Feature request - when adding books have dups with an indicator added

[LadyKate]

I often add rather large blocks of books and wonder if it would be possible to have an option to "add with indicator" or to set a tag "possible duplicate" to aid in sorting the newly added books.

Currently when duplicates or rather suspected duplicates are found we see it and can choose to add the book or not to. With some books that is not great as we are starting to see "updates" to books to correct errors or modify them slightly.

I so often think while adding books that it would be great to be able to select a third option, to add with tag indicator.

The third option would allow me to add the books then sort on the tag to verify if the newly added book is a new edition or a valid duplicate or perhaps a new release with additional content and then make the decision on which version to keep and if it is truly a duplicate or not.

If there is a way to do something similar already that I missed I would like to know where to find it.

[kovidgoyal]

If duplicates are a big problem for you you are better off just adding all books and then using the duplicate finder plugin to process the duplicates separately.

[LadyKate]

That is how I normally handle it however as the list of those files "that may be" duplicates is there I'm at a loss on identifying them once I add them. The find duplicates plug in is how I normally do it but I just thought as the info is there already it would be great to have a tag of potential duplicate added. I kind of thought that might have been something moderately trivial to add.

[davidfor]

A way that some people handle this is with an "intake" library. All new books are added to the intake library, metadata is updated and then the books are compared to what is in the main library. Then they can be deleted or replace the version in the main library.

The Find Duplicates plugin can help with this as it can compare two libraries.

Another thing you can do is to have calibre add a "new" tag to the book when it is added to your library. Then you will know which is the new book when you do the duplicates check. Of course, you need to remember to remove this tag when you finish this and any other processing you do for new books.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by davidfor

A way that some people handle this is with an "intake" library. All new books are added to the intake library, metadata is updated and then the books are compared to what is in the main library. Then they can be deleted or replace the version in the main library.

The Find Duplicates plugin can help with this as it can compare two libraries.

Another thing you can do is to have calibre add a "new" tag to the book when it is added to your library. Then you will know which is the new book when you do the duplicates check. Of course, you need to remember to remove this tag when you finish this and any other processing you do for new books.

- that describes what I and several others in my group do.

In my case, after running Find Duplicate->Find Library duplicates on books flagged as "Ready to go" (a Yes/No column), the books that are not duplicates (hopefully, most if not all of them) are copied to the Main library, the duplicates are copied to a Duplicates library where, in the fullness of time, they get dealt with manually.

BR

[theducks]

Originally Posted by davidfor

A way that some people handle this is with an "intake" library. All new books are added to the intake library, metadata is updated and then the books are compared to what is in the main library. Then they can be deleted or replace the version in the main library.

The Find Duplicates plugin can help with this as it can compare two libraries.

Another thing you can do is to have calibre add a "new" tag to the book when it is added to your library. Then you will know which is the new book when you do the duplicates check. Of course, you need to remember to remove this tag when you finish this and any other processing you do for new books.

to all the points.

(Many) Duplicates should only be an issue when first building the typical Library from a un-managed source (like folder based). Once settled, a 'dup' should be rare (been suckered in by a cover change )

[LadyKate]

Originally Posted by theducks

to all the points.

(Many) Duplicates should only be an issue when first building the typical Library from a un-managed source (like folder based). Once settled, a 'dup' should be rare (been suckered in by a cover change )

Guess so. Dumb question. Is there a setting that only deletes the added files and not the "duplicates" not yet added? Or am I confusing what happens when you add files and select not to add duplicates?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by LadyKate

Guess so. Dumb question. Is there a setting that only deletes the added files and not the "duplicates" not yet added? Or am I confusing what happens when you add files and select not to add duplicates?

One of the reasons to use an intake Library is to delete those that have merged

Find dups PI can check a target library. You can resolve those before.

Then you use the builtin 'Copy to Library (delete after...)


With this work flow, Calibre (adding books) is set to ALWAYS replace when using COPY TO LIBRARY.

Your other part of the question.
There is more than 1 choice if a dup is detected by Add books CTL.
IIRC A plain NO, leaves things behind