Adding Ability to Read Books Online

caleb68864 · 03-28-2012, 03:42 PM

I am trying to add some functionality to Calibre.
I would like to add the ability to read books online.
I plan on doing this by extracting an htmlz version of the book inside the book folder and opening it in the web browser.
I have created a php function that extracts the file and opens the page.
I have also created a python script that will extract the file.
However I have not figured out how to make this work with Calibre yet.
When I try running the php page I get the following errors.

http://localhost:9878/static/browse/reader.php
404 Not Found
u'browse/reader.php' not a valid resource type

http://localhost:9878/browse/reader.php
404 Not Found
The path '/browse/reader.php' was not found.

Currently I have not tried running my script in Cailbre the php file I am currently trying to run just prints Hello World

Another avenue I am looking at would be doing something similar to how files are downloaded now.
i.e. http://localhost/get/html/book.htmlz
This would open the extract the book on the server if needed then direct the user to the books index page.

I think this should be possible any help s greatly appreciated.
Thanks,

kovidgoyal · 03-28-2012, 10:55 PM

You cannot run PHP scripts in the calibre web server. You have to write your code in python, and create endpoints for it. Use the ZIP output format, not HTMLZ, IIRC the ZIP format as designed specifically for this. HTMLZ is designed for ease of editing.

caleb68864 · 03-29-2012, 09:11 AM

I have a python script written that extracts the file as a zip.
However I am very new to python could you recommend a good resource to learn how to create the endpoints?

Thanks

kovidgoyal · 03-29-2012, 09:36 AM

There's nothing difficult about it, just look at the browse.py file in the calibre source for examples. Add your endpoints there and run calibre from source (instructions on how to do that are in the user maual under setting up a development environment)

caleb68864 · 03-29-2012, 11:24 AM

Thanks, I will play around with it and see if I can make this work.

PS Thanks for making a great piece f software.

caleb68864 · 03-29-2012, 04:25 PM

So I've created what I believe to be a small Hello World type Endpoint, but I'm unsure how to call or view it on the server.

I added the following code to \src\calibre\library\server\browse.py

# Read Online {{{
@Endpoint()
def browse_read_online(self, id_):
book = 'The Book You Selected Is: ' + id_
return book
# }}}

kovidgoyal · 03-29-2012, 04:59 PM

You need to add a mapping from a URL to your endpoint in the add_routes() function

caleb68864 · 03-30-2012, 10:13 AM

Removed

caleb68864 · 03-30-2012, 05:30 PM

I have my endpoint set up and it can read a html file then display it through the server.
The wall I'm running into is how to get the ebook file from the server so that I can export it and display it afterward.
Is there a function that will give the file path of a book on the server based on the id?

kovidgoyal · 03-30-2012, 11:12 PM

Look at server/content.py to see how that is done.

caleb68864 · 04-01-2012, 07:03 PM

Removed

caleb68864 · 04-02-2012, 03:56 PM

I have two more questions.
I got everything working to extract and display the book.
I would like to modify the summary template so that if the book has an htmlz format it will display the "Read" link and it will display a "Convert" link if it does not.
How would I go about this? I am having trouble understanding how the template works.

The second question is where is the best place to look to be able to convert a book from inside the application?

kovidgoyal · 04-03-2012, 12:13 AM

The template just uses simple python string interpolation, you will need to change code in browse.py to change the nature of the get button.

As for conversions, there is no good place to do it. The content server is designed to be read only at the moment. It should not make changes to the calibre library database. You can run a cnversion into a temporary file if you want, I suggest using simple_worker.py to do it, call the conversion functions in conversion/cli.py with fork_job()

caleb68864 · 04-05-2012, 12:58 PM

To keep the server read only I am trying to change the details and summary template to only display the Read link if the book is in the proper format.
However "def browse_summary_template(self):" does not currently take an ID variable I feel adding one would break the server in several places.
I need some way to retrieve the ID without changing the number of variables the function takes in is this possible?

kovidgoyal · 04-05-2012, 01:37 PM

You dont wan to change that function, you want to make your changes in browse_booklist_page(). The ids are available there.

03-28-2012, 03:42 PM	#1
caleb68864 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Pandigital Novel	Adding Ability to Read Books Online I am trying to add some functionality to Calibre. I would like to add the ability to read books online. I plan on doing this by extracting an htmlz version of the book inside the book folder and opening it in the web browser. I have created a php function that extracts the file and opens the page. I have also created a python script that will extract the file. However I have not figured out how to make this work with Calibre yet. When I try running the php page I get the following errors. http://localhost:9878/static/browse/reader.php 404 Not Found u'browse/reader.php' not a valid resource type http://localhost:9878/browse/reader.php 404 Not Found The path '/browse/reader.php' was not found. Currently I have not tried running my script in Cailbre the php file I am currently trying to run just prints Hello World Another avenue I am looking at would be doing something similar to how files are downloaded now. i.e. http://localhost/get/html/book.htmlz This would open the extract the book on the server if needed then direct the user to the books index page. I think this should be possible any help s greatly appreciated. Thanks, Last edited by caleb68864; 03-28-2012 at 03:59 PM.

03-30-2012, 10:13 AM	#8
caleb68864 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Pandigital Novel	Removed Last edited by caleb68864; 03-30-2012 at 04:37 PM. Reason: Deleted

04-01-2012, 07:03 PM	#11
caleb68864 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Pandigital Novel	Removed Last edited by caleb68864; 04-01-2012 at 09:36 PM. Reason: Deleted

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03-28-2012, 10:55 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You cannot run PHP scripts in the calibre web server. You have to write your code in python, and create endpoints for it. Use the ZIP output format, not HTMLZ, IIRC the ZIP format as designed specifically for this. HTMLZ is designed for ease of editing.

03-29-2012, 09:11 AM	#3
caleb68864 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Pandigital Novel	I have a python script written that extracts the file as a zip. However I am very new to python could you recommend a good resource to learn how to create the endpoints? Thanks

03-29-2012, 09:36 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	There's nothing difficult about it, just look at the browse.py file in the calibre source for examples. Add your endpoints there and run calibre from source (instructions on how to do that are in the user maual under setting up a development environment)

03-29-2012, 11:24 AM	#5
caleb68864 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Pandigital Novel	Thanks, I will play around with it and see if I can make this work. PS Thanks for making a great piece f software.

03-29-2012, 04:25 PM	#6
caleb68864 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Pandigital Novel	So I've created what I believe to be a small Hello World type Endpoint, but I'm unsure how to call or view it on the server. I added the following code to \src\calibre\library\server\browse.py # Read Online {{{ @Endpoint() def browse_read_online(self, id_): book = 'The Book You Selected Is: ' + id_ return book # }}}

03-29-2012, 04:59 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You need to add a mapping from a URL to your endpoint in the add_routes() function

03-30-2012, 05:30 PM	#9
caleb68864 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Pandigital Novel	I have my endpoint set up and it can read a html file then display it through the server. The wall I'm running into is how to get the ebook file from the server so that I can export it and display it afterward. Is there a function that will give the file path of a book on the server based on the id?

03-30-2012, 11:12 PM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Look at server/content.py to see how that is done.

04-02-2012, 03:56 PM	#12
caleb68864 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Pandigital Novel	I have two more questions. I got everything working to extract and display the book. I would like to modify the summary template so that if the book has an htmlz format it will display the "Read" link and it will display a "Convert" link if it does not. How would I go about this? I am having trouble understanding how the template works. The second question is where is the best place to look to be able to convert a book from inside the application?

04-03-2012, 12:13 AM	#13
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The template just uses simple python string interpolation, you will need to change code in browse.py to change the nature of the get button. As for conversions, there is no good place to do it. The content server is designed to be read only at the moment. It should not make changes to the calibre library database. You can run a cnversion into a temporary file if you want, I suggest using simple_worker.py to do it, call the conversion functions in conversion/cli.py with fork_job()

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04-05-2012, 12:58 PM	#14
caleb68864 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Pandigital Novel	To keep the server read only I am trying to change the details and summary template to only display the Read link if the book is in the proper format. However "def browse_summary_template(self):" does not currently take an ID variable I feel adding one would break the server in several places. I need some way to retrieve the ID without changing the number of variables the function takes in is this possible?

04-05-2012, 01:37 PM	#15
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You dont wan to change that function, you want to make your changes in browse_booklist_page(). The ids are available there.