Virtual Libraries to show on server main page

[kakkalla]

Hi all.

I have 3 virtual libraries in Calibre. One is "PDF", another "Art" and another "Comics".

When I log into my server through my browser, I get the standard "Calibre" button showing.

Is it possible for this opening page to display not just the main library button but also the three virtual libraries?

For example, say I want to look at all the books that deal with Art. A button for this virtual library would appear next to the "Calibre" button (along with another button for comics and another for PDFs) and I would simply click on this button to be taken to all the books that relate to Art.

Is this possible? Can someone point me to documentation on how to do this?

Thanks in advance.

[theducks]

There are 3 vertical dots on the far right (more Actions).
Choose a VL is one

[kakkalla]

Thanks for this. My fault for not mentioning that I am aware of the "more actions" allowing me to do this.

But I was hoping that anyone logging into the server wouldn't have to use the more actions button, because, well … some people are not all that great on computers (such as my darling wife!).

Hence my idea that if a novice logged on, they could immediately go to the "library" that holds the books they want to look at.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. It is greatly appreciated.

PS. I hope my wife does not read this!

[kovidgoyal]

You cannot display virtual libraries on the main page but instead you can simply create three bookmarks that point to the three virtual library pages. Your wife can simply click the appropriate bookmark and go directly there, rather than going through the home page.

[kakkalla]

Hmmm. I wish I knew how to do that.

I do NOT expect you to sit there and give me instructions on how to do this. Is there any documentation on this?

I have some basic knowledge of css commands (I have been able to make changes to the jackets that Calibre produces) and I have a friend that is excellent at coding websites.

If it is not too much trouble, can you just tell me where he would enter the code for the bookmarks? I am on a Mac so which file will the coding go into (when I "Show Package Contents") so that the bookmarks appear on the front page of the server?

Thanks in advance.

[kovidgoyal]

You dont need to do anything. Just navigate to the virtual library page the usual way and click the add bookmarks/favorites button in your browser. After that the bookmark will be present in the browser for your wife to use.

[kakkalla]

I am laughing at my stupidity!

I'm sorry, I misunderstood!

Thanks.

[Henning]

@kakkalla: I do support your idea of promoting virtual library and make it even more popular to use this feature of calibre.

@kovid: I know its already possible to address virtual library. But its just a bit more complicated and time-consuming than I would wish it to be

==> If (as kakkalla suggested) virtual library would be listed directly you spare three steps:
1. clicking the three dots
2. selecting showing virtual libraries
3. select the virtual library you wish
all this could just be done in one process, if the vl would be listed on the welcome page

==> I like to address another topic: In the settings / network server / user-accounts: in this pop-up window its possible to grand users specific access to parts or the hole library. I do believe it would be helpful for administrators of this settings if they could point users to specific virtual libraries. (This might be possible already, but its somehow still a hidden feature I believe)

yours
Henning

[kovidgoyal]

see the problem with this is if you promote every feature to the home page then the home page becomes no longer simple/useful. Theres nothing hidden about restricting users to subsets of libraries, you simply enter the search expression you want to use for the restriction. It can be any arbitrary search expression not limited to virtual libraries.

[Henning]

Dear kovid

point taken

about "hidden feature": I would suggest to think of people, who are using calibre mainly as a source for their next ePub to read. I believe such a person isn't spending too much time learning about calibre. Such a person might would like to focus on using the features, which are obvious. For such a person - maybe the wife of kakkalla is such a person - it would be helpful not to get lost in a library with to many epubs. It might be helpful for such a person to focus and choose from a smaller sample of books. For such a person, it might be helpful to get a "preselected" offer from the extensive library.

As an administrator of the library I would like to make it as easy for my "clients" as possible to get to the next book. I wouldn't want them to spent time learning the features of calibre. I would want them to spent their time with their next book.

As an administrator of the library I could limit the access to a preselected part of the library - but in this situation my "client" has no possibility to "go beyond" her / his regular choice. This "hard limit" is a bit intrusive - in my point of view. In this context the "virtual library" offers a simple option to speed up the use of calibre and get directly to the next ePub-to-read.


The user-setting: the same for the administration of users: yes, it is already possible to introduce sophisticated searches to define the group of books a user should be able to access. Also here: It's not simple to set up such a sophisticated search, you may want to include virtual libraries, you may would like to exclude adult content - what ever... to set up the (in this case) "hard limits" of a user needs deep knowledge of calibre. I would just like to suggest to make the handling of this administrator task possible for people with less time to spend for learning "not so obvious features".
I think it would enrich the administration of calibre and as a consequence also the experience of the "clients".

Yours
Henning

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Henning

==> I like to address another topic: In the settings / network server / user-accounts: in this pop-up window its possible to grand users specific access to parts or the hole library. I do believe it would be helpful for administrators of this settings if they could point users to specific virtual libraries. (This might be possible already, but its somehow still a hidden feature I believe)

Yes, it is possible. Use the vl: prefix to select a virtual library. See the "Search Interface" section of the calibre manual, which says

The special field vl is used to search for books in a Virtual library. For example, vl:Read will find all the books in the Read Virtual library. The search vl:Read and vl:"Science Fiction" will find all the books that are in both the Read and Science Fiction Virtual libraries. The value following vl: must be the name of a Virtual library. If the Virtual library name contains spaces then surround it with quotes.