Boolean data type?

[DMcCunney]

I'm not sure if this is a feature request, or if what I want to do already exists.

I've added a column called Sync that displays as the first column in my Calibre UI. The purpose is to keep a list of books I want to transfer to one or another of my Android devices. As a general rule, only a small subset of my master Calibre library gets put on the tablets I use as eBook viewers. I added a column to track stuff I was likely to want to add when I next did updates. Sort on the column, and select from the ones checked.

The Sync column is currently defined as a Yes/No entry, but that's not exactly what I want. I want a simple Boolean - click the cell in that column on a book entry, and a checkmark appears I can sort on. Click it again and the mark is cleared. I don't see what I want as an option in Calibre, so it looks like I'm asking for a Boolean data type to be added as a way a column can be defined.

(In an ideal world, that mark would automatically be cleared when I transferred books to a device, but since more than one device is involved, that gets complex fast. I'll settle for a simple list and manually clear entries.)

If this capability already exists and I simply missed it, Pointers Gratefully Accepted.
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Dennis

[Terisa de morgan]

In Preferences/Behavior you have an option which is called (more or less, I've got the Spanish interface): Yes/No columns have three values. If you unmark it, I think you get the behavior you want... for ALL the columns.

[theducks]

I think you just need a Toggle feature for the current Y/N ? Click advances to the net choice <undefined,N,Y>

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by theducks

I think you just need a Toggle feature for the current Y/N ? Click advances to the net choice <undefined,N,Y>

Not exactly. I don't want Yes/No/undefined. I want True/False.

Default is False, and the cell for that column on any row is blank. Click the column cell for that row, and it becomes True and a check mark that can be sorted on appears. Click it again and the value toggles to False and the check mark goes away.

Essentially, I want to reduce clicks. I want to just click that cell to have the row marked. and click again to unmark. As it stands, I must click the cell to select it, click again to bring up the Yes/No choice, and click a third time to select Yes. That's two more clicks than needed for what I want.

If what I want is doable in Calibre as is, tell me how?
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Dennis

[davidfor]

@DMcCunney: I suggest you have a look at the Reading List plugin. With this, you can create lists of books. You can create a list that will sync to the device. This can happen automatically when the device is connected and can clear the list afterwards. It isn't as simple as the checkbox you want, but, it does more.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by davidfor

@DMcCunney: I suggest you have a look at the Reading List plugin. With this, you can create lists of books. You can create a list that will sync to the device. This can happen automatically when the device is connected and can clear the list afterwards. It isn't as simple as the checkbox you want, but, it does more.

I'll do that, and thanks. Clearing the list afterward looks desirable, as long as it can be made device specific. I have more than one device I'd add volumes to. There will be a single list, but I would only want it cleared for the device connected, and not cleared entirely until it got applied to all of them

I just installed it and will play with it as time permits. Thanks again.
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Dennis

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I'll do that, and thanks. Clearing the list afterward looks desirable, as long as it can be made device specific. I have more than one device I'd add volumes to. There will be a single list, but I would only want it cleared for the device connected, and not cleared entirely until it got applied to all of them

Yes, the lists can be device specific. I have a list for each of my devices. When I get or change a new book, I put it on the lists for the devices I want to put it on. When I connect a device, the books for that device are sent and the list is cleared.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Yes, the lists can be device specific. I have a list for each of my devices. When I get or change a new book, I put it on the lists for the devices I want to put it on. When I connect a device, the books for that device are sent and the list is cleared.

Not quite what I meant. As mentioned, there will be a single list that will apply to all devices. (I can see circumstances where I might want a different list for each device, but at the moment, I don't.) Maintenance is a cost - I don't want to have multiple lists and have to remember to add newly acquired books to each. I simply want to apply the existing list, and have the state for each device recalled.

My ultimate goal is to reduce the labor required for this, which is why a Yes/No/undefined value for a cell isn't what I need and a True/False Boolean value is.
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Dennis

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Not quite what I meant. As mentioned, there will be a single list that will apply to all devices. (I can see circumstances where I might want a different list for each device, but at the moment, I don't.) Maintenance is a cost - I don't want to have multiple lists and have to remember to add newly acquired books to each. I simply want to apply the existing list, and have the state for each device recalled.

You have a problems both ways. If you have one list for multiple devices, you need to remember to clear the list after you have plugged in all the devices and synced. And you can't clear it until after all the devices have been plugged in. That really means that you have to plug all the devices in each time you do one.

The multiple lists appear to more maintenance, but overall, I don't think they are. Plus, you can add a book to multiple lists in one act.

[kovidgoyal]

As Terisa pointed out -> Preferences->behavior-?Yes/no columns have three values

But note that it applies to all yes no columns.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Not quite what I meant. As mentioned, there will be a single list that will apply to all devices. (I can see circumstances where I might want a different list for each device, but at the moment, I don't.) Maintenance is a cost - I don't want to have multiple lists and have to remember to add newly acquired books to each. I simply want to apply the existing list, and have the state for each device recalled.

My ultimate goal is to reduce the labor required for this, which is why a Yes/No/undefined value for a cell isn't what I need and a True/False Boolean value is.
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Dennis

Not sure if this would do what you want but I have a virtual library where the books I currently want on my ereaders are placed. When I connect an ereader and that library is selected, the checkmark in the on device column makes it easy to see what is in the library but not on the device. Sort the list, select the books that aren't on the ereader, send them and wait a few minutes. Doing the opposite in opening the device, selecting books that do not match a book in the virtual library and removing them is also quick.

A bit of a low tech approach but it works for me.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Not sure if this would do what you want but I have a virtual library where the books I currently want on my ereaders are placed. When I connect an ereader and that library is selected, the checkmark in the on device column makes it easy to see what is in the library but not on the device. Sort the list, select the books that aren't on the ereader, send them and wait a few minutes. Doing the opposite in opening the device, selecting books that do not match a book in the virtual library and removing them is also quick.

A bit of a low tech approach but it works for me.

I already make a fair bit of use of virtual libraries, so this sounds promising.

For example, I seldom try to read PDF files on my devices, so there's a virtual library that selects only books in ePub format I use when syncing volumes, to strain out stuff I don't want to sync.

The ideal solution would be to combine virtual libraries, but that's a subject for experimentation.
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Dennis

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

The ideal solution would be to combine virtual libraries, but that's a subject for experimentation.

Maybe you can make use of the virtual_libraries function to do that in a custom column template ==>> Get values from metadata .

BR