Adding New Libraries?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Thanks for the explaination. Before I fool with it, will this work when I upgrade to Win 7 (it is inevitable)?

I think it will work but since I don't run Windows 7 I can't be more then 99% sure.

Once the individual libraries are functional all you have to do is start calibre normally (via default shortcut) and switch between them by changing the location in calibre under preferences.

Personally I still think keeping everything in one library and using tags/series and custom columns is the way to go.

[DoctorOhh]

Update: My brain is hurting tonight and even though I thought this would work I couldn't get it to work. Just pass my ideas by and someone else who can think straight can step in.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Ok. Thanks for saving my brain.

Back to the question that started this; is it possible to have more than one installation of Calibre? I would need to use only one at a time.

[DoctorOhh]

Using Calibre's manual it was easy to create many new empty libraries. I opened a command prompt (all programs - accessories - comand prompt) then I typed in the following:

Calibre --with-library C:\Calibre_Library_1

Calibre opened with a nice clean empty library. I quit Calibre via ctrl Q and repeated a few more times with different library names quitting calibre between each run.

Calibre --with-library C:\Calibre_Library_2
Calibre --with-library C:\Calibre_Library_3
Calibre --with-library C:\Calibre_Library_4

Now I had 4 new libraries and I started up Calibre fresh from my normal desktop icon.

Now (to test) I went to Calibre preferences - general (at the top) and changed the location of ebooks to C:\Calibre_Library_4 and clicked ok. The book window refreshed and I saw the one book I had already added to that library. My only problem is the tag browser didn't refresh so it still showed the stats from my first rather large library I opened.

I started a thread here and hopefully my error or calibre's error will be corrected. It looks like setting up and using multiple libraries is relatively easy.

[Debby]

Don't know if this will help but I use jumplist. Rollercoster posted this...

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...82&postcount=3

Works great - I have three libraries. I switch between them without having to batch files. I know, the lazy way

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Debby

Don't know if this will help but I use jumplist. Rollercoster posted this...

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...82&postcount=3

Works great - I have three libraries. I switch between them without having to batch files. I know, the lazy way

I was looking for that post.

Once you have the libraries created you should just be able to switch back and forth easy enough within calibre itself. Currently the tag browser doesn't seem to update when you switch between libraries. Kovid says this is a bug and I created Ticket #5712 to have it looked at.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

I was looking for that post.

Once you have the libraries created you should just be able to switch back and forth easy enough within calibre itself. Currently the tag browser doesn't seem to update when you switch between libraries. Kovid says this is a bug and I created Ticket #5712 to have it looked at.

Curious. I put a test book in my second library that created using the method quoted below. The tag browser seemed to be behaving just fine when I switched between librarys via the Welcome Wizard. The numbers were appropriate for each library.

I can't use Jumplist because I'm still running XP and will be for a while (sniff, sniff).

Originally Posted by Starson17

The Wizard is on the black arrow pulldown to the right of the Preferences button ("Run Welcome Wizard"). Make a directory (I use "Library2"), copy the metadata.db file from your current library into that directory, then run the CW and point to the new directory. Then start Calibre. It will look like you still have the same books - delete them - they aren't really there. Now add any books you want into this new library. (I'd still use the virtual library method, but it's up to you.) You can use the Wizard to switch back and forth within seconds after you have it set up.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Curious. I put a test book in my second library that created using the method quoted below. The tag browser seemed to be behaving just fine when I switched between librarys via the Welcome Wizard. The numbers were appropriate for each library.

You are right the tag browser works when you do it this way because it sort of relaunches calibre. Earlier today Kovid told a user to use preferences to change libraries.

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Dont use the welcome wizard to change libraries. Use Preferences.

That might be because the user was having problems via the wizard.

Anyway it looks like you have success! Well done.

Just running Calibre --with-library C:\Calibre_Library_2 (replace C:\Calibre_Library_2 with the directory of your choice) from the command prompt creates an empty library quickly too. Or in the case of Debby's jump list will launch an existing library.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

For excrement and merriment, I tried making the switch from preferences and I was able to get into the second library. And the Tag Browser had the wrong numbers. When I tried (three times) to switch back, calibre just laughed at me and stayed in the second library. I was able to use the Welcome Wizard to get back. Weird.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

For excrement and merriment, I tried making the switch from preferences and I was able to get into the second library. And the Tag Browser had the wrong numbers. When I tried (three times) to switch back, calibre just laughed at me and stayed in the second library. I was able to use the Welcome Wizard to get back. Weird.

It sounds possessed.

I opened a ticket on the switching libraries from preferences, until then just stick with the wizard it seems to be working fine.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

When I tried (three times) to switch back, calibre just laughed at me and stayed in the second library. I was able to use the Welcome Wizard to get back. Weird.

This is part and parcel of the same problem where the tags pane does not update. At the moment, calibre does not permit you to change back to the library you started out with. Nor does it remember the last library you used.

These two problems have been fixed, along with the tags pane. I shouldn't make promises that Kovid must keep , but that aside, the fixes should be in the next release.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I'm amazed that corrections happen as fast as they do (more like stunned; most commercial software doesn't get fixed--if it gets fixed--that fast)! I'm not in any hurry to get that fixed anyway since I have so many books I have to cut apart, scan, and put into the first library.