Newspapers - automatic cover art and author metadata setting on download

djjje · 02-27-2012, 10:29 AM

Hi... apologies in advance for the basic newbie question. I am no programmer so although my question may be feasible via some batch mode command or such like that is probably beyond me.

I am using Calibre on a MacBook Pro and I have it downloading Newspapers via RSS feeds. By default the author is set to calibre and the cover art is set to the calibre bookshelf icon.

I would like for each newspaper to set the cover art and author automatically. I have saved the cover art in a subdirectory of the Calibre Library ready for use. e.g. when I download "The Independent [Monday 27 Feb 2012]" I would like the author to be "The Independent" and the cover art to be a .jpg that I previously saved in the library.

This is so that my library tagging is much neater and when emailed to my Kindle4 is also "neater".

Thanks for any insight of whether this is feasible.
Dave

nickredding · 02-27-2012, 11:51 AM

You will have to customize the recipe and add

Code:

title = "The Independent"
cover_url = "(path to your cover jpg)\\independent.jpg"

Make sure that if the original recipe already sets these two variables you are replacing the assignments.

If you want your cover art to be an image of the actual front page on the day you download the paper you can use

Code:

cover_url = "http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/frontpages/The_Independent_newspaper_front_page.jpg"

djjje · 02-27-2012, 12:07 PM

wow Nick...great reply.

Level 2 questions...where do the recipes live?

Thanks
Dave

nickredding · 02-27-2012, 01:22 PM

Fetch news/Add custom news source/customize builtin recipe

It would be worth your while to click around in calibre and see what it can do rather than ask for such elementary advice in the forum.

djjje · 02-27-2012, 03:37 PM

Nick

Fair comment. I was at work when I initially posted the question and wasn't in front of my MBP or Calibre. I assumed that this would be an edit in the filesystem somewhere using textedit. I am at home now and can see that there is a very nice interface to modify an existing recipe.

Thanks for your help.
David

djjje · 02-28-2012, 01:38 AM

Thanks to Nick I have managed to get the cover_url part of my objective working. As per Nick's very reasonable request I have been messing around with recipes and reading documentation as best I can. I have spent all of yesterday evening also trying to get the metadata to automatically be seeded with the author set to something like "The Independent". So far I have been wholly unsuccessful.

I have tried

author = 'The Independent'
authors = 'The Independent'
author_sort = 'The Independent'

None of these seem to modify the metadata during download and I am still left with the author of all the feeds set to calibre.

Thanks for any help and suggestions.

kovidgoyal · 02-28-2012, 01:53 AM

you cannot change the author of downloads.

Nitro · 02-28-2012, 05:19 AM

It was working at least utill calibre 0.8.38

conversion_options = {
'authors' : 'Name'
}

Is there a reason why it was changed?

DoctorOhh · 02-28-2012, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitro

It was working at least utill calibre 0.8.38

conversion_options = {
'authors' : 'Name'
}

Is there a reason why it was changed?

It will be interesting to hear Kovid's response to this since the standard answer to the author question has always been that it can't be changed on download.

kovidgoyal · 02-28-2012, 07:12 AM

That it worked was always an oversight. The reason why the oversight was fixed is in the changelog.

Nitro · 02-28-2012, 09:09 AM

Which is? I'm sorry, but I can't find anything in changelog for version 0.8.39+
Not sure, why it was oversight, it was rather useful feature.

Is it related to:
"When automatically deleting news older than x days, from the calibre library, only delete the book if it both has the tag News and the author calibre. This prevents accidental deletion of books tagged with News by the user."

kovidgoyal · 02-28-2012, 09:33 AM

Yes, that is the reason.

djjje · 02-28-2012, 11:31 AM

doesn't that suggest that an additional item in the Schedule News Download form could be Author.

In the form design this could a low lighted field pre-populated with 'calibre' with a toggle button next to it and then the 'calibre' field becomes editable with a user defined author.

I am assuming that this field could then be passed forward to whatever script underneath manages the deletion of old news.

kovidgoyal · 02-28-2012, 12:21 PM

Now there's a recipe for disaster. What happens to previously downloaded issues? Downloads you get from a friends' calibre library? Or if you move to a new computer and import your library but not your settings from one computer to another?

No doubt someone will be along to point out that I could use another field rather than author for this. Read this: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=166428

There are good reasons I chose to do it this way. You are free to disagree with those reasons, it is not going to change.

02-27-2012, 10:29 AM	#1
djjje Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: kindle4	Newspapers - automatic cover art and author metadata setting on download Hi... apologies in advance for the basic newbie question. I am no programmer so although my question may be feasible via some batch mode command or such like that is probably beyond me. I am using Calibre on a MacBook Pro and I have it downloading Newspapers via RSS feeds. By default the author is set to calibre and the cover art is set to the calibre bookshelf icon. I would like for each newspaper to set the cover art and author automatically. I have saved the cover art in a subdirectory of the Calibre Library ready for use. e.g. when I download "The Independent [Monday 27 Feb 2012]" I would like the author to be "The Independent" and the cover art to be a .jpg that I previously saved in the library. This is so that my library tagging is much neater and when emailed to my Kindle4 is also "neater". Thanks for any insight of whether this is feasible. Dave

02-27-2012, 11:51 AM	#2
nickredding onlinenewsreader.net Posts: 324 Karma: 10143 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ & Victoria, BC Device: Kindle 3, Kindle Fire, IPad3, iPhone4, Playbook, HTC Inspire	You will have to customize the recipe and add Code: title = "The Independent" cover_url = "(path to your cover jpg)\\independent.jpg" Make sure that if the original recipe already sets these two variables you are replacing the assignments. If you want your cover art to be an image of the actual front page on the day you download the paper you can use Code: cover_url = "http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/frontpages/The_Independent_newspaper_front_page.jpg"

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02-27-2012, 12:07 PM	#3
djjje Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: kindle4	wow Nick...great reply. Level 2 questions...where do the recipes live? Thanks Dave

02-27-2012, 01:22 PM	#4
nickredding onlinenewsreader.net Posts: 324 Karma: 10143 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ & Victoria, BC Device: Kindle 3, Kindle Fire, IPad3, iPhone4, Playbook, HTC Inspire	Fetch news/Add custom news source/customize builtin recipe It would be worth your while to click around in calibre and see what it can do rather than ask for such elementary advice in the forum.

02-27-2012, 03:37 PM	#5
djjje Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: kindle4	Nick Fair comment. I was at work when I initially posted the question and wasn't in front of my MBP or Calibre. I assumed that this would be an edit in the filesystem somewhere using textedit. I am at home now and can see that there is a very nice interface to modify an existing recipe. Thanks for your help. David

02-28-2012, 01:38 AM	#6
djjje Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: kindle4	Thanks to Nick I have managed to get the cover_url part of my objective working. As per Nick's very reasonable request I have been messing around with recipes and reading documentation as best I can. I have spent all of yesterday evening also trying to get the metadata to automatically be seeded with the author set to something like "The Independent". So far I have been wholly unsuccessful. I have tried author = 'The Independent' authors = 'The Independent' author_sort = 'The Independent' None of these seem to modify the metadata during download and I am still left with the author of all the feeds set to calibre. Thanks for any help and suggestions.

02-28-2012, 01:53 AM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,844 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	you cannot change the author of downloads.

02-28-2012, 05:19 AM	#8
Nitro Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Sony PRS 505	It was working at least utill calibre 0.8.38 conversion_options = { 'authors' : 'Name' } Is there a reason why it was changed?

02-28-2012, 07:12 AM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,844 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	That it worked was always an oversight. The reason why the oversight was fixed is in the changelog.

02-28-2012, 09:09 AM	#11
Nitro Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Sony PRS 505	Which is? I'm sorry, but I can't find anything in changelog for version 0.8.39+ Not sure, why it was oversight, it was rather useful feature. Is it related to: "When automatically deleting news older than x days, from the calibre library, only delete the book if it both has the tag News and the author calibre. This prevents accidental deletion of books tagged with News by the user."

02-28-2012, 09:33 AM	#12
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,844 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Yes, that is the reason.

02-28-2012, 11:31 AM	#13
djjje Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: kindle4	doesn't that suggest that an additional item in the Schedule News Download form could be Author. In the form design this could a low lighted field pre-populated with 'calibre' with a toggle button next to it and then the 'calibre' field becomes editable with a user defined author. I am assuming that this field could then be passed forward to whatever script underneath manages the deletion of old news.

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02-28-2012, 12:21 PM	#14
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,844 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Now there's a recipe for disaster. What happens to previously downloaded issues? Downloads you get from a friends' calibre library? Or if you move to a new computer and import your library but not your settings from one computer to another? No doubt someone will be along to point out that I could use another field rather than author for this. Read this: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=166428 There are good reasons I chose to do it this way. You are free to disagree with those reasons, it is not going to change.