Calibre x Apple iBooks/Books interfacing / plugin

olerite · 12-10-2019, 04:28 PM

Hey Guys,

First of all I am sorry if that is a repeated issue, I have searched in the forum on the subject but did not find any related thread.

I am writing some python code to interface with apple's proprietary MacOS iBooks/Books applications (by editing the sqlite and plist databases), that replaces iTunes to manage ebooks.

So far I am able to add new ebooks, collections and series and update their metadata information as well. I already know how to delete and list from the catalog -- soon to be implemented as well.

A foreseeable goal would be to package it as a calibre plugin and give users back the ability to sync Calibre with ios devices through Apple iBooks/Books.

Does that make sense? What would be the best approach? I have started reading the docs on plugin development and calibre API, I am still trying to figure it out.

best regards

kovidgoyal · 12-11-2019, 12:51 AM

You would create a GUI plugin, when the user clicks on it it would need to call

self.gui.device_manager.mount_device(kls=IBooksDri ver)

where IbooksDriver is a class that implements the driver. The interface such a class must implement is in devices/interface.py simply inherit from that class and implement the various methods.

moonman272 · 12-13-2019, 10:54 AM

If you make that i'd be alllll over it

olerite · 12-20-2019, 04:53 PM

Working on it, I hope to call for alpha testers a couple of weeks after the holidays.

olerite · 12-20-2019, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You would create a GUI plugin, when the user clicks on it it would need to call

self.gui.device_manager.mount_device(kls=IBooksDri ver)

where IbooksDriver is a class that implements the driver. The interface such a class must implement is in devices/interface.py simply inherit from that class and implement the various methods.

I am taking a look at the Fusion Books as an exemple, and it seems that they made it even simpler, without actually inherit from the interface.py class.

Anyway, I do still have some doubt on the GUI integration. Is if there is a way to automatically add the plugin icon to the menubar or its context menu option?

The ones I created using action_spec and create_action() are available to be added if I go to the customization preferences pane, but I am wondering if they can be added by any method of the GUI object, sparing the user of this effort.

BetterRed · 12-20-2019, 05:33 PM

Most (all ???) GUI plugins give the user the choice of defining the toolbars and menus where the tool is to be shown - it's a multiple choice list, viz:

Click image for larger version

Name: Annotation 2019-12-21 092331.jpg
Views: 598
Size: 137.4 KB
ID: 175768

Added: you might only get that when a plugin is first installed, not when updating an existing plugin.

BR

olerite · 01-06-2020, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Most (all ???) GUI plugins give the user the choice of defining the toolbars and menus where the tool is to be shown - it's a multiple choice list, viz:

Attachment 175768

Added: you might only get that when a plugin is first installed, not when updating an existing plugin.

BR

Hmmm, i am still on the development environment, where the plugin is installed using the command line, perhaps that is why it did not showed the option to add it to the interface... I will look into it again latter, when the plugin should be nearly ready for packaging and end-user tests.

Thanks for the input.

BetterRed · 01-06-2020, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olerite

Hmmm, i am still on the development environment, where the plugin is installed using the command line, perhaps that is why it did not showed the option to add it to the interface...
<snip>

That's probably it, a brain cell is telling me that the "Add xxx to toolbars and menus" dialogue also doesn't pop when you add a plugin from a file.

BR

nonlinear.nyc · 06-23-2020, 08:55 AM

That's a great idea, coz we get best of both worlds.

By interfacing with books app, does it mean book app highlights and notes are then synced back to calibre? Because that's my major issue with my (manual) integration.

I recall the content of previously read book by my highlights, so they're very important to me.

12-10-2019, 04:28 PM	#1
olerite Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2017 Device: Kobo Glo	Calibre x Apple iBooks/Books interfacing / plugin Hey Guys, First of all I am sorry if that is a repeated issue, I have searched in the forum on the subject but did not find any related thread. I am writing some python code to interface with apple's proprietary MacOS iBooks/Books applications (by editing the sqlite and plist databases), that replaces iTunes to manage ebooks. So far I am able to add new ebooks, collections and series and update their metadata information as well. I already know how to delete and list from the catalog -- soon to be implemented as well. A foreseeable goal would be to package it as a calibre plugin and give users back the ability to sync Calibre with ios devices through Apple iBooks/Books. Does that make sense? What would be the best approach? I have started reading the docs on plugin development and calibre API, I am still trying to figure it out. best regards

12-13-2019, 10:54 AM	#3
moonman272 Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Hanlin V3 Clone (BeBook)	I'd be in If you make that i'd be alllll over it

12-20-2019, 05:33 PM	#6
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 20,568 Karma: 26954694 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Most (all ???) GUI plugins give the user the choice of defining the toolbars and menus where the tool is to be shown - it's a multiple choice list, viz: Added: you might only get that when a plugin is first installed, not when updating an existing plugin. BR Last edited by BetterRed; 12-20-2019 at 06:46 PM.

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12-11-2019, 12:51 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You would create a GUI plugin, when the user clicks on it it would need to call self.gui.device_manager.mount_device(kls=IBooksDri ver) where IbooksDriver is a class that implements the driver. The interface such a class must implement is in devices/interface.py simply inherit from that class and implement the various methods.

12-20-2019, 04:53 PM	#4
olerite Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2017 Device: Kobo Glo	Working on it, I hope to call for alpha testers a couple of weeks after the holidays.

06-23-2020, 08:55 AM	#9
nonlinear.nyc Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2020 Device: iPad	That's a great idea, coz we get best of both worlds. By interfacing with books app, does it mean book app highlights and notes are then synced back to calibre? Because that's my major issue with my (manual) integration. I recall the content of previously read book by my highlights, so they're very important to me.