Calibre Auto Add

[james14]

I have a problem with automatically adding books. I am using the latest version of Calibre 1.39.0. In Documents, I have a folder called Calibre and inside this folder I have VC Andrews folder which has a lot of epub books. I set the path in Calibre to look to the Calibre folder to automatically add books.

For some reason, Calibre is not adding the books. What is the problem?

[BetterRed]

@james14 - I think you have to set it to the folder where the books are - looks like that should be something like ...\Documents\Calibre\VC Andrews

But if you use the blue button at the right end of text box, you can navigate to the folder where the books are in the Choose Folder dialogue, then you can be sure that its right.

Added - But I'm wondering if you might not do better to use the Add books from a single directory - unless you only read book written by V.C. Andrews

BR

[james14]

Thanks for the response. That is exactly what I did. I used the blue button to select Documents-Calibre-VC Andrews. It didn't work.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by james14

Thanks for the response. That is exactly what I did. I used the blue button to select Documents-Calibre-VC Andrews. It didn't work.

Which OS are you using - windows, os/x or linux? It's working here on windows

Post a screen shot of the Auto add Settings - here's mine

how long is the path length to the folder, and does it contain any non vanilla ascii characters eg C:/Users/Irène Némirovsky/Documents/... My experience with Calibre is that it's best to keep path names short and simple.

BR

[james14]

I am using Vista and I tried the Add books from a single directory option. That is the manual way of doing it. I am trying to avoid manually adding the books. The other problem is I don't like the fact that once the books are added into Calibre, the books get deleted. I would like Calibre to keep the books in the VC Andrews folder. I added the VC Andrews books but they are listed as "unknown" for the author.

[james14]

Actually, I will use your screenshot as the example and I will post my updates tomorrow. Thanks.

[BetterRed]

@james14 - The auto add folder works like a regular physical 'mail box'. When calibre detects something is in the 'mail box', it goes to the front gate, takes it out and puts it in the current library. If it did not delete it then it would repeat the process ad infinitum.

You may be able to get author and title from the epubs themselves. Check the Read metadata from the file contents rather than the file name setting in the The Add Process Tab and use the Add Books from single directory.

Otherwise you can extract metadata from the file name according to the Configure metadata from file name->Regular expression setting. That may mean renaming files. I add books to a 'preparation' library, in there I correct metadata anomalies, especially making sure Author and Title are correct, etc. Only then do I move the books to the target library.

If you get books from multiple stores, websites etc its probably inevitable that you'll have to do adjustments to get the books into your library as you want them. Some stores are not consistent with their file naming nor the embedded metadata, the latter probably depends on publisher too.

BR

[james14]

It didn't work. Oh well.

[james14]

I changed the directory 2 times and it still didn't add any books.

[BetterRed]

Not sure I can tell you much more. Attached are the Add Books preferences I use on my 'real libraries'. I cant recall how/why I settled on these settings - but they've been working for me for a couple of years.

This morning I put 40+ articles I received over night via mail, nntp and rss into E:\Calibre Libraries\AutoAdd. Within a minute or two of starting calibre they were all in my E:\Calibre Libraries\ReceivingDock library. I do this every morning.

I'm wondering if you're running into an NTFS Permissions issue.

Or some sort of zone security barrier, look at the properties->general tab on one of the files if there's an Unblock button click it.

BR

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by james14

That is the manual way of doing it. I am trying to avoid manually adding the books.

If you want to add books from multiple sub-folders you have to use one of the options under the Add Books icon. This is the standard way of adding multiple books in a single shot. Choose the correct option and all the books in the sub-folders will be added.

Originally Posted by james14

The other problem is I don't like the fact that once the books are added into Calibre, the books get deleted.

The auto add feature is for folks that want their books deleted, also this feature will not add books in sub-folders this is a single level directory add.