series sort question

[speakingtohe]

When I sort by series in the GUI I get library order which is how I have it set. Same when I expand the list to select a series.

When I click on the book icon in the tag browser to select all books for series starting with T I get the ones that start with the word The.

For example 'The Clockwork Century' shows in the 'T' list but does not show when I expand The 'T' list.

It does not show in the overall 'C' list but shows when I expand the 'C' list.

I like to use the overall (all series starting with) list when I am trying to correct my series metadata and at least 60 % of the inconsistencies show up at a glance. But many don't as some start with 'The' or 'An' for some titles and not for others in the series.

Probably I have something set wrong but cannot find it.

Helen

[theducks]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

When I sort by series in the GUI I get library order which is how I have it set. Same when I expand the list to select a series.

When I click on the book icon in the tag browser to select all books for series starting with T I get the ones that start with the word The.

For example 'The Clockwork Century' shows in the 'T' list but does not show when I expand The 'T' list.

It does not show in the overall 'C' list but shows when I expand the 'C' list.

I like to use the overall (all series starting with) list when I am trying to correct my series metadata and at least 60 % of the inconsistencies show up at a glance. But many don't as some start with 'The' or 'An' for some titles and not for others in the series.

Probably I have something set wrong but cannot find it.

Helen

first I would suggest that you use the QC plugin and validate Author Sort and Title sort (no red sort fields in the Metadata editor).
then Preferences: Tweaks: # Control sorting of titles and series in the library display

Note there is a Note on that section the prior sorts are NOT changed automatically You might try 'Manage Series' and touch each of the ones with problems to trigger a new sort compute

BTW, this may be the answer to one or 2 series I have issues with sending to device that appear as:
A, Good Series
instead of: Good Series, A

[speakingtohe]

I do use the QC plugin and it is marvelous. But does not address series AFAIK.

I have clicked, resorted, converted, checked tweaks etc. The behavior is very consistent in its inconsistency

Chances are you have a series starting with The, A, or An. If you could be so kind as to click the 'T' book icon in the tag browser and scroll down the list if neccessary you will see all the ones with 'The' they all appear. But they won't appear in the expanded list.

I will try the manage series although I am sure I have done this already. Just restored my computer and have not reinstalled calibre yet, so may take a bit.

Thanks for the input

Helen

[kiwidude]

Preferences -> Tweaks -> "Control sorting of titles and series in the library display", set it to:

title_series_sorting = 'strictly_alphabetic'

[theducks]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

I do use the QC plugin and it is marvelous. But does not address series AFAIK.

I have clicked, resorted, converted, checked tweaks etc. The behavior is very consistent in its inconsistency

Chances are you have a series starting with The, A, or An. If you could be so kind as to click the 'T' book icon in the tag browser and scroll down the list if neccessary you will see all the ones with 'The' they all appear. But they won't appear in the expanded list.

I will try the manage series although I am sure I have done this already. Just restored my computer and have not reinstalled calibre yet, so may take a bit.

Thanks for the input

Helen

All my series appear in the Tag browser in Library order (my choice)

The Big One is in the proper place (B) for 'Big One'

A Small Choice is in the proper place (S) for 'Small Choice'


Which is exactly how the show up if I sort the Series column

[speakingtohe]

@theducks
Mine too except when when I click on the book icon in the tag browser. This gives me a list that has all of the books with series name starting with 'T' for example. The Big One would be in this list . If I click on the large book item for 'B' The Big One would not be there.

@kiwidude
Yes I did change it, but then it seems worse.
I am trying to spot occurrances where the series metadata is inconsistant. ie. The Clockwork Century or Clockwork Century.
I find that seeing only one alphabet category at a time in the GUI table makes it more manageable.

But I only do this about once a year and I am almost finished so not important really.

Thanks
Helen

[theducks]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

@theducks
Mine too except when when I click on the book icon in the tag browser. This gives me a list that has all of the books with series name starting with 'T' for example. The Big One would be in this list . If I click on the large book item for 'B' The Big One would not be there.


Thanks
Helen

I just took a peek way under the covers (inside the metadata.db: series table).

All my series Sort values are the same as my Series names (field).


Try This

At the bottom of the Tag Browser: Manage... (series)
If needed: Click the 'Tag' column header to sort (by direction)
Scroll to the (false) The's (or A, An). Find the first wrong entry:

Caution: care needed
double-click to put the series name in edit mode.
tap the 'end' key or click at the end of the line (the cursor will blink there and the ENTIRE area will NOT be blue)
add a space (to force a new sort to be calculated) and tap enter

(lets check that the results are working so click OK and see if that series is now in the correct spot) If the test is successful, fix them all

If it failed We tried

If the test

[speakingtohe]

I did this and still the same.

All of my series are already in the right spot except when I click the book icon beside a letter in the series list in the tag browser.

Everything displays correctly except when I am showing only those books whose series start with a certain letter. The books that are shown in the GUI table are all sorted correctly.

It is that books that belong in this list are not included if they start with The or A or AN unless you are looking at the T or A lists

To be clear in the tag browser the series list is expanded so that the book icons show. Clicking directly on the book icon puts a + beside that book icon and does not expand the sublist. This is the view I am having trouble with.

I know I am being repetitive but I am finding it difficult to explain clearly. It took me a while to actually see what was happening.

I have done the database check and everything is good.
I have done the manage series thing 4 times and nothing is changed. Everything sorts correctly and the series show up in the correct sublist (which is very helpful)

I have created a new library and imported a dozen books and the behavior is the same.

I have corrected hundreds of series and reconverted etc.

I have reformatted my hard drive, reinstalled Windows 7 and installed 0.8.43 and repeated these steps (except for the last).

The good thing is my computer is much cleaner and performing better

Thanks again for your input.
Helen

[theducks]

I see it
It ONLY happens when you select Just the Letter


The Search term (it generates) is ignoring the 'sort rules'
The list below the Series letter (tabbed book) is correct)

I see A Miss Marple when searching Series that start with A

series:"~[^A|An|The][A]"

OK I think this is the fix: Lose the initial ^ after the ~ then add the red
The purple is the letter does not wok right

[chaley]

@speakingtohe: For series, using first-letter partitioning and searching on a letter does indeed not work correctly when using library order and when a series begins with an article.

Recapitulating what you are saying and what I see does not work: consider a series "The Lost" (I made it up). It sorts under 'L', and is seen when 'L' is expanded. Now click on the book next to 'L'. You get the search series:"~^[L]", or any series beginning with 'L'. Clearly "The Lost" begins with 'T', so it isn't found. It *will* be found when you click on 'T', even though it is not in that list.

Said another way, the problem arises because there is no column "series_sort" to search against.

I confess -- I am not at all sure how to fix this. I think I will need to do something with the articles pattern, to ignore the A/An etc in front of the search letter, but this is made very complicated by the multi-language options for that pattern. Needs thought...

[speakingtohe]

@theducks
There you go I feel better having managed to actually explain it. And A Miss Marple is missing from the items only starting with an M which is what I have been whining about.

Thanks for not totally writing me off as a nutbar

Helen

[speakingtohe]

@chaley
I would not worry about it if I were you. I might be the only person who wants to do this and I don't do it often.

I started the thread in case there was something obvious I was overlooking which is usually the case.

I actually manage quite well using the subseries list and the similiar authors search and it is persnickity of me to even do that.

Thanks to your previous help I have my books sorted on my readers under author_sort by series number-series (all the lowest series numbers are listed first and the series names are in the author (jackie_W plugboard)

I just get annoyed by inconsistent series names displayed in calibre, but it does not seriously inconvenience me.

Helen

[chaley]

@speakingtohe: I can't help but worry about it. How it behaves is wrong, and that offends me. That doesn't mean I will be able to fix it, but that is another issue.

@theducks: regular expressions like this one work. I need to play a bit to ensure that I am not doing something wrong.

series:"~^(A|The|An)\s+[T]" or (series:"~^[T]" and not series:"~^(A|The|An)")

Of course, you change the letter in the [ ] to be the "first letter" you click.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by chaley

@speakingtohe: I can't help but worry about it. How it behaves is wrong, and that offends me. That doesn't mean I will be able to fix it, but that is another issue.

@theducks: regular expressions like this one work. I need to play a bit to ensure that I am not doing something wrong.

series:"~^(A|The|An)\s+[T]" or (series:"~^[T]" and not series:"~^(A|The|An)")

Of course, you change the letter in the [ ] to be the "first letter" you click.

I was not doing the OR part (I was trying Negative look behind with the An,A,The )

Thanks,
if it was not for Helen I would not have noticed the problem.

[speakingtohe]

Well keep it in perspective I hope. More pressing problems I am sure. I was just looking for an easy answer.

And I must say I love you guys for your help, concern and just overall niceness.

Helen