

Everything in my normal tags column is genre, etc., to create collections.

My tags are basic genre or series too and were created with an eye toward collections. However, many people enjoy the wide variety of tags they get from downloading metadata and would love a separate way to identify the creation of collections or directories. I can see custom columns being a big asset for many users.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Many of the same folks who would like custom columns for collections have let their tags build from metadata downloading. For the most part it really isn't a question of workflow, and bracketing the 100s of tags they have would be more work then it's worth.

Well, I don't download tags, and I still want custom fields as collections. I don't like the hack of enclosing tags in [ ], because they sort to the wrong place and they are harder to read. In addition, almost all my tags are hierarchical (like genre) with a restricted namespace, and that is very hard to do with a single tag category. I tried for a while to do it with prefixes, but they grew long and ugly. Solving this problem was my biggest driver for building custom columns.

Fortunately, custom fields as collections is on my to-do list (and is mostly done), so I will get what I want.

[Starson17]

deleted

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Starson17

(What book could I possible have that is tagged "1154-1399 Plantaganets"!)

Thomas Costain's series? I have the p-books and very much enjoyed reading them, but haven't seen them in an electronic format.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by chaley

Thomas Costain's series?

Bernard Cornwell, Heretic

[Starson17]

BTW, that tag actually appears as follows in the tag list: "1154-1399, Plantaganets" Note the comma. If I click it in the tag browser, I get no books. The search bar shows: tags:"=1154-1399, Plantagenets"
Again, note the comma.

To find it, I have to search for the tag "Plantagenets"

[June]

Originally Posted by chaley

It is a bit hard to reconstruct the behavior of the earlier 0.7 versions, but here goes.- - -
I think collections now behave as expected. If someone disagrees, please let us know.

Yes - thank you! I've tested adding/deleting/editing my books and everything works as expected. Except that I added 'tags' back to the device plugin, and when sending over a new book that is not on the 505 already - it shows up on the 505 without being in a collection. So I'll edit those manually for now

Thanks for a great program though : off to donate for Calibre:

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by chaley

Fortunately, custom fields as collections is on my to-do list (and is mostly done), so I will get what I want.

Excellent, that means I'll get what I want too.

I assume this will also translate over to save to disk template too? The ability to create directories from these custom columns will provide a great deal of flexibility for many devices that don't do collections.

[katenepveu]

I was referred to this thread from my post here. I had the same thing happen to me as to June.

I have read this thread and I am still unclear:

Does this mean that I have to delete all my books and then reupload them in order to get rid of the collections on my Sony Reader that have been created from tags I deleted?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by katenepveu

Does this mean that I have to delete all my books and then reupload them in order to get rid of the collections on my Sony Reader that have been created from tags I deleted?

Yes. Removing the books via calibre and readding them only takes a few minutes and if you create your collections automatically via tags or series you have added in metadata then your collections will be created lickety-split too.

But since you are here it seems you want or do create collections manually after the books are sent to the reader.

If you don't want calibre creating any automatic collections you have to go to Preferences - Plugins - Device Interface plugin - select your plugin and click customize. Then clear the area that says tags and series will create collections when a book is sent to your device. Click OK. (Just to be safe restart calibre)

Now, with your device empty select the books and send them to your device. There will be no collections created during the transfer.

While reading this thread I'm sure you have come to realize that most of us use calibre to create our collections automatically on send to device, but we all have ways we like to do things.

[katenepveu]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Yes. Removing the books via calibre and readding them only takes a few minutes and if you create your collections automatically via tags or series you have added in metadata then your collections will be created lickety-split too.

Well, it's mostly that my Pocket Reader is so incredibly slow to get going again when I have to redo my entire library that I get paranoid that I've locked it up.

However, if I can now get proper author sorting going in 0.7.4, then I have incentive to do it anyway.

But since you are here it seems you want or do create collections manually after the books are sent to the reader.

No, I just had some tags that got sent by mistake and then I deleted them for tidiness off the device and off of Calibre, but I didn't actually delete the files themselves from the device and re-send them. So apparently the tags still existed in the file's metadata, which I had no idea would happen.

Thanks.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by katenepveu

However, if I can now get proper author sorting going in 0.7.4, then I have incentive to do it anyway.

Excellent point, make sure it is checked in the plugin and that the changes to the plugin have taken effect. I'm going to check the box, restart calibre, wipe the books from my 505 and put them back on the device just to marvel at something I'll probably never use. It will be nice to have the authors sorted via last name.

[katenepveu]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

It will be nice to have the authors sorted via last name.

I just did and it is so wonderful.