questions

[gianni_1]

Hi,
I would like to ask if it is possible to put an 'undo' button in Calibre, which is very useful for going back on any wrong operations. Lastly, I would like to know if it is possible to sort the books e.g. by authors first and second by titles.
Thank you very much.
Bye, Gianni

[ownedbycats]

Audit Log may helps, but only for changes made after the log was enabled.

When testing search-and-replaces, I like to use Add Book > Add Empty Book to duplicate the current book to make sure it works as expected before running it on my main copy.

Sorting is easy. Just sort by titles, and then sort by authors. The View Manager plugin also lets you set custom multi-sorts in its view.

[theducks]

Sort orders work backwards from what most people think...
A sort is biased by the previous sort

As Cats showed, you sort the title, then the author
That usually leaves the list sorted by Author with the titles in order.
BUT
You can't always have just any combination of sorts:
You sort by Series, then only a few titles will be correct (Alphabet murders...)
Some series have different Authors (really the same series, just not the same name. When the happens , I add '(authors initials)' to the series name to be a tie breaker)

[BetterRed]

There's a built-in Sort By tool that rarely gets a mention, possibly because the user must add it to a toolbar and/or a menu, and because Version 5.39 added some major enhancements that seemed to go unnoticed. I have it in the Book list context menu.



It can now sort on multiple columns, including hidden columns, sort sequence settings can be saved with names etc, basically a subset of the View Manager plugin features.

My one nitpick is: if a saved Sort is being used, the first menu item should show it's name and Effective sort string. The name of the Loaded sort spec should also be shown in the multi-column sort dialogue box.



And perhaps it should get a mention in the manual.

BR

[kovidgoyal]

The sort by tool is present on the search bar by default when using the cover grid. But I have added a mention of it to the manual.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The sort by tool is present on the search bar by default when using the cover grid. But I have added a mention of it to the manual.

I'd forgotten that, don't use grid view myself.

Suggestion: an option in L&F->Main interface… Show Sort By button in list view.

Most of 15-20 people I have introduced to calibre have had trouble with sorting on multiple columns, so I've pointed them at View Manager - but I'd say all of them only need the enhanced Sort By.

BR

[kovidgoyal]

You can add it to the search bar already via Preferences->Toolbars

[BetterRed]

Yes, add to a toolbar or menu, but not to the search bar.

I really I like its placement in gridview, left of the VL button looks like its rightful home.

That's another one you snuck by me - T&M->The buttons on the search bar

If I add it there, I get it twice on Grid View, viz:



Maybe the one on the left can be removed.

FWIW: I'd prefer to have the added items appear to the left of the search box.

And can the restriction that mandates Preferences must be in the Main Tool bar or Menu be made optional (tweak) - I know the search bar can be hidden . . . but . . .

BR

[kovidgoyal]

Yeah I havent bothered with hiding one in grid view no one has complained about it so far...

I'm afraid not abt the preferences, sorry. I have had simply too many bug reports about people not being able to access preferences.

[BetterRed]

Hmmm - I must have spotted the change in 6.8, in my previous screenshot you'll see there's no Saved Searches button, but it is in the factory defaults - I do have a vague memory that I removed it.

Pssst - if you hit the Restore defaults button in T&M it restores the defaults for ALL toolbars and menus - I wonder if there ought be a warning, I backup the config folder every day so no harm done - but I'm probably in a minority.

BR

[gianni_1]

Hi,
thank you all for your kind interest, perhaps I did not express myself well and please forgive my bad English, what I meant was that as I wanted to do a search for duplicate texts, I wanted to exclude one or more series that I thought it unnecessary to consider. In the search then I just wanted to select the whole library minus a few series.
Thanks again to everyone.
Bye, Gianni

[theducks]

the keyword Not series="bar"

For a good look at what a search could be: In the tag browser, series section:

Click once on the first series: (HOLD Ctrl for the rest)
Click 1 time on each other series you want (a Green+); Click 2 times on those you do not want (Red -)

One more thing that may make a difference: any / all search mode (there is a small tool icon at the bottom of the Tag Browser : ON that, the magnify glass icon. )
Or you can change the or to a and in the search bar

series:"=Elfhome" and not series:"=The Elven Prophecy"

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

FWIW: I'd prefer to have the added items appear to the left of the search box.

BR

I love the added items on the right of the search bar, but sometimes I feel it would be great to have a second set appearing on the left side.

On wide screens/ large res, the beginning of the search bar text field appears too distant... In my case this is aggravated with a lousy TN panel screen type.

screen snippet:

[BetterRed]

We appear to have similar monitors, but our use of menu's and toolbars couldn't be further apart



BR

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

We appear to have similar monitors, but our use of menu's and toolbars couldn't be further apart

Attachment 201826

BR

yes, I'm quite the opposite of a minimalist, lol.

(every software I like must have the main commands available at one or two-click buttons/menus. You should see what I'm doing with Xchange Editor. Toolbars all over the 4 screen edges.)

it's kind if overwhelming but I can't resist... need to re-read "The Power of Less"