[Old Thread] Comments section *formatting*

mezme · 03-29-2011, 11:23 AM

This is going to sound quirky... but...

A previous update a zillion updates ago... the comments section switched to a HTML based text... which is great 80% of the time!

The problem that I run into is that the other 20% is problematic when you are drag 'n' dropping or copy/pasting text from the internet to calibre for a book description. The text usually keeps the formatting (weird fonts, white text color, etc).

That being said... there IS a nifty little remove formatting button that you can click as you add comments but when you are say adding 50 books at a time... this can be a bit of a hassle.

How much trouble would it be to add a "remove formatting from comments" button to the edit metadata option? OR add a tweak that would allow you to disable formatting and make the comments section a plain text field vs HTML?

I wasn't sure if it's something that would be horrendously hard or just not worth the time... Figured asking here would give me an idea if it would be a waste of David's time putting a request in.

ldolse · 03-29-2011, 11:42 AM

Go into preferences -> Plugins, and change the Amazon metadata plugin to use plain text. Some of the other plugins may have a plain text option as well.

I thought there was a more global option somewhere, but I couldn't find it.

texasnightowl · 08-26-2011, 12:21 AM

While I hate to bring threads back from the dead, the situation the OP describes (having to manually cut and paste into the comments field) is what I am dealing with tonight. I have checked the box for "convert all downloaded comments to plain text" but the issue is I am not downloading them, I am copying them. ie. select and Ctrl+C from the web page and ctrl+v into the Comments area and I end up with weird formatting that I don't want. So far, the only option I see is to use the remove formatting button which as the OP noted is a bit of a pain to have to do for every book. Is there still no global option for setting the comments area to be plain text?

DoctorOhh · 08-26-2011, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

but the issue is I am not downloading them, I am copying them. ie. select and Ctrl+C from the web page and ctrl+v into the Comments area and I end up with weird formatting that I don't want.

If you don't want the weird formatting don't copy the weird formatting. The weird formatting is there because you did a ctrl-c which copies all formatting. I have an extension for Firefox that lets me choose Copy as Plain Text and none of the formatting is copied.

Also if you are manually copying things pressing ctrl-a to select all and clicking on the remove formatting icon isn't that much more of a burden.

texasnightowl · 08-26-2011, 10:52 AM

Thanks for mentioning the extension. I have found a similar extension for Chrome that I will try.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Also if you are manually copying things pressing ctrl-a to select all and clicking on the remove formatting icon isn't that much more of a burden.

I find it a burden when I didn't have to do it before.

Now, is it a *lot* of books I have to do this for? No. But there are times/books that the metadata downloads don't work or don't find the book summary for some reason. And in past, I didn't have to futz with formatting in the comments.

DoctorOhh · 08-26-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

Thanks for mentioning the extension. I have found a similar extension for Chrome that I will try.

I have been using some form of a Copy as Plain Text extension for many years for use with other applications. So when I needed it for calibre it was already installed.

Good Luck.

03-29-2011, 11:23 AM	#1
mezme Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS700	[Old Thread] Comments section formatting This is going to sound quirky... but... A previous update a zillion updates ago... the comments section switched to a HTML based text... which is great 80% of the time! The problem that I run into is that the other 20% is problematic when you are drag 'n' dropping or copy/pasting text from the internet to calibre for a book description. The text usually keeps the formatting (weird fonts, white text color, etc). That being said... there IS a nifty little remove formatting button that you can click as you add comments but when you are say adding 50 books at a time... this can be a bit of a hassle. How much trouble would it be to add a "remove formatting from comments" button to the edit metadata option? OR add a tweak that would allow you to disable formatting and make the comments section a plain text field vs HTML? I wasn't sure if it's something that would be horrendously hard or just not worth the time... Figured asking here would give me an idea if it would be a waste of David's time putting a request in.

03-29-2011, 11:42 AM	#2
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	Go into preferences -> Plugins, and change the Amazon metadata plugin to use plain text. Some of the other plugins may have a plain text option as well. I thought there was a more global option somewhere, but I couldn't find it. Last edited by ldolse; 03-29-2011 at 11:45 AM.

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08-26-2011, 12:21 AM	#3
texasnightowl Guru Posts: 796 Karma: 2873645 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Texas Device: PW5, Oasis 3, K4B(NT), K3/KK	While I hate to bring threads back from the dead, the situation the OP describes (having to manually cut and paste into the comments field) is what I am dealing with tonight. I have checked the box for "convert all downloaded comments to plain text" but the issue is I am not downloading them, I am copying them. ie. select and Ctrl+C from the web page and ctrl+v into the Comments area and I end up with weird formatting that I don't want. So far, the only option I see is to use the remove formatting button which as the OP noted is a bit of a pain to have to do for every book. Is there still no global option for setting the comments area to be plain text?

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