managing PDF Metadata for kindle DX

jomaweb · 03-16-2010, 03:32 PM

Hi all

I've noticed the way Calibre handles pdf metadata is not suitable for Kindle users.

If you check the PDF metadata in windows (I use Quick PDF Tools to manage metadata) you'll see the metadata not changed when modified in Calibre, so if the file is transferred to Kindle, the book is not properly shown.

Kindle uses the metadata to show the list of pdf and allows the user to choose the sorting order (by author, by title) and i have to change by hand with Quick Pdf Tools setting the correct fields (author and title) BEFORE adding the book to Calibre.

is there any workaround to fix this and not to do the same work twice per file?

thanks

itimpi · 03-16-2010, 04:02 PM

Calibre does not change the metadata stored in an eBook file until you either do a conversion on it or send it to a device. In the latter case I believe only the version sent to the device will be changed.

Without those actions it is simply stored in the Calibre metadata database.

jomaweb · 03-16-2010, 06:23 PM

Nop. the version sent to a device is not changed. that's my point. i got to edit BEFORE adding to calibre if I want a properly tagged PDF

jomaweb · 04-02-2010, 06:11 AM

any suggestion? is this a bug?

kovidgoyal · 04-02-2010, 06:47 AM

make sure the pdf metadata writer plugin is not disabled in preferences->advanced->plugins

jomaweb · 04-02-2010, 03:07 PM

sure, the plugin is enabled.

kovidgoyal · 04-02-2010, 11:40 PM

In that case your pdfs probably have something unusual about them that prevents setting of metadata. Hard to say more without a sample file

jomaweb · 04-03-2010, 05:48 AM

it's not certain or strange PDF that fails. it's EVERY pdf when transferred to my Kindle gets their properties (name, author) from filename instead of metadata. Any of them.
I've searched this issue in the Kindle Manual and found that this behaviour happens when the PDF metadata is not set or is blank. So I usually set the metadata prior to include the file in Calibre

I've tested in Windows 7 and Linux (ubuntu). The same issue both.

kovidgoyal · 04-03-2010, 05:58 AM

To get more debug output run it from the command line

ebook-meta file.pdf --title xxx

jomaweb · 04-03-2010, 06:03 AM

"No such file or directory"

I'm running thar commmand from within the fodler where the pdf file resides. is that correct?

kovidgoyal · 04-03-2010, 07:31 AM

what OS are you on?

jomaweb · 04-03-2010, 07:47 AM

Now? linux, but the previous test was done in windows 7

kovidgoyal · 04-03-2010, 11:40 PM

If you're on linux that command should just work

It should wok on windows as well unless you asked the installer not to add the calibre directory to PATH

jomaweb · 04-04-2010, 02:57 PM

In linux I got the same answer.

ebook-meta file.pdf --title fded.pdf
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/tmp/init.py", line 48, in <module>
File "/home/kovid/build/calibre/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/cli.py", line 156, in main
IOError: [Errno 2] No existe el fichero ó directorio: u'file.pdf'

kovidgoyal · 04-04-2010, 11:02 PM

Replace file.pdf with the actual path to your pdf file

03-16-2010, 03:32 PM	#1
jomaweb Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle DX	managing PDF Metadata for kindle DX Hi all I've noticed the way Calibre handles pdf metadata is not suitable for Kindle users. If you check the PDF metadata in windows (I use Quick PDF Tools to manage metadata) you'll see the metadata not changed when modified in Calibre, so if the file is transferred to Kindle, the book is not properly shown. Kindle uses the metadata to show the list of pdf and allows the user to choose the sorting order (by author, by title) and i have to change by hand with Quick Pdf Tools setting the correct fields (author and title) BEFORE adding the book to Calibre. is there any workaround to fix this and not to do the same work twice per file? thanks

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03-16-2010, 04:02 PM	#2
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,552 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	Calibre does not change the metadata stored in an eBook file until you either do a conversion on it or send it to a device. In the latter case I believe only the version sent to the device will be changed. Without those actions it is simply stored in the Calibre metadata database.

03-16-2010, 06:23 PM	#3
jomaweb Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle DX	Nop. the version sent to a device is not changed. that's my point. i got to edit BEFORE adding to calibre if I want a properly tagged PDF

04-02-2010, 06:11 AM	#4
jomaweb Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle DX	any suggestion? is this a bug?

04-02-2010, 06:47 AM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	make sure the pdf metadata writer plugin is not disabled in preferences->advanced->plugins

04-02-2010, 03:07 PM	#6
jomaweb Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle DX	sure, the plugin is enabled.

04-02-2010, 11:40 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	In that case your pdfs probably have something unusual about them that prevents setting of metadata. Hard to say more without a sample file

04-03-2010, 05:48 AM	#8
jomaweb Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle DX	it's not certain or strange PDF that fails. it's EVERY pdf when transferred to my Kindle gets their properties (name, author) from filename instead of metadata. Any of them. I've searched this issue in the Kindle Manual and found that this behaviour happens when the PDF metadata is not set or is blank. So I usually set the metadata prior to include the file in Calibre I've tested in Windows 7 and Linux (ubuntu). The same issue both.

04-03-2010, 05:58 AM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	To get more debug output run it from the command line ebook-meta file.pdf --title xxx

04-03-2010, 06:03 AM	#10
jomaweb Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle DX	"No such file or directory" I'm running thar commmand from within the fodler where the pdf file resides. is that correct?

04-03-2010, 07:31 AM	#11
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	what OS are you on?

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04-03-2010, 07:47 AM	#12
jomaweb Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle DX	Now? linux, but the previous test was done in windows 7

04-03-2010, 11:40 PM	#13
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	If you're on linux that command should just work It should wok on windows as well unless you asked the installer not to add the calibre directory to PATH

04-04-2010, 02:57 PM	#14
jomaweb Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle DX	In linux I got the same answer. ebook-meta file.pdf --title fded.pdf Traceback (most recent call last): File "/tmp/init.py", line 48, in <module> File "/home/kovid/build/calibre/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/cli.py", line 156, in main IOError: [Errno 2] No existe el fichero ó directorio: u'file.pdf'

04-04-2010, 11:02 PM	#15
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Replace file.pdf with the actual path to your pdf file