How to search in all databases?

[exachillus]

Hi

Is it possible to search in all CA databases? We can have only one open atm.

thanks

[exachillus]

Any recommendations ?

[BetterRed]

@exachillus - You could use an OS search tool, eg Windows - Desktop Search, OS/X - Spotlight, Linux - Recoll. And you could limit the searching to the metadata.opf files, or search the actual books.

I use an OS search tool (WDS) to search book contents. most often within a single library, I massage the resulting file list into a csv that I read in the Import List PI to create a Reading List.

If I wanted to search across multiple libraries I would have to partition the results list and create separate csv's for each library. In practice I do the same search on each library, but it's never more than two libraries.

BR

[exachillus]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@exachillus - You could use an OS search tool, eg Windows - Desktop Search, OS/X - Spotlight, Linux - Recoll. And you could limit the searching to the metadata.opf files, or search the actual books.

I use an OS search tool (WDS) to search book contents. most often within a single library, I massage the resulting file list into a csv that I read in the Import List PI to create a Reading List.

If I wanted to search across multiple libraries I would have to partition the results list and create separate csv's for each library. In practice I do the same search on each library, but it's never more than two libraries.

BR

BetterRed thanks for the tips. I am actually wondering if this was possible in Callibre. However I will try searching opfs on my Linux as a side solution.

[BetterRed]

@exachillus - A calibre based multi-library search would need to deal with different databases having different sets of custom columns, and different databases having custom columns with the same name, but different types and meanings.

If anything were done to implement cross library search it may have to limit itself to standard columns only. Then there's the problem of how to present the results, would need something like a hyper library view

Can't see it happening this side of Christmas

BR

[Adoby]

You might consider consolidating your calibre library to use only one database. Use virtual libraries instead of physical. That way you can obviously search all the books at once.

Using different physical libraries and having to apply the same search to them suggest that you may be misusing the ability to have separate physical libraries. I have separate libraries only for fiction, non-fiction and for periodicals.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Adoby

You might consider consolidating your calibre library to use only one database. Use virtual libraries instead of physical. That way you can obviously search all the books at once.

Using different physical libraries and having to apply the same search to them suggest that you may be misusing the ability to have separate physical libraries. I have separate libraries only for fiction, non-fiction and for periodicals.

Use separate physical libraries when the structure needs to be different because of dissimilar content.
Use Virtual Libraries to Show desired content.

The only other cases I come up with for separate Libraries:
1) Security of content (PG13 , non-public (NDA) works)
2) New book Intake.

In both those cases you would most likely comparing to ONE orther physical library, which Calibre can already do.