Custom Column Recommendations

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Tanjamuse

I have 3 lists in my reading list plugin, "Remember", "Tab", "Favorites", I may come up with a fourth sometime in the future. The icons sound interesting, do they show up in a column of their own?

I'm very happy with all the help, and keep pdf's and take notes to remember

Is Tab the books that are on your Tab, or books that you plan to put on your Tab?

Yes icons show in a column instead of the text - attached is a fragment of one of my libraries showing different icons in different columns. I don't like coloured text, initially I did not think I'd like the icons (I thought they sounded juvenile) but when I started to play with them I found them very useful.

Why don't you set up another library (use the structure of your existing library), copy a few books to it, and then adjust the samples I gave to yesterday for "Vocation and Leisure" to "Remember, Tab and Favourites" and experiment. You wont break anything on your existing library because the Reading List and Column Colouring/Icons operate within a library - but to be on the safe side backup your main library.

BR

[Tanjamuse]

The ones on the Tab list is the list that sync with my tab, I think it those that are on the tab. Do I need to make new one for those not yet on the tab? How do I make custom columns for the icons?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Tanjamuse

How do I make custom columns for the icons?

You don't make columns for icons, instead you put icons on columns.

I suggest that you play with icon rules to see what they can do. Go to Preferences / Look and feel / Column icons. Try making a rule that puts an "icon with text" on Title if the Authors column "has pattern". Put the letter a into the values box. Calibre will display the icon on the title if the author's name(s) contain the letter a. You just as easily could add an icon if your #tab column is set. Or what-have-you.

You probably need to get some icons. Try http://findicons.com/search/download and download a few that strike your fancy. Get ones with a size of 128 or bigger and in PNG or JPG format. Then when in Preferences / Look and feel / Column icons, add these downloaded files to the icons you can use.

Once you have played, you will have a much better idea of what you want in the end, and you might even have accomplished it. If not, with that specific information we will be in a much better position to help.

[Tanjamuse]

It's just, on the image attached Better Red, it looks like there are columns just for icons?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Tanjamuse

It's just, on the image attached Better Red, it looks like there are columns just for icons?

One can create a column to be used solely as a location for icons. I don't know if BR did that, or if he just made the column width equal to the icon width. I have never had the need.

If you want a column only for icons then create a column of any type (Integer might be best so that the column isn't in the tag browser), position the column on the spreadsheet where you want, then use column icon rules to apply icons to that column.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Tanjamuse

It's just, on the image attached Better Red, it looks like there are columns just for icons?

@Tanjamuse - The screen shot I posted is from my Media Library, I keep audio, video, image albums etc in that library so its a bit weird.

The image shows four custom columns, 'F'=#findposter, MyNotes=#mynotes, L=#linktoexists and 'M'=#missing.

The only column that contains any useful readable data is MyNotes, but I can't display it's value in the book list because it's a long text column (like Comments) - the other three are 'notional' integers in that the icon displayed is based on the existence or not of files in the book folder and the contents of My Notes - not on the value of the column itself.

The sad face icon for #missing (M) is displayed if there are no 'format files' for the book

The chain icon for #linkto (L) is displayed if the My Notes column contains the string " is here → ".

The coloured ball icons for #followup (F) are based on the existence of a cover.jpg, and the existence of strings like ' hand made poster' and ' frame capture' in My Notes.

The page icon is only displayed if My Notes is not empty. My Notes a long text column (like Comments) which can be edited from the book list but not displayed in any meaningful way. The page icon signals that I have written some Notes - which may only be administrative notes to control the display of #linkto and #followup icons.

Added - chaley has it exactly right, three of the columns are integers as he suggests. It's not hard to guess where I got the idea. And my thanks to chaley for that link to the icon site.

BR

[Tanjamuse]

How do I keep image albums in Calibre?

Also, nothing happens, when I try to make a custom column and input icons. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, but the color-coding I made the other day, doesn't show up either.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Tanjamuse

How do I keep image albums in Calibre?

@Tanjamuse How about we do one thing at a time

Originally Posted by Tanjamuse

Also, nothing happens, when I try to make a custom column and input icons. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, but the color-coding I made the other day, doesn't show up either.

Is the custom column title showing - if not go into Preferences->Custon Columns, and make sure the column is checked, promote it to somewhere near the top of the list so you're sure to be able to see it.

Also its best to select icon with text initially at least, once your happy you can change it back to icon only.

Otherwise you'll have to post screen shots of the custom column definition and column icon settings - here's how I do screen shots

First we need to make the Snipping Tool easy to get at, click on the Start button type 'snip', a Program called Snipping Tool should appear at the top of the start menu panel, right click it, and select Pin to Taskbar. now you should see an icon like the following in your taskbar

Here's how to use the Snipping Tool http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...#1TC=windows-7

Here's how to post the screen shots here

IMO its better to put them at the end of the post rather than inline, its also easier - the paper clip icon in the Advanced toolbar will take you to the place to add attachments, after you browse to an image don't forget to hit the Upload button, and to get back to your post click Close Window in top right corner of the Manage Attachment page.

BR

[Tanjamuse]

I don't know if this is done correctly, but this is what I have done:

First, the custom column and then the column icons ... it still doesn't show up.

I have also attached the icon.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Tanjamuse

I don't know if this is done correctly, but this is what I have done:

First, the custom column and then the column icons ... it still doesn't show up.

I have also attached the icon.

Can you see the Icon column?

Do you have more than one reading list column? What happens if you search for #reading_list:Tab, assuming that the lookup name of the column is #reading_list.

Is your device connected? The value of "on device" isn't known unless a device is connected? What happens if you remove the on device condition?

[Tanjamuse]

Yes, I can see the icon column, shouldn't the icon show up when I add the story to the reading list named Tab?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Tanjamuse

Yes, I can see the icon column, shouldn't the icon show up when I add the story to the reading list named Tab?

Your conditions say [("Reading List" is (equals) "Tab") and ("On Device" is False)]. If your device is not connected then the value of On Device is unknown. You haven't provided an example of what "Reading List" contains, so I can't comment on whether or not "Tab" is correct.

Post a screen capture of the library window showing both the Icon and Reading List columns.

[Tanjamuse]

Is this what you wanted?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Tanjamuse

Is this what you wanted?

Yes.

In that example the "Reading List" column is empty (not equal to Tab), so it is normal that there is no icon. The conditions are not met.

Do you think that book is on the Tab reading list? If so, then post a capture of the Reading List options screen showing the definition of the Tab reading list.

[Tanjamuse]

I know it's not on the Tab reading list. But when I add it to the list in reading list plugin, which I have done, still nothing happens