Beta test for new server interface

[kovidgoyal]

Sure but that just generates the search expression using quotes for you. There is no analogous dialog in the server because IMO typing quotes is easier than opening a dedicated dialog to type without quotes, the advanced search dialog exists in the GUI for people to familiarise themselves with some of the more advanced capabilities of the calibre search language.

[nqk]

Dear Kovid,

The "# books found" is missing in the new GUI. Please bring it back.

[kovidgoyal]

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...faaa59d1b4440d

[nqk]

Seriously, I miss the old look.

Even though I do appreciate the virtual libraries and the series in this new GUI, but I think the design is not giving phones sufficient attention. So much space is wasted for the sidebar and top card.

And the title on covers...

[Metapath]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Sure but that just generates the search expression using quotes for you. There is no analogous dialog in the server because IMO typing quotes is easier than opening a dedicated dialog to type without quotes, the advanced search dialog exists in the GUI for people to familiarise themselves with some of the more advanced capabilities of the calibre search language.

Ah, but they aren't equivalent. When the server searches "Little Women" my library returns 10 hits. When the GUI Advanced Search searches Little Women (no quotes), it returns a single book.

I agree typing quotes is easier >if you know to do that<. The GUI guides those who don't know, especially for a feature that any novice user would expect: find the book title entered in the search bar.

The new server Browse UI already lists 7 different fields to search (thanks for the ability to hide most of them in Settings), so I don't see why Browse Title would add any significant overhead to the UI. It is far, far more likely a user wants a specific title rather a search for Rating, Publisher, or date Published.

[kovidgoyal]

They are equivalent, look at the actual search expression generated by the GUI and replicate that. And yes, as I said the advanced search dialog is preset to teach users about the search language, the content server UI does not serve the same purpose and for pete's sake the sidebar entries are for CATEGORIES, things that more than one book can have Not titles that are UNIQUE per book. It makes absolutely ZERO sense to have a sidebar entry for titles just because you cant be arsed to type quotes or a title: prefix to restrict your searches to titles.

@nqk: yes that's the tradeoff one makes for "modern" styling, lots of wasted whitespace.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

They are equivalent, look at the actual search expression generated by the GUI and replicate that. And yes, as I said the advanced search dialog is preset to teach users about the search language, the content server UI does not serve the same purpose and for pete's sake the sidebar entries are for CATEGORIES, things that more than one book can have Not titles that are UNIQUE per book. It makes absolutely ZERO sense to have a sidebar entry for titles just because you cant be arsed to type quotes or a title: prefix to restrict your searches to titles.

@nqk: yes that's the tradeoff one makes for "modern" styling, lots of wasted whitespace.

So why does it have to be modern and wasteful?

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So why does it have to be modern and wasteful?

Because a different set of users than you like the modern and wasteful look.

Thanks to everyone that tested the beta and found the many actual bugs in the interface, but this will be my last response on questions of the design of the interface, my patience for such things is pretty thin at the best of times.

Those of you that dont like to look at whitespace will just have to live with it just like in the previous interface people that love whitespace had to live with the lack of it.

[ovillo]

I'll jump in in support of the new UI. High information density is not necessarily better, and whitespace helps discern between area. I love the clarity of the new design. Kudos!

[nephtys59]

I love the new content server interface, it's great!
May I ask the option to search for multiple criteria, example:
search "science fiction" + only published in 2026 - only "delos" publisher?
Thanks!

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by nephtys59

I love the new content server interface, it's great!
May I ask the option to search for multiple criteria, example:
search "science fiction" + only published in 2026 - only "delos" publisher?
Thanks!

just type this into search field:

"science fiction" pubdate:2026 publisher:delos

[nephtys59]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

just type this into search field:

"science fiction" pubdate:2026 publisher:delos

I know that, I just wanted something more "simple" and user-friendly.

[Gentleman]

Hey Kovid, new content server looks clean and modern. There is a little to much space here and there for my taste but it looks definitely better in overall and I'm very happy that you decided to refresh content server.

I have a question.
Is it possible to make tags in content server look like in Calibre? In calibre, nested tags are displayed as a tree and in content server they're all inline and treated as separate tags which is messy.

Example of how Calibre displays tags (and how I would like them to be displayed in content server):
Tags:
>Some tag
Some nested tag
Some nested tag
>Some nested tag
Some nested tag
Some nested tag
Some nested tag
Some nested tag
>Some tag
Some nested tag
Some nested tag
Some nested tag
Some nested tag
Some nested tag

And content server displays tags like this (they're all inline and Some tag.Some nested tag becomes two separate tags):

Some tag Some nested tag Some nested tag Some tag Some nested tag Some tag and so on.

Also, having a possiblity to customize/overwrite CSS would be great.

[kovidgoyal]

No I'm afraid not having a tree display in there while still having it be functional on small screens is rather too difficult.