Calibre 100 file prompt

[Taantric]

Hi,

I am trying to download metadata/covers for a lot of files. The Calibre 100 file prompt is becoming an issue. For example if I select 2000 files and choose download metadata in bulk, it will popup a prompt after each 100 files asking if I want to write the metadata. Is there anyway to make Calibre not prompt me and just go ahead and write the metadata?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Taantric

Hi,

I am trying to download metadata/covers for a lot of files. The Calibre 100 file prompt is becoming an issue. For example if I select 2000 files and choose download metadata in bulk, it will popup a prompt after each 100 files asking if I want to write the metadata. Is there anyway to make Calibre not prompt me and just go ahead and write the metadata?

Grabbing 2000 files of metadata is not really very nice to the FREE hosts (servers) we take advantage of

Calibre usage has been blocked to some smaller sites as it severely impacted their PAYING customers and internal usage.

100 books a chunk is still a fairly stiff hit on some of these servers.
Add to that by number of Calbre users getting any Metadata at any moment, and the fetch hit is quite large.

So I suggest that 100 is not a terrible number to take a pause at, and look over what you just got, while giving them a break between grabs.

[Taantric]

I don't mind if it takes a week to do all the files. My objections are

- seems redundant to stop and ask the user to confirm to write metadata. There should be an option available to skip that. It not like the Confirmation dialog popup allows you to do anything more than click Yes or No to write metadata.

- 100 files seems like a arbitrary limit.. maybe something in the background needs a 100 limit?

- 9 times out of 10, the "Applying Metadata" dialogue box just hangs at 100%. You can't close it by clicking the X. You can't access the "Write Metadata" confirmation dialogue box in the background for the next set of 100 files. You can't access the Calibre main window. Only choice is to kill Calibre in task manager. Then restart Calibre and only do 100 at a time because the "Applying Metadata" will hang.


A better way to do it might be

- Allow user to set auto-confirm to write Metadata if metadata is found, if not found skip file and log it. Optional choice skip write metadata if cover not found.

- Download metadata and straight away write it to file. This should also give it some pause allowing the free servers not to be overloaded.
Download data for 1st file, write data to 1st file, Download data for 2nd file, write data to 2nd file.... etc etc

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Taantric

I don't mind if it takes a week to do all the files. My objections are

- seems redundant to stop and ask the user to confirm to write metadata. There should be an option available to skip that. It not like the Confirmation dialog popup allows you to do anything more than click Yes or No to write metadata.

- 100 files seems like a arbitrary limit.. maybe something in the background needs a 100 limit?

- 9 times out of 10, the "Applying Metadata" dialogue box just hangs at 100%. You can't close it by clicking the X. You can't access the "Write Metadata" confirmation dialogue box in the background for the next set of 100 files. You can't access the Calibre main window. Only choice is to kill Calibre in task manager. Then restart Calibre and only do 100 at a time because the "Applying Metadata" will hang.


A better way to do it might be

- Allow user to set auto-confirm to write Metadata if metadata is found, if not found skip file and log it. Optional choice skip write metadata if cover not found.

- Download metadata and straight away write it to file. This should also give it some pause allowing the free servers not to be overloaded.
Download data for 1st file, write data to 1st file, Download data for 2nd file, write data to 2nd file.... etc etc

I have not recently used that mode: but other plugins make you confirm it is NOW SAFE to add/update Metadata to allow plugins to run Non-Blocking (of other Calibre use and edits).

This requires you to determine that YOU (or another PI) are not doing changes to the DB at that moment.

[boondoklife]

Long time user, first time writer here!

I hear "theducks" bit about not hammering the free servers, and I completely understand--had to do the same with an imdb script I wrote--the need for a break between calls. The odd part is, this prompt does not facilitate that!

If one selects more than 100 files to update, the application will happily do it in 100 book chunks, but these "Download Complete" prompts will just accumulate on your screen. I can not say for sure if the download functions have an in-built wait, but I can say this is not it.

It would be great to have a single "Download Complete" prompt or as Taantric said a way to say "yes to all" or "yes for the next 15 minutes" to meta data writes.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by boondoklife

If one selects more than 100 files to update, the application will happily do it in 100 book chunks, but these "Download Complete" prompts will just accumulate on your screen. I can not say for sure if the download functions have an in-built wait, but I can say this is not it.

It would be great to have a single "Download Complete" prompt or as Taantric said a way to say "yes to all" or "yes for the next 15 minutes" to meta data writes.

Having a 'Auto OK' (to post the results) after 15 Minutes, IF the dialog has not been dismissed or the 'Wait n more minutes'. (Like Windows does with updates that need a reboot, except allow for a 'Never' (because the store is still open and we have customers ) )