Composite columns and identifiers

[ownedbycats]

If you have an {identifiers:select(id)} composite column, it displays the id contents and clicking on it in book details returns the output as a Calibre search.

Instead, is it possible via a template (or custom function) to replicate the behaviour of the default Ids column where it displays the id name and opens the identifier url in the browser?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

If you have an {identifiers:select(id)} composite column, it displays the id contents and clicking on it in book details returns the output as a Calibre search.

Instead, is it possible via a template (or custom function) to replicate the behaviour of the default Ids column where it displays the id name and opens the identifier url in the browser?

Yes. You can mark the composite as "Contains HTML" then build the link you want in the composite.

Example for Google identifiers:

program:
	id = select($identifiers, 'google');
	if id then
		'<a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=' & id & '&redir_esc=y' & '">Google:' & id & '</a>'
	fi

You must hard code the URL components into the template.

[ownedbycats]

Thanks.

[chaley]

What are you doing? I ask because it wouldn't be hard to add a subtype to composite columns "contains identifiers". Columns with that type would be automatically parsed like identifiers in book details, with the same linking. But I am not convinced the use case justifies the work and the inevitable user fallout.

[ownedbycats]

I wanted to display links the details pane depending on which ids were available. Here's the original template before I realized it didn't work as intended:

program:

	first_non_empty(
		if $publisher=='Fanfiction.net' then id = select($identifiers, 'ffnet') fi,
		if $publisher=='Archive of Our Own' then id = select($identifiers, 'ao3') fi,
		id = select($identifiers, 'goodreads'),
		id = select($identifiers, 'ff'),
		id = select($identifiers, 'google'),
		id = select($identifiers, 'url')
		)

[chaley]

Said another way, you want a subset of identifiers based on some other metadata. That is one use case I thought of.

Another use case is constructing identifiers such as calibre custom urls links based on a book's metadata. This might be usable for cross linking books.

I don't know if either of these would be generally useful.

[ownedbycats]

Could it be possible to have a function (say, url_from_id:(id) that automatically generates the URL? It seems more feasible, though there would probably need to be a caveat that it only works with HTML enabled.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Could it be possible to have a function (say, url_from_idid) that automatically generates the URL? It seems more feasible, though there would probably need to be a caveat that it only works with HTML enabled.

That is significantly harder than "contains identifiers" and I don't see any advantages.

Some problems:

• It ties the formatter into the book details ecosystem, making maintenance more difficult.
• Tool tips wouldn't work.
• Dealing with multiple identifiers would be tricky.
• URLs generated by plugins and "rules" would be tricky.

At this point I am putting the idea on hold. You have something that works, so my idea seems to be a solution in search of a problem. We can revisit it if needed.

[chaley]

I looked further and found a calibre method that converts identifiers to URLs outside of the GUI and book details. It returns a list of comma-separated <A></A> tags. It also handles rules and plugins.

That deals with all my problems except tool tips. It would require the composite to be marked "contains html". I will test further when I get a moment.

[ownedbycats]

I'll be glad to test when it's in source

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I'll be glad to test when it's in source

It is in source now.

[ownedbycats]

Did I misunderstand the syntax here?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Did I misunderstand the syntax here?

Yes. The list is a string. The trailing quote goes after the value, as in 'google:12345', not 'google':12345. EDIT: Also, the first value is the identifier key, not its display name. Look at the contents of the identifier field to get the values.

[ownedbycats]

		if 
			$publisher=='Archive of Our Own' 
		then 		
			id = select($identifiers, 'ao3');
			urls_from_identifiers('ao3:id', 1)
		fi,

results in

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/id" title="ao3:id">Archive of Our Own</a>

How do I get the results of id into the output, rather than literally 'id'?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

		if 
			$publisher=='Archive of Our Own' 
		then 		
			id = select($identifiers, 'ao3');
			urls_from_identifiers('ao3:id', 1)
		fi,

results in

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/id" title="ao3:id">Archive of Our Own</a>

How do I get the results of id into the output, rather than literally 'id'?

urls_from_identifiers('ao3:' & id, 1)

or

urls_from_identifiers(strcat('ao3:',  id), 1)