Content server: customisation ideas...

[Phssthpok]

My first impression of the new content server is that it is very very nice, but of course my second impression is "hmm, wouldn't it be nice if..."

Wouldn't it be nice if the details view for a book could be customised, maybe with a template (like e.g. the one used for generating new HTML files in the editor)?

Wouldn't it be nice if you could browse by author or by genre tag as in the main file browser?

Wouldn't it be nice if you could restrict the server to only allow access to a specific virtual library, rather than any library or virtual library as at present?

I could probably go on, but I suspect that's more than enough for now...

[kovidgoyal]

You can browse by aithor and genre click the Search icon in the top bar for that. And you can restrict access to a virtual library, but you have to setup user accounts for that.

[Phssthpok]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You can browse by author and genre click the Search icon in the top bar for that. And you can restrict access to a virtual library, but you have to setup user accounts for that.

OK, thanks, I need to look into user accounts, in that case.

For author/genre browsing, I was thinking of a list of authors you can browse, and then click on an author to expand it into a list of books by that author. Otherwise you have to know or guess a name to find out that an author is there. Having a list of all books sorted by X and having to search to find things or else scroll through hundreds of pages is kind of like the Kindle interface, which in my opinion really sucks.

And I notice you didn't say anything about my template idea, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

[kovidgoyal]

I've mentioned several times that the book list display is designed to be customizable so in the future there will be more options, either builtin, or via plugins.

[kovidgoyal]

And I dont see how having a list of authors is any different from the search button functionality I described earlier. Did you actually try it? It works just like the Tag browser in calibre.

[kovidgoyal]

See https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...e/srv/TODO.rst

for a list of things on my todo list for the server

[Phssthpok]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

And I dont see how having a list of authors is any different from the search button functionality I described earlier. Did you actually try it? It works just like the Tag browser in calibre.

Yes, I tried it. What I see is a box labelled "Authors", and when I click on the down-arrow I see a message saying that there are 927 authors... what I don't see is a list of who those 927 authors are. Apologies if I'm being dumb, but I really can't find any way to see a list of authors, short of browsing through a list of nearly 8000 books.

[kovidgoyal]

Dont click the down arrow, click authors itself.

[Phssthpok]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Dont click the down arrow, click authors itself.

Ah, OK, so I was being dumb...

[paulcarter]

Adding support for editing metadata etc. and even adding books would be a very welcome addition to the content server.
One other feature that I would love to see added is exposing the "EMail To..." functionality - then it would be possible to email a book to my kindle from any web browser.

thanks
Paul

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Phssthpok

Ah, OK, so I was being dumb...

Not so dumb...I tried that also
Found out that was the sort direction (the arrow looks just like those commonly used for a Pull down selection)

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

Not so dumb...I tried that also

Originally Posted by theducks

Found out that was the sort direction (the arrow looks just like those commonly used for a Pull down selection)

So that's what it's for

BR

[Phssthpok]

Hmm, in that case perhaps the user interface needs a little rethink if it's not just me being dumb?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Phssthpok

Hmm, in that case perhaps the user interface needs a little rethink if it's not just me being dumb?

Look at our ages. It may be a generational thing.

Tubes (valves), Punch cards, Manual Transmission (gearbox), B&W TV, Iceboxes (there were still a few in use in my town), Portable Radios the size of suitcases

[Phssthpok]

Originally Posted by theducks

Look at our ages. It may be a generational thing.

Tubes (valves), Punch cards, Manual Transmission (gearbox), B&W TV, Iceboxes (there were still a few in use in my town), Portable Radios the size of suitcases

Hmm, true. I used to love watching the picture shrink to a dot when I turned the TV off.

Maybe an option for a Netscape 0.9 theme?