adding mass metadata to epub files from json?

jcd1013 · 08-09-2020, 06:19 PM

Hello!

I recently inherited thousands of epub files (just under 10K) from a fanfiction site has now closed down and added them all to a new calibre library today. I only noticed afterwards that the epubs have no metadata attached to them and that there's a json file in the folder which contains all of the metadata.

How do I merge the metadata.json with the epubs? The thought of adding it back by hand makes me want to gnash teeth.

I use a Mac, OS 10.15.5, so if I do need an additional program, it would be helpful if it is Mac based.

DNSB · 08-10-2020, 11:57 AM

This may not be of much help to you but on the one occasion where I imported metadata from a json file for about 100 books, I converted the json file to csv, massaged the columns in Microsoft Excel (any spreadsheet program should work) and then used calibre's import list plugin to copy the metadata to the book entries. A bit of a PITA but it saved me a few hours.

kovidgoyal · 08-13-2020, 11:07 PM

Use the ebook-meta command line program from calibre, with a script to read the json metadata and set it in the files. https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...cli-index.html

Pippo53s03 · 08-14-2020, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Use the ebook-meta command line program from calibre, with a script to read the json metadata and set it in the files. https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...cli-index.html

Should it be possible to have a script example?

Thanks!

jcd1013 · 08-26-2020, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

This may not be of much help to you but on the one occasion where I imported metadata from a json file for about 100 books, I converted the json file to csv, massaged the columns in Microsoft Excel (any spreadsheet program should work) and then used calibre's import list plugin to copy the metadata to the book entries. A bit of a PITA but it saved me a few hours.

This worked! I relabeled the columns in excel to fit the labels of my custom columns in Calibre, used the plugin and it combined the metadata and the books. Thank you!

DNSB · 08-26-2020, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcd1013

This worked! I relabeled the columns in excel to fit the labels of my custom columns in Calibre, used the plugin and it combined the metadata and the books. Thank you!

Good to hear it worked for you. For me, a few minutes of massaging the data was a lot less effort than manually entering the metadata.

08-09-2020, 06:19 PM	#1
jcd1013 Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle for iPod	adding mass metadata to epub files from json? Hello! I recently inherited thousands of epub files (just under 10K) from a fanfiction site has now closed down and added them all to a new calibre library today. I only noticed afterwards that the epubs have no metadata attached to them and that there's a json file in the folder which contains all of the metadata. How do I merge the metadata.json with the epubs? The thought of adding it back by hand makes me want to gnash teeth. I use a Mac, OS 10.15.5, so if I do need an additional program, it would be helpful if it is Mac based.

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08-10-2020, 11:57 AM	#2
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 35,399 Karma: 145435140 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Forma, Clara HD, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	This may not be of much help to you but on the one occasion where I imported metadata from a json file for about 100 books, I converted the json file to csv, massaged the columns in Microsoft Excel (any spreadsheet program should work) and then used calibre's import list plugin to copy the metadata to the book entries. A bit of a PITA but it saved me a few hours.

08-13-2020, 11:07 PM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,857 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Use the ebook-meta command line program from calibre, with a script to read the json metadata and set it in the files. https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...cli-index.html

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