Author Sort problem after update

[mug2k]

I just updated from the previous version to 7.20 but its messed up how the authors are displayed. Before it was sorting by the firstname but now its chnaged to surname.

Before
Aldous Huxley
Dan Brown
Greg Bear
Isaac Asimov
Kurt Vonnegut
Max Brooks

Now
Isaac Asimov
Greg Bear
Max Brooks
Dan Brown
Aldous Huxley
Kurt Vonnegut

Is there a simple to change it back to how I had it before ?.

Thanks,

[theducks]

That just looks like reverse sort order to me.
There is an arrow showing on one of the column headers. That is the sorted column and direction.
A previous sorted column will bias this. Ex sort on Title, the sort on Author. The list within the author will be biased in title order.

[mug2k]

Originally Posted by theducks

That just looks like reverse sort order to me.
There is an arrow showing on one of the column headers. That is the sorted column and direction.
A previous sorted column will bias this. Ex sort on Title, the sort on Author. The list within the author will be biased in title order.

I've updated the example to show what I meant

[chaley]

Originally Posted by mug2k

Is there a simple to change it back to how I had it before ?.

I am not sure what the 'it' is that you want to change. What I can do is tell you how to make authors sort by first letters in all cases.

Steps:

1) Open the tweaks editor preferences -> advanced -> tweaks.
2) In the 'all available tweaks' window, find
author_sort_copy_method = 'invert'
Copy this line to the Current tweaks window
3) Change the line you just copied to read
author_sort_copy_method = 'copy'
4) Apply the changes and restart calibre
5) Right-click on an author in the tags view (left hand pane) and select 'manage authors'
6) Press the 'recalculate all author sorts' button. The second column should become equal to the first.
7) Press OK.

Done.

What you first did is tell calibre that the authors are to be used exactly as written. You then asked calibre to rebuild all of the sort values for all the authors. This process will change the author_sort value in all the books.

Note that if you want authors to be sorted by last name in your library but first name in the tag browser, you are out of luck. Calibre does one or the other.

[mug2k]

Originally Posted by chaley

I am not sure what the 'it' is that you want to change. What I can do is tell you how to make authors sort by first letters in all cases.

Steps:

1) Open the tweaks editor preferences -> advanced -> tweaks.
2) In the 'all available tweaks' window, find
author_sort_copy_method = 'invert'
Copy this line to the Current tweaks window
3) Change the line you just copied to read
author_sort_copy_method = 'copy'
4) Apply the changes and restart calibre
5) Right-click on an author in the tags view (left hand pane) and select 'manage authors'
6) Press the 'recalculate all author sorts' button. The second column should become equal to the first.
7) Press OK.

Done.

What you first did is tell calibre that the authors are to be used exactly as written. You then asked calibre to rebuild all of the sort values for all the authors. This process will change the author_sort value in all the books.

Note that if you want authors to be sorted by last name in your library but first name in the tag browser, you are out of luck. Calibre does one or the other.

Brilliant, it worked perfectly

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by chaley

I am not sure what the 'it' is that you want to change. What I can do is tell you how to make authors sort by first letters in all cases

I think was the most unique author sort thread in two years.

Nice solution!

[kacir]

Originally Posted by mug2k

Before
Aldous Huxley
Dan Brown
Greg Bear
Isaac Asimov
Kurt Vonnegut
Max Brooks

Now
Isaac Asimov
Greg Bear
Max Brooks
Dan Brown
Aldous Huxley
Kurt Vonnegut

Is there a simple to change it back to how I had it before ?.

Thanks,

what chaley suggests is great. I have learned a new trick.

There is another way if you like the (author_sort) field as it is (Asimov, Isaac), and still want to see the Authors sorted by Firstname Lastname, or if you want switch sorting between Lastname, Firstname and also sometimes Firstname Lastname

Make a custom column My_Author_Sort and make it type "column made from other columns" and to template put {authors}.
Now you can have your cake and eat it too, and you can sort once according to the "new way" Lastname, Firstname and ALSO according to My_Author_Sort - by aplhabet, just like you expect it to.