[GUI Plugin] Reading List

[ownedbycats]

Small enhancement request after a misclick: The option to remove the top-level "Clear [default list]" item, instead delegating it to the sub-menu.

[rockafinger]

I can't seem to figure out how to properly configure this plugin, so it does what I want.

The best case scenario would be that as soon as I connect my device, it initiates a sync and moves all books from my library that doesn't have a Yes in a custom Yes/No column (called "Read") over to the device. While at the same time, it removes finished books from the reader and adds them to the "Read" list that is tied to the custom "Read" column.

Is that possible?

So far I have the column set up and linked it to the plugin. But I have to manually add new books to the device and manually add books to the "Read" list.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[ownedbycats]

I don't believe what you want is possible.

There's an option to auto-poopulate a list from a search, but that disables syncing.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by rockafinger

I can't seem to figure out how to properly configure this plugin, so it does what I want.

The best case scenario would be that as soon as I connect my device, it initiates a sync and moves all books from my library that doesn't have a Yes in a custom Yes/No column (called "Read") over to the device. While at the same time, it removes finished books from the reader and adds them to the "Read" list that is tied to the custom "Read" column.

Is that possible?

So far I have the column set up and linked it to the plugin. But I have to manually add new books to the device and manually add books to the "Read" list.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Any solution requires some way to get the status from the device. If you can do that then you can use the Action Chains plugin to update the #read column from the retrieved status when a device is connected.

On device connection the chain would:

1. Update the #read column from the information retrieved from the device, stored however it is done. For example, with a Kobo the driver can store %Read into a column. The chain would set #read to Yes for all books where the %read column is 100%.
2. Select all books where "ondevice:true and #read:yes"
3. Use the "Remove books/Remove matching books from device" action to delete the read books from the device.
4. Select all books where "ondevice:false and not #read:yes"
5. Send the selected books to the device.

For a Kobo I would get rid of the Yes/No column #read and use the %read column synced from the device for all the above.

You can do the "send to device" part in reading list (see below). I don't know how to do the "remove from device" part because that requires a sequence of operations (update the column then delete the books), done in the correct order.

[compurandom]

I use reading list to pretty much do exactly what you want.
The trick is the searches are complicated and customized for my needs.

Originally Posted by rockafinger

The best case scenario would be that as soon as I connect my device, it initiates a sync and moves all books from my library that doesn't have a Yes in a custom Yes/No column (called "Read") over to the device.

• List type: auto populate from search
• when syncing: add new list items to device
• sync this list as soon as connected

The search only sends books in certain categories and books not yet read.

In addition to the above, I have a sync rule that marks a book after it has been sent to the device so it doesn't resend it. Some books I delete on the device as soon as I finish reading them. Sometimes I mean to do that and "finish" it instead of deleting it, and those get caught in the next step.

While at the same time, it removes finished books from the reader and adds them to the "Read" list that is tied to the custom "Read" column.

This one I do somewhat manually because I want to manually categorize the read items. I use the 'smart eject' plugin and have a search for "books not on device" that looks for finished books and books previously sent that are not on the device and some other things marking the book on the device as needing updates.

Some of those I delete, some of those I mark as read and possibly remove from special categories of stuff to read quickly, some need cover updates, etc. I have action chains to update some of that.

[Danai Tsirimokou]

Hi so quick question in the Reading list plugin can you make a list with books that you don’t have at all? (e.g., by writing the name of the book or the author so you don’t forget you want it?) And if you can how do you do it, I can’t figure it out.
Thanks for the help!

[theducks]

In Calibre, you can create an 'Empty Book'. Those have Metadata only.
I use those for (future releases) place holders / wish list
Maybe RL will allow those (I do not use that PI)?

[JimmXinu]

Originally Posted by Danai Tsirimokou

Hi so quick question in the Reading list plugin can you make a list with books that you don’t have at all? (e.g., by writing the name of the book or the author so you don’t forget you want it?) And if you can how do you do it, I can’t figure it out.
Thanks for the help!

Moderator Notice
Moved here from it's own thread helpfully named 'Question'.

[Lily7]

I am wondering if I misunderstood this plugin. I set it up and it seems to be working properly within calibre, but I don't see the reading list anywhere on my Kobo. Is it not meant to also show on the device itself?

If it IS also supposed to show on the device, I have attached a screenshot of my settings for this plugin, in case anyone is able to tell me what I need to do to make it show up on my Kobo too. I did make a second custom series column named "tbr".

I was hoping there was some way to add the reading list as a collection/shelf on my kobo, but have it still be in order.

Thanks!

[kiwidude]

@Lily7 - no you will not get a list/collection on the device itself. It is purely about creating a list within calibre of books that you can sync to your device.

[compurandom]

Originally Posted by Lily7

I am wondering if I misunderstood this plugin. I set it up and it seems to be working properly within calibre, but I don't see the reading list anywhere on my Kobo.

You can tell Readinglist to add/remove a value in a tag like column and then tell the kobo driver to sync that column to shelves. This doesn't give order though.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by compurandom

You can tell Readinglist to add/remove a value in a tag like column and then tell the kobo driver to sync that column to shelves. This doesn't give order though.

There's a way to fudge the order by editing a date column then using Kobo Utilities to 'restore' the fake dates to device. It's not really worth the hassle, though.

[compurandom]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

There's a way to fudge the order by editing a date column then using Kobo Utilities to 'restore' the fake dates to device. It's not really worth the hassle, though.

Right. Forgot about that.

When I *really* care about the order of books, I use series and the series plugin to edit the order and use the kobo extended driver to sync the series info.

But most of the time I do that the books either actually are a series, or they don't have an inherent series. Because you can only have one series per book. (Or at least, one series per book per series column, but having multiple series columns is something else that is barely worth the hassle.)

[Lily7]

Thanks for the answers, guys. It was worth a shot! It's clear I misunderstood how the plugin works, but I am still going to use it because having the reading list in order even just within Calibre is really nice. It's a great plugin.

[inkyness]

Is there any way to make the plugin store series data in the default Calibre series column? This doesn't seem to be an option in the plugin configuration "Store in series column" dropdown.

The default Series column is the one that gets synced to my kobo, and I don't see a way of changing that in the Kobo plugin. I don't use series for anything else currently, so wouldn't be worried about deleting existing series data.