Any way I could get calibre usable ?

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Perkin

So why not create a custom column - series type, with a name of version, then have a new copy of the file in a new entry, with the 'version' column containing the title of as the series and the version number as the series number.

I'm curious, How do you (OP) store your different versions at the moment.
Say just taking the three types as your example, DRM, NonDRM and Edited, how would you store the files for say author:John Doe, with title:The First One, series:The Book List, series_num:01

First off I would leave the DRM'ed files in their original download/store folders.
Then create a folder for DRM removed files (matching directory structure as DRM folder)
Import these (NonDRM) into calibre, with custom column (series type, called editversion)

Whenever you edit a particular entry, just create a duplicate entry with the same metadata, using the entry's title as 'edit_version' (series-name), and updating the 'edit_version' series number to store your revision number.

Right now, it's the file name marking the version. Work fine, I know who's who. The opus, because it uses metadata, will display title fine.

I'm not sure i'm following you there. series type ?

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by itimpi

If you are updating tags outside Calibre, this suggests to me that all you really need Calibre for is it's conversion features? If so, they can be used from the command line without ever loading books into the Calibre library. When used from the command line for this purpose you have explicit control over filenames and file placement.

I do use ebook-convert. But only once. To get my .prc files into .oeb. I then use the .HTML to create my own file. I cannot use Calibre to format my sources into PDF.

But I do use Calibre for one other thing: device management. I have multiple devices, and with Calibre I know which files are already on my device and if I need to update it or not.

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Right now, it's the file name marking the version. Work fine, I know who's who. The opus, because it uses metadata, will display title fine.

I'm not sure i'm following you there. series type ?

A custom column can have several flavours. One is the series type. Which means it acts exactly like the series column, with a "title" part and a "number" part.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

I'm not sure i'm following you there. series type ?

The suggestion was to set up a "series type" custom column. A series type custom column has an associated index field, just the way that the series non-custom column does. If you called your new series type custom column "editversion", then the associated numerical index would be referred to as "editversion_index".

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I do use ebook-convert. But only once. To get my .prc files into .oeb. I then use the .HTML to create my own file. I cannot use Calibre to format my sources into PDF.

But I do use Calibre for one other thing: device management. I have multiple devices, and with Calibre I know which files are already on my device and if I need to update it or not.


A custom column can have several flavours. One is the series type. Which means it acts exactly like the series column, with a "title" part and a "number" part.

Ok. And how does that help ? Rather than a simple version tag ?

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Ok. And how does that help ? Rather than a simple version tag ?

Because you can group the books together, just like you can do with the series tag.

So, let's say you have a book:

Ghosts of Ascalon by Matt Forbeck

Of this book, you have 3 copies: original (DRM), original (de-drm), 5" adapted version.

You'd make a "version" column, of the series type.

You add the first version (drm'd):

The title is filled with "Ghosts of Ascalon", the "number" field is filled with "Original (DRM)".

Add the second (de-drm'd):

The title is filled with "Ghosts of Ascalon", the "number" field is filled with "Original (de-DRM)".

And then the third would be:


The title is filled with "Ghosts of Ascalon", the "number" field is filled with "5" adapted version".


Now, if yo go to the Categories, you'll see a "Ghosts of Ascalon", with three books under it.

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Yes, maybe I went too far. But I was just frustrated, that calibre could be a very good program, and that this makes it mostly useless.

And that is exactly why you angered so many people.

Calibre is a very good program, and it is extremely useful to a million or more people. With very few exceptions, everyone who tries it finds that it does what they want it to. The fact that you may happen to be one of the few who doesn't want what calibre does (although even that is yet to be determined) doesn't make it a bad program, and doesn't make it mostly useless. It makes it not the right program for EowynCarter, which is another matter entirely. You are not the whole world.

When you come in here and say we're all wrong, that we're so stupid we're pretending we're using a bad, mostly-useless program and don't even know it, you can be certain that you'll really tick people off. And you did.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Because you can group the books together, just like you can do with the series tag.

So, let's say you have a book:

Ghosts of Ascalon by Matt Forbeck

Of this book, you have 3 copies: original (DRM), original (de-drm), 5" adapted version.

You'd make a "version" column, of the series type.

You add the first version (drm'd):

The title is filled with "Ghosts of Ascalon", the "number" field is filled with "Original (DRM)".

Add the second (de-drm'd):

The title is filled with "Ghosts of Ascalon", the "number" field is filled with "Original (de-DRM)".

And then the third would be:


The title is filled with "Ghosts of Ascalon", the "number" field is filled with "5" adapted version".


Now, if yo go to the Categories, you'll see a "Ghosts of Ascalon", with three books under it.

Right, that would get the info properly visible from inside calibre.

But I'm out of luck when just browsing the folders... I want to be able to browse my book from outside the software, if I feel like to. Just use good old copy past if I want, rather than start calibre / plug e-reader / synchronize.
Or use the library with another software (like ade, or sigil).
That the main problem there, more than the "mess". Calibre library will hardly be usable with something else.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

But I'm out of luck when just browsing the folders... I want to be able to browse my book from outside the software, if I feel like to. Just use good old copy past if I want, rather than start calibre / plug e-reader / synchronize.

I think everyone here understands what you want. Most people here wanted (or at least expected) the same thing, at first, because using folders is how we'd been handling our ebooks and other files for years. In the end, however, most of us have come to realize the problem isn't in Calibre.

If you use Calibre, you can't control the folder names or the file names in your folders. You can "just browse" your folders, but you can't control folder/file names and Calibre will change them as needed to match the changes you make to the metadata for that book.

If you can't live with that, then you can't use Calibre, as it's not likely to change (unless you do it yourself).

I really do understand your frustration. Initially I found Calibre's design very jarring to my expectations, but it didn't take long to realize that it really is a better way to manage e-books. I urge you to try it, and perhaps you'll eventually be converted, too. If not, I hope you find software that will work for you.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Starson17

I really do understand your frustration. Initially I found Calibre's design very jarring to my expectations, but it didn't take long to realize that it really is a better way to manage e-books. I urge you to try it, and perhaps you'll eventually be converted, too. If not, I hope you find software that will work for you.

I will still need to browse folders, to manually edit a book, and other things.
And the way calibre uses folders, You can hardly find anything in there.
I did try calibre. And found out I can not use it the way it now.

When you come in here and say we're all wrong, that we're so stupid we're pretending we're using a bad, mostly-useless program and don't even know it, you can be certain that you'll really tick people off. And you did.

Well useless is relative. Calibre the way it is kind of useless to me. That's a fact.
Calibre works for you ? Good for you. But don't call me an idiot because it don't work for me.
And well, it annoys me bacause calibre is otherwise very good, can do anything and everything. And lacks that most basic function that kills out everything. That why i'm pestering. Just so dammed close...

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

I will still need to browse folders, to manually edit a book, and other things.
And the way calibre uses folders, You can hardly find anything in there.
.

it's real easy - just open calibre - locate book - click open path in right hand pane -

see - that wasn't so hard was it ???

or if you have windows 7, just open My documents & type part of the book title into search panel ( assuming calibre library is in your documents area )

so , if you don't like calibre's structure, ignore it & let windows index & find stuff as needed

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by cybmole

it's real easy - just open calibre - locate book - click open path in right hand pane -

see - that wasn't so hard was it ???

Yeah, sure. that is SO convenient.
The idea about browsing the folders is to use them outside calibre, or when you don't have access to calibre (like accessing the library from a network share).
Or, as i'm dual booting, access the library from the OS calibre is not installed in.

I do browse my e-books folders, will always have that need every now and then. So i just can't ignore that.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

I do browse my e-books folders, will always have that need every now and then. So i just can't ignore that.

It seems simple. If:

1) you have to browse folders outside Calibre,
2) you can't find the folders you want to browse (external folder/file searches are better these days and might solve this for you), and
3)you don't want to keep a separate set of ebooks in your personal folder/name structure,

then Calibre's not for you. If any of those are not true, then it may work for you.

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

(like accessing the library from a network share).

Calibre file server.

Or, as i'm dual booting, access the library from the OS calibre is not installed in.

Calibre comes in Windows, Mac, and Linux flavors. Pick the two you need.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

Calibre file server.

Well, nope. My nas alone can't run calibre. And that where my files are.

Calibre comes in Windows, Mac, and Linux flavors. Pick the two you need.

I'm dual booting windows and linux. Installing calibre on the two OS, and on the same library will most likely conflict right ?

Starson17 have the right of it. Calibre, the way it currently is, is not for me. It cannot work for me.

Until someone fix this, I'm better off doing what i'm currently doing.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Starson17 have the right of it. Calibre, the way it currently is, is not for me. It cannot work for me.

Until someone fix this, I'm better off doing what i'm currently doing.

So do that and stop being a jerk!

Really, your adolescent whining about how "it's not fair, it doesn't do what I want it to do" is just getting tiresome.

It's been established that Calibre is not for you, so leave it to the thousands of us for whom it's invaluable and go away.