Extra columns in display grid?

[kgn]

I have a couple of small issues with Calibre (V7)

There is a column called 'Author'. This is VERY confusing as it displays one thing, but actually contains another. I find it very hard to read. It sorts by Author 'Sort Order', but it displays 'Author'. These can be totally different, which makes the sort order of the column almost meaningless.

Would it be possible to either -
1. display in the column the actual 'Sort Order' details.
2. add another column called 'Sort Order'

Personally, I think adding another column would be best. That way users could display the one they want.

The other problem is what goes out to the ereader device is in SortOrder - something you cannot see. In my case, this has resulted in folders all over the place on my ereader. One fix for this is a function in Calibre to 'Make the Sort Order the same as Author'.

In similar vein, the Title column strips out leading 'The' (and probably other things). This also makes the display look weird.

While speaking of columns - I would like to know the formats I have for each book - ie usually which ones I have not converted yet. Could we add a column that displays the formats?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by kgn

I have a couple of small issues with Calibre (V7)

In similar vein, the Title column strips out leading 'The' (and probably other things). This also makes the display look weird.

While speaking of columns - I would like to know the formats I have for each book - ie usually which ones I have not converted yet. Could we add a column that displays the formats?

The Title column does not strip noise words like The, A, An, it ignores them and sorts on the first real word "The World is Round" sorts on World...

Author Sort is really Author LAST Name Sort if you use the standard Fn Ln in the Author field
Joe Smithe = Smithe, Joe and sorts as Smithe


Book Details (Press the Book Icon on the Right) shows the formats.
Using the search tool can show what you still need to do.

Example show all TXT files That do NOT have EPUB versions.

format:txt Not format:epub

There is very little that Calibre does not do.
It just might not be exactly your way.

You just walked in on a big update.
The changes that have happened in the last 6 months is absolutely amazing.
Read the change log and see what I mean.

[kgn]

Originally Posted by theducks

The Title column does not strip noise words like The, A, An, it ignores them and sorts on the first real word "The World is Round" sorts on World...

Author Sort is really Author LAST Name Sort if you use the standard Fn Ln in the Author field
Joe Smithe = Smithe, Joe and sorts as Smithe

Sure - I understand all that. But it is a problem. What goes out to the ereader is NOT what I see on the screen. Or indeed the folder structure kept by Calibre. It seems to create afolder structure based on the Author Sort field - which you cannot see. This is my whole point.

I would like to SEE the Author field - and simply opening up each book entry (of thousands) to check it, is not a viable option.

What I have to do now is look at the folder structure created on the ereader device, and from that, infer what is wrong with the Author Sort fields.

[kgn]

Originally Posted by theducks

The Title column does not strip noise words like The, A, An, it ignores them and sorts on the first real word "The World is Round" sorts on World...

Sure - and I guess a lot of people like it this way. To me it means I cannot scroll down the list of books to find what I want. In the case you give, I would look at the 'The World...' section of the list, and not find it there. I would never think to simply ignore the noise words - that is not how I (or I suggest, most people) think.

I am a software developer myself, so I do understand a lot about GUI design and all that stuff. Personally, if I included a feature like this, I would give the user the option to turn it off if so desired.

Please don't take my comments as being negative - I think Calibre is very useful and a job well done.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by kgn

Sure - and I guess a lot of people like it this way. To me it means I cannot scroll down the list of books to find what I want. In the case you give, I would look at the 'The World...' section of the list, and not find it there. I would never think to simply ignore the noise words - that is not how I (or I suggest, most people) think.

I am a software developer myself, so I do understand a lot about GUI design and all that stuff. Personally, if I included a feature like this, I would give the user the option to turn it off if so desired.

Please don't take my comments as being negative - I think Calibre is very useful and a job well done.

You can set the template(s) for save to device and save to disk.

Author has
{authors} Fn Ln
and {author_sort} Ln,Fn

Since I have 1K+ books on my SD Card
I create a folder to stick all the A_authors into,...
{author_sort[0]}_Authors/{authors} ;I like Fn Ln here but you can use {author_sort}
so I have only 26 (or so) first level folders. (my reader only supports basic file name, Date, type sorting)

The Title column in the display is interesting It shows the Title but sorts on a hidden field {sort} that has the noise word after a comma: "World is Round, The"

If you use the Tag Browser, you will find that the Author List is in Fn Ln order and not Author Sort order. The Catalog has some other tricks.
I guess I have been using desktop DB's for so long that I just ignore the noise words and was used to entering dates as yymmdd because there was only a text field available.

Remember that this program is used world wide in many languages. I have no clue what a "noise word" (if they exist) in any other language wold be.

BTW Where would yo put 20'00 Leagues under the sea?
Under 20,000 or Twenty-Thousand (I believe the Catalog can do either)

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by kgn

I am a software developer myself, so I do understand a lot about GUI design and all that stuff. Personally, if I included a feature like this, I would give the user the option to turn it off if so desired.

Calibre has a great development environment. If you really want it for yourself, some of the changes you suggest can be made easily. If you think others want them, send the code to Kovid. If he agrees, they'll get added. If not, he may allow them into the tweaks options, along with lastname, firstname tweaks.

If you understand software interface design, you'll recognize Kovid's concerns about user confusion and option creep.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by kgn

There is a column called 'Author'. This is VERY confusing as it displays one thing, but actually contains another. I find it very hard to read. It sorts by Author 'Sort Order', but it displays 'Author'. These can be totally different, which makes the sort order of the column almost meaningless.

Although we can debate 'meaningless', that isn't productive.

Would it be possible to either -
1. display in the column the actual 'Sort Order' details.
2. add another column called 'Sort Order'

You can choose how author_sort is constructed. The default is to try to invert names so that a 'first last' author name is converted to 'last first' author_sort. You can change the conversion so that author_sort equals author. See the file 'tweaks.py' in your configuration directory.

The option was added for those of us who enter author names as 'last, first', but it certainly can be used if you want 'first last' authors sorted 'first last'.

Once you set the tweak, you can automatically recompute author_sort by selecting all the books, choosing edit metadata, clicking 'automatically set author sort' (and filling nothing else in), then OK. When it finishes, all the author_sort fields will have been changed.

In similar vein, the Title column strips out leading 'The' (and probably other things). This also makes the display look weird.

Calibre has a hidden field/column for title sort, similar to author sort. When a title is edited (or a book is added), this field is computed. Today, articles are pushed to the end, giving the results you see (and don't like).

0.7.2 has a new 'tweak' that changes how this title sort field is computed *for the GUI*. You have the choice of today's behavior or copying unchanged. If you select the latter, the book 'The Client' will sort with the 'T's, not the 'C's. The tweak does not change how device drivers compute title sort, because it would break some of them.

Note that setting the tweak does not recompute the title sort field. You must edit the title. Double-clicking on the title and hitting return is sufficient. You can find all titles starting with 'The' (or some other word) using the regexp search title:"~^the", then quickly run down the list touching the titles.

[kgn]

Originally Posted by chaley

You can choose how author_sort is constructed.

This excellent news! It really is a top bit of software, I have to say that. The more I use it, the more I like it.