help with metadata plugboard syntax please

[stumped]

i am using a cribbed formula which adds series name to front of title, so on kindle or kobo the book will appear as series name - series number - title

that works but for some series,on the device the series name bit fills the whole line, obscuring the actual title ( esp on kobo where only short single lines are allowed ?

so whats the syntax please for adding a shortened version of the series name and what trim options are available - as I am not sure what will work best

i could just shrink all my series names in calibre but that is a long and tedious process, I'd prefer NOT to change those. but if i do, I could not see how to block change old series name 1 to n into new series name 1 to n without the numbering going awry

[chaley]

Originally Posted by stumped

i am using a cribbed formula which adds series name to front of title, so on kindle or kobo the book will appear as series name - series number - title

that works but for some series,on the device the series name bit fills the whole line, obscuring the actual title ( esp on kobo where only short single lines are allowed ?

so whats the syntax please for adding a shortened version of the series name and what trim options are available - as I am not sure what will work best

i could just shrink all my series names in calibre but that is a long and tedious process, I'd prefer NOT to change those. but if i do, I could not see how to block change old series name 1 to n into new series name 1 to n without the numbering going awry

There are two built-in functions for this, substr() and shorten(). You use substr() if you want a single slice out of the name, for example the first 10 characters. You use shorten() if you want more control, for example the first 8 characters and the last 4 characters separated by a '-'.

Examples in basic single-function mode:

• {series:substr(0,10)} Gives the first 10 characters of the series name. If the name length is less than 10 it is returned unchanged.
• {series:shorten(8,-,4)} -- gives the first 8 characters of the series name, a dash, then the last 4 characters of the name. If the length of the name is less than 13 (8 + 4 + 1) then it is returned unchanged.

[stumped]

Exactly what I needed.
Thanks

[DNSB]

Out of curiosity, why would you add the series name to the title for a Kobo when your Kobo is capable of displaying/searching the series information?

[stumped]

Because sort by title results look better if books in series are clumped together. And I guess it partly because I am used to seeing it done that way on kindle or on tablet for moon reader.
Just personal preference.
And inserted on having 1st seven characters of the full name

Ii was wondering how to duplicate that in calibre, i.e. have an extra column which shows the short series name as a what do you call it in calibre - ..a derived or calculated column

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by stumped

Because sort by title results look better if books in series are clumped together. And I guess it partly because I am used to seeing it done that way on kindle or on tablet for moon reader.
Just personal preference.
And inserted on having 1st seven characters of the full name

Ii was wondering how to duplicate that in calibre, i.e. have an extra column which shows the short series name as a what do you call it in calibre - ..a derived or calculated column

Possibly create a column for the truncated series with the template set to:

{series:.7}_{series_index:}

See attached image for my quick and dirty test.