searching for books modified

[stumped]

Originally Posted by kcarscadden

@jswolf, @stumped,

Both of these settings are set to true for me, and when I edit the epub (using Edit Book, shortcut T), I do not get ORIGINAL_EPUB. It seems to me that save_original_format = True is for when you do Conversion to EPUB when there is already an EPUB, and save_original_format_when_polishing = True is for the plugin Modify Epub. I can't see a similar setting for Edit Book, which is the modification I usually do.

Keith

so change your workflow to take advantage of the suggestion - or don't bother...
I said that it works for conversions and for modify e-pub, but maybe not for others, and JSW helpfully explained why and how.
just take a couple of seconds to run modify epub after you modify each book, then you will have the entries you need. You may actually find it useful e.g. one task it automates is correcting TOC after book changes- that is faster than doing it manually.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by stumped

so change your workflow to take advantage of the suggestion - or don't bother...
I said that it works for conversions and for modify e-pub, but maybe not for others, and JSW helpfully explained why and how.
just take a couple of seconds to run modify epub after you modify each book, then you will have the entries you need. You may actually find it useful e.g. one task it automates is correcting TOC after book changes- that is faster than doing it manually.

Run Modify ePub BEFORE you modify each ePub. That way you have a backup in case you make an unrecoverable mistake and need to go back to the original ePub.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Run Modify ePub BEFORE you modify each ePub. That way you have a backup in case you make an unrecoverable mistake and need to go back to the original ePub.

that is also valid.
use what ever workflow suits you.

I import book, run epub to epub conversion so that all the stuff I have in extra css and all the ticked filters get applied, and an original_epub gets created...
only then do i edit ( with sigil) , then I finish off with modify epub to clean up ( I have that set to not create yet another original file)

its very rare that i mess up an edit so badly that I need to recover a file, but if so, I usually realise immediately ( e.g. that a replace all has gone horribly wrong) , discard the edit in sigil and start over, or get the one from my last calibre library backup

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by stumped

that is also valid.
use what ever workflow suits you.

I import book, run epub to epub conversion so that all the stuff I have in extra css and all the ticked filters get applied, and an original_epub gets created...
only then do i edit ( with sigil) , then I finish off with modify epub to clean up ( I have that set to not create yet another original file)

its very rare that i mess up an edit so badly that I need to recover a file, but if so, I usually realise immediately ( e.g. that a replace all has gone horribly wrong) , discard the edit in sigil and start over, or get the one from my last calibre library backup

You don't get another original_epub if one already exists.

What filters do you have ticked that you want applied? As for the extra CSS, that's trivial to add in tot he CSS using the editor.

[kcarscadden]

@BetterRed, @JSWolf, @stumped, I've created a custom column T (for the shortcut key for Edit Book). When I edit a book, I need to remember to update column T. Then I can select on values in column T to find what I want.

@Better Red, However, I would like to create a custom column that is based on the template language value formats_modtimes. When I create a custom column - Column built from other columns as any of :

{formats_modtimes:select()}
{formats_modtimes('EPUB')}
{formats_modtimes:select('EPUB')}

the column creates, but the value in all cases is TEMPLATE ERROR Value: unknown field formats_modtimes

Any clue what I have done wrong?

[BetterRed]

Try this: program: select(formats_modtimes('yyyy-MM-dd'), 'EPUB')

Straight quotes.

BR

[kcarscadden]

@BetterRed, Look what happens when you find someone who knows what they are doing! Thank-you! That works exactly as it should as far as display in the UI is concerned.

Unfortunately, creating this column does not populate the Calibre database and hence it doesn't appear that I can use MCS to do a search where this column value > timestamp.

[BetterRed]

Hmmm - you can't do a regular search on it either, e.g. EPUB file date before Jan 1 2020; but you can sort on it.

I'm half-inclined to regard that as a 'bug', I'll PM the Kovid and chaley and ask them to chime in.

Meantime maybe this plugin can help ==>> Save Composite Custom Columns - it runs when the library is closed, but I'm not sure where it saves the composite (built from other columns) cells.

You could try copying the column to a regular date column using Bulk metadata edit->Search and replace - but if you edit an epub in any way the template and copied columns will get out of whack.

BR

[chaley]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Hmmm - you can't do a regular search on it either, e.g. EPUB file date before Jan 1 2020; but you can sort on it.

I'm half-inclined to regard that as a 'bug', I'll PM the Kovid and chaley and ask them to chime in.

It works if you set the sort/search type of the composite column to "date" in column setup. Example: #col:<=2017-08-01 finds the correct values in my test database.

Meantime maybe this plugin can help ==>> Save Composite Custom Columns - it runs when the library is closed, but I'm not sure where it saves the composite (built from other columns) cells.

This is a bit complicated. The values are stored in the table "books_plugin_data" with the key (name) "CompositeColumnValues" and the book id (book). The column "val" contains the information for all the composite columns for the book as a json array {lookup_name:value, ...}

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by chaley

It works if you set the sort/search type of the composite column to "date" in column setup. Example: #col:<=2017-08-01 finds the correct values in my test database.
This is a bit complicated. The values are stored in the table "books_plugin_data" with the key (name) "CompositeColumnValues" and the book id (book). The column "val" contains the information for all the composite columns for the book as a json array {lookup_name:value, ...}

Hi chaley, good to know some of my telepathic messages are getting through

Because it's not showing in the Advanced Search I made an assumption…:





Maybe that could be fixed.

I don't use MCS, I suggest kcarscadden take up why MCS doesn't allow composite date columns with the plugin's author in the MCS thread, with a reference to this one as background.

Thanks for explain on the Save . . . columns, I think kcarscadden can forget that option.

Stay safe mate, your family too.

BR

[chaley]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Hi chaley, good to know some of my telepathic messages are getting through

Only the ones I agree to hear.

Because it's not showing in the Advanced Search I made an assumption…:

Attachment 178184

Attachment 178185

Maybe that could be fixed.

Yes, it could. And will be. I made the code changes and will submit them to Kovid.

Stay safe mate, your family too.

BR

Thanks very much for the wishes. We are of an age where my wife and I must self-isolate as much as possible. Fortunately I have a good relationship with an online grocery from whom I get weekly deliveries, our local pharmacy delivers our meds, and our building complex has nice roof terraces so we can walk outside without crowds.

I hope you and yours have the means to keep healthy, both physically and mentally.

[BetterRed]

I spent a couple of weeks in hospital in November, part of it in an ICU where some CV19 victims are now. I was discharged as the fires started, so I started wearing a mask. When I saw what was happening in Taiwan in mid December I decided to hibernate (self isolate). If I could 'see' what was coming in December, why didn't the people who are paid to 'see' the same things.

In fairness, apart from one cock up with a cruise ship, the Australian authorities have handled the pandemic much better than most others. Still a way to go though.

In 1665/6 Britain had the bubonic plague followed by the Great Fire of London. In 2019/20 eastern Australia had the Great Fires followed by the corona-virus pandemic.

BR

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

If I could 'see' what was coming in December, why didn't the people who are paid to 'see' the same things.

In most cases they did "see" but either politics (Italy) or incompetence (maybe Spain? Though one lot of test kits had only 30% accuracy!) got in the way. In the UK & USA it seems that response was initially constrained by economic considerations (The billionaires rely on the labour of ordinary people) till it was evident that they got the sums wrong and too many were going to die.

[kcarscadden]

@chaley, @BetterRed, yes, I can search for values within the custom column that is based on the template language value formats_modtimes, as you show. How does Calibre search on the column, when there is no data in the table in the database? (If Calibre search can search on it, MCS should probably be able to search on it.)

I've installed Save Composite Custom Columns, and customized it to run. I've closed Calibre and restarted it. When I look at the Calibre database, I see it has a table books_plugin_data, but this table has no values. Is there something additional I need to do to get it to populate the column?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by kcarscadden

@chaley, @BetterRed, yes, I can search for values within the custom column that is based on the template language value formats_modtimes, as you show. How does Calibre search on the column, when there is no data in the table in the database? (If Calibre search can search on it, MCS should probably be able to search on it.)

I've installed Save Composite Custom Columns, and customized it to run. I've closed Calibre and restarted it. When I look at the Calibre database, I see it has a table books_plugin_data, but this table has no values. Is there something additional I need to do to get it to populate the column?

When calibre starts or opens another library a memory resident database is built that includes the 'calculation' of composite columns using the specified templates. The memory resident database is used for search, sorting etc and by plugins.

The Save Composite Columns plugin was a bum steer. As chaley explained it doesn't store the composite column values as regular custom columns, afaik it's only used by Calibre Companion which chaley wrote.

I suggest you take up why MCS doesn't allow composite date columns with a post in the MCS thread, include a reference to this one as background. The author, DaltonST, is normally very responsive to issues such as this.

BR