[GUI Plugin] Kindle Collections (old)

[bpalesch]

OK, so here's how the Collections plug in seems to work properly:

1. Open Calibre.
2. Connect Kindle.
3. Upload any books.
4. Click, "Create collections on the Kindle from Calibre.
5. Wait until told to eject device and do so.
6. Restart Kindle.

At this point when the Kindle comes back on, you may see everything REMOVED from collections. If so, add the following steps:

7. Kill a chicken and dribble its blood on the ground while reciting the Jabberwocky.
8. Close Calibre.
9. Restart Calibre.
10.Repeat steps 1. through 6. above.

Running it twice is a pain in the butt, but takes less time than adding each book to a collection on the Kindle manually.

[Gazerwolf]

Would it be possible to add an option?

Right now if the same Collection name is in two columns it takes one and ignores the other.

I'd like to be able to tell the plugin to use both, basically merging the two.

I mainly use Series for my collections, but there are of course books that do not belong in a series so I created a simple Collections column to use for those...problem is that I have a series set up in the series column and a few books that aren't part of the series that I want in the same collection as the series. Having the same collection name in my separate collection column does not work...only the Collections column is used and the Series is ignored.

[nynaevelan]

That is a nice suggestion, I too would like to see them merged.

[meme]

@gazerwolf, nynaevelan - merging is technically possible, and I have no problem looking at it since someone has asked about it I took the easy option when writing the code of just ignoring it, and then warning you, and seeing if it mattered to anyone. I'll need to look at the structure of the code to see if it'll be a simple or complicated change

[meme]

Originally Posted by bpalesch

At this point when the Kindle comes back on, you may see everything REMOVED from collections. If so, add the following steps:

Are you using the latest version of calibre and the plugin?

Are you running Create immediately after sending books to the device? There may be an issue with timing that's being looked at.

I'd be interested if you can reproduce this, and use the debug option to show why books aren't being put into collections. Most of the issues related to this have been addressed (except the timing issue), and if there is a new case I'd like to get details on it. Feel from to PM.

[bpalesch]

Tried this again today. Same results. Doesn't seem to matter if you eject from within Calibre or Windows. It's almost like something (some variable or memory location or whatever) isn't being released when the process is completed.

meme - yes, I'm running Calibre 0.8.4 and whatever version of the plug in was available about a week ago. And, yes, I'm creating the collections immediately after uploading.

[meme]

Is the report showing the collections you created?

Are you Restarting (not just switching on/off the Kindle) to view the collections on the Kindle?

What happens if you wait a couple minutes after sending - to ensure all jobs are complete first.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by bpalesch

Tried this again today. Same results. Doesn't seem to matter if you eject from within Calibre or Windows. It's almost like something (some variable or memory location or whatever) isn't being released when the process is completed.

meme - yes, I'm running Calibre 0.8.4 and whatever version of the plug in was available about a week ago. And, yes, I'm creating the collections immediately after uploading.

How many books do you have on your Kindle? how many collections?

I ask because when I run it, after the restart, my Kindle first shows empty collections, then it takes at least few minutes for the Kindle to read and load the collections contents. I have around 1000 books in 53 collections, with some books in as many as three collections. The result is a big collections file, so it takes a while.

[bpalesch]

I've upgraded Calibre to 0.8.5
OK, modified instructions for using on my Kindle. It appears that the following works:

1. Open Calibre.
2. Upload book(s).
3. Immediately (before doing anything else in Calibre) run Collections plugin.
4. When told to do so, eject Kindle.
5. Disconnect Kindle.
6. Restart Kindle.

At this point you should be good to go.

If you want to add more books you will need to close Calibre then restart it and follow steps above. It also appears that the chicken sacrifice and Jabberwocky recitation are no longer necessary. ;>)

[bpalesch]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

How many books do you have on your Kindle? how many collections?

I ask because when I run it, after the restart, my Kindle first shows empty collections, then it takes at least few minutes for the Kindle to read and load the collections contents. I have around 1000 books in 53 collections, with some books in as many as three collections. The result is a big collections file, so it takes a while.

Yep, noticed it takes longer the more books. I think the real secret to this is to restart Calibre each time you want to add and categorize books onto the Kindle.

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by bpalesch

Yep, noticed it takes longer the more books. I think the real secret to this is to restart Calibre each time you want to add and categorize books onto the Kindle.

I'm not sure why this step would be necessary. I add/remove books many times during a session. The key is to remember to restart the kindle, a step I forget on numerous occasions. My steps are:

1. add books to Calibre
2. Edit metadata
3. link books in goodreads/upload shelves with goodreads plugin
4. add books I want to read recently to reading list with reading list plugin, adjust reading order if necessary
5. add books to kindle list with reading list plugin
6. add books to backup folder list with reading list plugin
7. sync kindle list to kindle with reading list plugin
8. update collections with kindle plugin
9. whenever I unplug kindle the first step, if I remember, is to restart kindle

Sometimes I have used the kindle plugin three or four times before I get around to unplugging kindle and restarting it.

Nyn

[meme]

Originally Posted by bpalesch

Yep, noticed it takes longer the more books. I think the real secret to this is to restart Calibre each time you want to add and categorize books onto the Kindle.

You should not need to restart calibre each time you want to add/remove books. The Create Collections function will write out a new collections file each time its run based on the current information in the database. If you are disconnecting the Kindle after you run Create and eject the Kindle, then you still need to Restart it (not poweron/off). If something still isn't working then its an issue to be looked at.

[meme]

Originally Posted by meme

@gazerwolf, nynaevelan - merging is technically possible, and I have no problem looking at it since someone has asked about it I took the easy option when writing the code of just ignoring it, and then warning you, and seeing if it mattered to anyone. I'll need to look at the structure of the code to see if it'll be a simple or complicated change

Well, not too hard, even if I did get it wrong the first time The next version will merge collections if two calibre columns set for Create have the same name - and the same prefix/suffix.

The next version of the plugin will be waiting for at least the next release of calibre as its necessary to support the fix for the Reading List/Book Sync issue - after much help from Chaley and Kovid and their updates to calibre.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by meme

Well, not too hard, even if I did get it wrong the first time The next version of the plugin will be waiting for at least the next release of calibre as its necessary to support the fix for the Reading List/Book Sync issue - after much help from Chaley and Kovid and their updates to calibre.

Ah, was expecting it this last weekend, but will now relax and just wait for both 0.8.6 and the your 1.6.4 (or whatever you call it.)

Thanks.

[meme]

So was I - but it turned out to be a bit more complicated than we first thought to get everything running in the right sequence...