Metadata plugboards question

[DrChiper]

I'm using metadata plugboards to adjust the title field.
Currently I have 1 definition:
anyformat:any device = <some template> -> title

For a particular device, say KOBO, I want to make a different definition:
anyformat:KOBO = <some other template> -> title

Both definitions are saved, but "anyformat:any device" is always the first one and during saving I get a message that there is already some existing definition. This is possible due to the fact of "any device" in the existing definition.

What I want to do is to have 1 definition for, say, KOBO, and 1 definition for any other device.

My question: What is the order in which the definitions are applied? Will the KOBO definition ever be used/found as the very first definition found for "any device" applies already for any possible device including KOBO?

How to accomplish this?

[Divingduck]

Ups.

My work around was to setup each device separate as there is no "any device except defined ones".

Maybe it's worth for a enhancement request to Kovid

[DrChiper]

I have currently solved it by adding definitions for "anyformat" plus explicitly mentioning each device I have.

It would have been nice to define 1 definition for "everything" and then just add all the exceptions (can be just a few) you need.

[kovidgoyal]

This isn't my code, but IIRC any individual device definitions should take priority over anydevice.

[DrChiper]

I tested it, but unfortunately, "any device" takes priority.

[DrChiper]

There is also a strange behavior: the new definitions seem to disappear after closing calibre. I investigate.

[DrChiper]

Ok, this is what happened:
I made new definitions (save, apply) and tested them. They worked. I did closed calibre. On reopening calibre and reusing the definitions they did not seem to work anymore.
I checked the new definitions, but on reopening the Metadata plugboards editing window, I discovered that somehow those new definitions all disappeared and my original single definition "anyformat:any device" reappeared, but not with its original template, but with a template of one of the new definitions.

I tried to recreate the problem by defining the new definitions again from scratch, but no luck so far.
Go figure.

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by DrChiper

I tested it, but unfortunately, "any device" takes priority.

Open a bug report about it, should be easy to fix.

[DrChiper]

Priority bug submitted https://bugs.launchpad.net/calibre/+bug/1743716

For the case of the disappearing definition I did not submit a bug, as it is not reproduceable at the moment. It still can be a handling mistake on my account, but it is still odd that the template part of the missing definition was present in the reappearing original definition.

[DrChiper]

Mystery solved:

There is 1 metadata plugboards PER library!

I have several libraries, hence each one seem to have its own, different definition in its according metadata plugboards.
Not at all what you might expect, but there is some logic to it.

So what probably happened was that I created a definition in a library, switched to another library and uploaded ebooks, which failed to comply to the intended definition (because it was not defined in THIS current library), then switched to another library, only to find that all my definitions had disappeared (as no definitions where made for THIS current library).

The only thing I still do not get is why calibre complains that a definition is already in place + whether I still want to save it?

[DrChiper]

But ...
Now having the correct definitions in place, still the "any device" takes priority over the "KOBO" device definition. So the priority solving "seems" to be:
1) any format, any device
2) any format, specific device
3) specific format, any device
4) specific format, specific device



I get it only to work by removing the "any device" definition.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by DrChiper

But ...
Now having the correct definitions in place, still the "any device" takes priority over the "KOBO" device definition. So the priority solving "seems" to be:
1) any format, any device
2) any format, specific device
3) specific format, any device
4) specific format, specific device



I get it only to work by removing the "any device" definition.

As I said in the bug report, the priority is

1. specific format, specific device
2. specific format, any device
3. any format, specific device
4. any format, any device

I suggest that you run calibre in debug mode so you can see which format and device names are being used, and which plugboard is selected.

It would also be helpful if you posted your plugboard definitions. You can get these in Preferences / Plugboards by selecting the lines (one by one), copying the line, then pasting the line in a post.

[DrChiper]

It is solved:
My kobo device uses a kobotouch driver, while I made a definition for "kobo", and the plugboard expected "kobotouch", so it defaulted to "any device".

The debug log does not mentioned it, but is was obvious from the used template definition.

So in the end I was to blame