Manual Moving Of Files

[tomx2]

Hello,
My issue is that it takes forever for Calibre to do it's initial scan (Job). So i have disabled my device from Calibre so i'm able to use the software. However i now have created a small nightmare, as when i copy manually to my device (note 4) the file is copied as Calibre created it in it's folder. But i believe that when Calibre copied the file(s) it changes the file name ("The War" becomes "War, The"). Now i have 1600+ books that have tons of duplicates due to this issue.

In "edit metadata" i see no way to easily change the "title sort" (where i believe the problem lies) to reflect the actual title of the book and the file calibre creates in it's folders. Not really wanting to copy and paste every book with an "A" or "The" in it's title to match.

In other words, i don't really care how they are sorted, i just want them to match. So my thinking here (likely flawed!), is to start completely over and rename every book's "sort title" (manually type in to override calibre's insistence on modifying) or find an easy way to manually copy the files over so that they remain unaltered so i don't have to rename every file. Is there a setting in "edit metadata" that automatically names the files as they were meant to be (without modifying the "the") or is there a way i can list all my book files (just the epub, pdf, etc) so that i can easily copy them over to my device without having to open up each and every author folder to get to the file to copy it.

I sincerely hope this all makes sense! thanks for any help you can lend, Tom

[BetterRed]

Set Preferences->Saving books to disk->Save template with the metadata columns arranged as you want them. Instructions are in the dialogue.

Then use the Save to Disk tool.

BR

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by tomx2

Hello,
My issue is that it takes forever for Calibre to do it's initial scan (Job). So i have disabled my device from Calibre so i'm able to use the software.

You can configure the path that calibre will scan on a tablet. Let calibre scan it completely once, then open the driver configuration. On the first tab, you should be able to set the path that calibre will look at in the future. That should be a lot faster.

[theducks]

And don't mess (delete or move) the 2 files the Calibre places in the root folder of each storage unit (SD, HD) when it has completed the scan or it starts all over for that drive, the next connect)

[tomx2]

BetterRed, davidfor, theducks, thanks for your help.

BetterRed, with regard to saving to disk, i assume that this changes the behavior of calibre when it saves my master files... so will it create a new directory or write over what i already have (masters)? Also, in looking at the template, i see the default and have compared the existing files, makes sense, however i don't understand why calibre truncates* the titles? Why does it not just name them as they are instead of modifying them? (which is part of the problem of the file names not being consistent). With the goal here being no matter how they are copied or saved have/leave the names/titles as they are without modifying them and creating issues. Again, i really don't care what they are named, but it's crazy that so many changes are being made (see example below). I just want one consistent name for the file throughout the process, so no matter how or where it is copied it remains the same, avoiding this mess. Sorry for being so long winded!


*example: "The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" becomes, when copied to root folder by calibre "The New Confessions of an Econo - John Perkins" and then depending on how it is copied to my device it becomes "New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, The - John Perkins"

- Thanks

PS - no files have been altered in the root folder & calibre was set to scan only one folder on my device (ebooks).

[BetterRed]

@tomx2 - calibre libraries should be regarded as a black box.

The folder and file names used in calibre libraries must be valid for 3 desktop operating systems (Windows, MacOS, and Linux) and several file systems (e.g. FAT32, NFS, Ext2/3/4, NTFS, HFS+, APFS, ReFS (?) etc). To write and manage individually tailored code for the capabilities, idiosyncrasies, and variations of every combination of OS and FS would be a nightmare. Hence a lowest common denominator approach was taken - e.g. names are limited in length, names are ASCII-ized.

There's a FAQ on this issue in the calibre manual ==>> Why doesn’t calibre let me store books in my own directory structure?, and there's a sticky here at MR ==>> Want to change folder structure or file names in the Calibre library?


The Send to Device and Save to Disk tools provide for user defined naming templates to create the folder and file names they send and save - e.g. because the article 'The' has been moved suspect your Save to Disk template is {title_sort} - {authors} - or you have set the title column to title_sort.

BR

[tomx2]

Thanks BR for the explanation. Understood. I think that this is just a bit too complicated for me (or i'm making it too complicated). The way calibre names files is fine. The file name makes no difference at all to the end reader. The issue is that calibre changes that name (default setting, i've made no changes) as is copies to my device (wish that didn't occur, my issue would be solved) the device reads both versions of the file, so renaming is unnecessary). Looks like the solution for me is to delete the entire library (from my device) and manually copy each file back to the device one at a time (1667 files and unfortunately i'll lose all my notes), this seems the only way to remove all calibre renamed files on my device and get back to consistent file names.

Thanks for the help, Tom

[BetterRed]

@tomx - if you can post screen shots of the Metadata edit screen to that John Perkins book and your Preferences->Send to Device and Preferences->Save to disk settings, someone will help you figure out why you have the title_sort value (articles at end) in the file name and not the raw title value.

Easiest way to post screen shots here is to go into Advanced mode and click the paper clip icon in the top toolbar.

Given you have an Android device you might want to consider using the Calibre Companion app to help manage your library on your Galaxy note, as the name implies it integrates with the desktop calibre library manager.

There's probably a way to get your notes from your device back into the library, but it may depend on what app you use to record the notes. if you tell us what app your using to record the notes someone might be able help you with that.

BR

[tomx2]

Requested attachments to follow.

-t

[tomx2]

My goal with all this is to simply have the file name remain as calibre originally creates it (win 10). So that no matter whether i copy it manually or with calibre it is named the same. This way no matter how it gets to my device the file is named the same and then hopefully my notes will stay intact going forward no matter what device i'm using. This also makes it better if, as i do often, i edit a book's metadata (with updated info. i.e. personal review, etc.) and re-copy it to the device. Currently, if i copy it manually it stays the same, if calibre copies it, it changes.

-t

[theducks]

tom
those screens are the DEFAULTs to be used when first attaching a device.
Once the device has been attached, a COPY is stored in the preferences folder and does not get updated from a default.
IF you connect a device, right click the DEVICE VIEW Icon: configure the device. That is where yo make changes to existing device settings

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by tomx2

My goal with all this is to simply have the file name remain as calibre originally creates it (win 10). So that no matter whether i copy it manually or with calibre it is named the same. This way no matter how it gets to my device the file is named the same and then hopefully my notes will stay intact going forward no matter what device i'm using. This also makes it better if, as i do often, i edit a book's metadata (with updated info. i.e. personal review, etc.) and re-copy it to the device. Currently, if i copy it manually it stays the same, if calibre copies it, it changes.

-t

You cannot control the folder or file names within the library folder, and calibre does not provide a specific tool to copy the files with those names elsewhere - apart from pressing 'O' and copying them with your file manager.

The Save and Send templates define the file name that will be saved or sent.

Looking at your settings I cannot fathom why you would be getting {title_sort} i.e. "New . . . Hit Man The" rather than {title} - "The New . . . Hit Man" in the saved file names.

The attached screen shots show a save to disk that got the desired result.



@theducks - do the Send to Device settings control the Save to Disk behaviour - if they do then that sounds like a good reason to avoid it - which I do

BR

[kovidgoyal]

There is tweak to control title sort vs title in save to disk templates (Preferences->Tweaks->Control formattingof title and series whenused in templates)

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

There is tweak to control title sort vs title in save to disk templates (Preferences->Tweaks->Control formattingof title and series whenused in templates)

Which defaults to 'library_order' - I probably changed that on Day 2

@tomX2 - change it to 'strictly_alphabetical'

BR

[tomx2]

Thanks to all of you for your efforts on my behalf! I really appropriate it.
Sorry that i am having such a difficult time with this.

I changed the suggested tweak, and it had the desired effect....Although, and here is where the real problem lies (if i can communicate it properly). I have no issue with where calibre places "the" or "A". In fact i don't really want to change that behavior as it means a lot of work to correct all my files (as they are mostly set that way, due to the default). My issue is that the file name gets changed when calibre copies it. In other words; "The Hidden Harbor Mystery (Book - Franklin W. Dixon.epub" (in calibre's file structure) becomes "The Hidden Harbor Mystery (Book 14) - Franklin W. Dixon.epub" when i view it on my device. I know i'm missing something, and it's entirely possible you have already explained a fix for me, but i'm still not grasping it. All this stems from my desire to have the file name remain constant so my notes are preserved. Currently if i update a book's notes, the inconsistent naming will ensure that the notes are lost. And a second file of the same book is created (with both truncated and full names).

Maybe Android has something to do with this? I am copying manually to an sd card with no special software in between (win 10). I have noticed, that this happens on the longer file names. If it is a short name, it remains the same. If it is a long file name, calibre's truncated file name is somehow converted to the full title's name (when calibre sends to device).

As i said earlier, i think at this point, i might delete all my files on my device (bite the bullet on my notes) and hand copy them over one by one. This way i should have consistent names, instead of tying to get files that calibre "sent to device" (that are mixed with files that i hand copied) to match. It will take some time, but so has figuring out this mystery.

Thanks again, all of you, t

PS - kovidgoyal; i am currently reading "No Beast So Fierce" incredible story (both colonial and nature aspects).