[Metadata Source Plugin] Questions regarding parse select, docs and ref templates

[Boilerplate4U]

Hi all!

Some questions regarding the metadata plugin:

1. Are there any architecture docs for metadata plugin that describes the overall functionality of worker.py in more detail?

2. Is there any similar built in functionally the resembles of the BeautifulSoup selector ("Soup.select") in the example below:

Html = requests.get(URL)
Soup = BeautifulSoup(Html)
Elements = Soup.select("#main > product-grid > li:nth-child(1) > article > a")[0]
Href  = Elements[0].get('href')

3. Is there a good reference template for the metadata plugin?
--

Any suggestions are welcome, thanks in advance!

[kovidgoyal]

1. worker.py is irrelevant, all you need to do is subclass https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/plu...a.sources.base and implement identify() and download_cover() methods.

2. beautifulSoup is available in calibre. from calibre.ebooks.beautifulsoup import BeautifulSoup

3. Look at any of th eexisting metadata download plugin

[Boilerplate4U]

Kovidgoyal, thanks for the prompt reply!

Regarding plugin template, I'd really appreciate if you could recommend some clean implementations since the plugins I've seen so far were a bit to much spaghetti :-)

Btw, are there any simple step by step guides regarding develop, test and deploy?

[kovidgoyal]

Look for the builtin plugins google and google images are both fairly short and simple. As for how to develop and test, use calibre-customize to develop, see calibre-customize --help and for testing again look at the builtin plugins, near the bottom.

[Boilerplate4U]

These?

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...ogle_images.py
https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...rces/google.py

[Boilerplate4U]

When are you supposed to use "class Worker (Thread)" (in worker.py) to implement a metadata plugin?

PS...
If possible, please move this thread to the correct forum: "E-Book Software > Calibre > Plugins"

[kovidgoyal]

Never. Again worker.py is irrelevant.

[Boilerplate4U]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Never. Again worker.py is irrelevant.

Ok. I'm a bit curious as to why almost all metadata-source-plugins that I have looked at so far, utilize the following basic structure (some kind of old methodology or auto generated?)

__init__.py
changelog.txt
worker.py
config.py
Plug-import-name goodreads.txt

[Boilerplate4U]

Just some examples: Mondourania, Goodreads, Skoob Books, Moly_hu, Adlibris, Barnes & Noble, KoboBooks ...

[kovidgoyal]

Probably because they copy each other. You just need to implement those two methods, thats all. What other files you use is entirely up to you.

[Boilerplate4U]

Aha, then that riddle was resolved! :-) Thanks, have a nice day!

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Boilerplate4U

When are you supposed to use "class Worker (Thread)" (in worker.py) to implement a metadata plugin?

PS...
If possible, please move this thread to the correct forum: "E-Book Software > Calibre > Plugins"

Moderator Notice

Bp4U - IMO your thread is where it belongs, discussion of plugin development is best done here. If it had started in the Plugins sub-forum me, or one of the other mods, would have moved it here

Most people think BeautifulSoup is what you rush out to buy when your town gets locked down

BR

[Boilerplate4U]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Most people think BeautifulSoup is what you rush out to buy when your town gets locked down

BR

Well, I use BeautifulSoup every day and I'm pretty good looking as of today.

[Boilerplate4U]

FYI, found "base.py" that works a well documented template.

(calibre/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/sources/base.py)