[GUI Plugin] Library Codes

[DaltonST]

Originally Posted by Masterloch

For #lc_genre, I noticed it uses ">" to split parent from child genres, but Calibre, as I understand it, uses periods "." for sub-categorization by partition. Is there a way to have LC use periods instead of ">" in the genres?

DDC (Dewey Decimal Code) is a standardized code "value", such as "810.54". The "value" has a "description". The "description" includes a ">" to show the hierarchical nature of the DDC code "values" themselves.

The Library Codes "lc_genre" is merely the "Description" of the DDC "Code" value itself.

Likewise, the "lc_lcc_genre" is merely the "Description" of the LCC "Code" value itself.

You decide in LC configuration which of the 2 choices to default to using in LC (DDC or LCC), although it is possible to use both, just not in a single click.

Examples from the original .csv file used to load LC's DDC values & descriptions:

"810","Literature>American and Canadian>American Literature"
"810.1","Literature>American and Canadian>Literary Theory and Criticism - General"
"810.2","Literature>American and Canadian>Abridged or Condensed Works"
"810.3","Literature>American and Canadian>Dictionaries And Encyclopedias"
"810.4","Literature>American and Canadian>Literary Criticism - Specific Authors"
"810.5","Literature>American and Canadian>Periodicals"
"810.52","Literature>American and Canadian>American Literature - 1900-1945"
"810.54","Literature>American and Canadian>American Literature - 1945+"
"810.6","Literature>American and Canadian>Societies"
"810.7","Literature>American and Canadian>Study and Teaching"
"810.8","Literature>American and Canadian>Anthologies and Collections"
"810.9","Literature>American and Canadian>History of American Literature"
"811","Literature>American and Canadian>Poetry"
"811.1","Literature>American and Canadian>Colonial (1607-1776)"
"811.2","Literature>American and Canadian>Post-Revolutionary (1776-1830)"
"811.3","Literature>American and Canadian>Middle 19th Century (1830-1861)"
"811.4","Literature>American and Canadian>Later 19th Century (1861-1900)"
"811.5","Literature>American and Canadian>20th Century"
"811.6","Literature>American and Canadian>21st Century"
"812","Literature>American and Canadian>Drama"
"813","Literature>American and Canadian>Fiction"
"813.1","Literature>American and Canadian>Colonial 1607-1776"
"813.2","Literature>American and Canadian>Post-Revolutionary 1776-1830"
"813.3","Literature>American and Canadian>Middle 19th Century 1830-1861"
"813.4","Literature>American and Canadian>Later 19th Century 1861-1900"
"813.49","Literature>American and Canadian>Minor novelists"
"813.5","Literature>American and Canadian>20th Century"
"813.52","Literature>American and Canadian>Fiction>20th Century>1900-1944"
"813.54","Literature>American and Canadian>Fiction>20th Century>1945-1999"
"813.6","Literature>American and Canadian>21st Century"
"814","Literature>American and Canadian>Essays"

Since the DDC .CSV file (in English) used to load the default DDC table in the LC plugin is attached to the Original Post, you are personally free to add or change any DDC values or descriptions you wish for your personal Library. See the attached image of the Menus and ToolTips for doing so. Simply edit the .CSV file to your liking, and upload it to LC.

I wrote LC for my personal use in 2015, and I still much prefer the "flat" values with the ">". However, as described just above, I allowed for other personal tastes. Please yourself.


DaltonST

[isarl]

I have started getting errors with Library Codes in the past couple of days. Example debug output:

LC is deriving DDC/LCC from ISBN/ISSN:  1
in api:   Searching for: stdnbr=9780060515188
http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/Classify?stdnbr=9780060515188&summary=false
Connection Error: syntax error: line 1, column 62
Likely inability to connect to the Internet.  Verify network connection and retry.
Error: returning from api:   NONE NONE NONE
number of books in selected_books_list to be re-selected after cache refresh:  1
LC is deriving DDC/LCC from ISBN/ISSN:  1
in api:   Searching for: stdnbr=9780316462440
http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/Classify?stdnbr=9780316462440&summary=false
Connection Error: syntax error: line 1, column 62
Likely inability to connect to the Internet.  Verify network connection and retry.
Error: returning from api:   NONE NONE NONE
number of books in selected_books_list to be re-selected after cache refresh:  1

Any suggestions?

(PS: thank you for the very useful plugin! )

[isarl]

Originally Posted by isarl

I have started getting errors with Library Codes in the past couple of days. Example debug output:

[snip for brevity]

Any suggestions?

(PS: thank you for the very useful plugin! )

After further inspection, trying to load one of those URLs specified in my debug output results in an error message that “Access to the Classify API is provided through a secure endpoint.”

Has your API key expired perhaps?

[DaltonST]

Originally Posted by isarl

After further inspection, trying to load one of those URLs specified in my debug output results in an error message that “Access to the Classify API is provided through a secure endpoint.”

Has your API key expired perhaps?

What makes you think I have ever had an API key?


If they require one, then the plugin is DOA for metadata coming from the Classify API.


DaltonST

[isarl]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

What makes you think I have ever had an API key?

Well, because the plugin used to work. A change in the API that the plugin was previously relying on is, of course, another sensible explanation for the breakage.

I get redirected to this URL which points to this page documenting the process to apply for an API key. Although there's no mention of any cost associated with acquiring an API key, the application form does seem to want to know your associated “Institution”.

If it's really DOA, that's too bad. The automated FAST tagging was especially very nice.

Regardless of its future, thank you very much for the useful plugin.

[isarl]

I did a little more poking around on the OCLC website and found this page about the Classify API specifically. It says:

Who can use it
Classify is available to anyone for non-commercial use.

So if you are interested and motivated, then it might be worthwhile to request an API key. Zero worries if you're not.

[spiritomb]

Before I started using this plugin, I had a web search set up in Calibre's "Search the Internet" dropdown to query ISBNs via the web demo of Classify:

http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/ClassifyDemo?search-standnum-txt=9781415942673

http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/C...Oliver%20Sacks

Classify's web demo still works, so perhaps the codebase can be refactored to use webscraping if the API can't be used without a key anymore?

[werewitt]

It was an extremely useful plugin indeed. It sounds like RIP?

[DaltonST]

Since someone stated that it was easy to get one for "non-commercial" purposes, and since Calibre is free, Open-Source and the epitome of "non-commercial", I would think every user should be able to get one.

I can add a place in customizing to specify a user's API Key, and then use that in the API. Obviously I cannot test any changes without an actual API Key. If someone would like to share their key with me privately via PM so I could test the plugin code changes, that would be wonderful, since I no longer personally use LC since my 50,000 epub library is fully updated using all of my plugins that I wrote specifically for it. I am spending my time elsewhere now.


DaltonST

[SidJnsn]

I just ran into the same problem. The "request for key" page wants institutional info only. I have sent them an email to see if they will provide a key for our use. Will let you know when they get back. I use this plugin all the time and would be extremely unhappy to see it disabled.

[stan999]

Noticed the plugin no longer works

[werewitt]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

Since someone stated that it was easy to get one for "non-commercial" purposes, and since Calibre is free, Open-Source and the epitome of "non-commercial", I would think every user should be able to get one.

It says services are available but does not say that API keys to their numerous
webservices are.

Luckily they provide test keys

This "production key" is entirely unrelated I suppose.

On a serious side - I found a mildly relevant feedback form for questions, asked about keys for individuals, will copy here if they reply.

[GalacticHull]

Around early March the plugin stopped working for myself too. Sad. It was an incredibly useful tool.

[DaltonST]

Version 1.0.55 - 2023-03-31 No API: Life-Support Replacement for API that requires a Key since December 2022.

This version only populates: DDC; LCC; FAST Tags.

The creation of an LC Genre based on LCC or DDC also works, of course, as long as DDC or LCC are populated.

Worldcat.org also requires an API key, since the same folks who own Classify own Worldcat. So, the other metadata obtained from Worldcat is not available.

There are zero guarantees as to the lifespan of this life-support version. The same folks who require the API Key might decide to further limit access to old-fashioned webscraping without notice.


DaltonST

[GalacticHull]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

Version 1.0.55 - 2023-03-31 No API: Life-Support Replacement for API that requires a Key since December 2022.

This version only populates: DDC; LCC; FAST Tags.

The creation of an LC Genre based on LCC or DDC also works, of course, as long as DDC or LCC are populated.

Worldcat.org also requires an API key, since the same folks who own Classify own Worldcat. So, the other metadata obtained from Worldcat is not available.

There are zero guarantees as to the lifespan of this life-support version. The same folks who require the API Key might decide to further limit access to old-fashioned webscraping without notice.


DaltonST

Hey DaltonST, Thank you for all the effort. That alone means a lot.