Just the metadata?

[wawasteele]

I've had the paid version of CC for quite awhile, but never used it much. I just got a new tablet, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1" and would like to get all of my Calibre ebooks and data entries onto the external micro SD card. I have read the limitations with KitKat and will just deal with it.

My main question, for now, is can I somehow transfer the just the metadata for books that I don't actually own in eformat? I keep data only entries in Calibre for all my audiobooks and books I've checked out from a library. I would like that data to also show in CC. Is there any way to do that?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by wawasteele

My main question, for now, is can I somehow transfer the just the metadata for books that I don't actually own in eformat? I keep data only entries in Calibre for all my audiobooks and books I've checked out from a library. I would like that data to also show in CC. Is there any way to do that?

Not directly, no. The only way to get a book into CC's database is to send a format for that book.

There is a fairly straight forward workaround. In calibre, add a small (possibly empty) txt file to these books. Tell CC that it is allowed to receive txt files (CC Settings, Formats and Folders, enable "txt"). Then connect to calibre and send these books. Calibre will send the metadata and the small txt file. From then on, calibre and CC will cooperate to send metadata changes for these books.

And who knows, you might actually want to put something in the txt files.

[wawasteele]

Originally Posted by chaley

Not directly, no. The only way to get a book into CC's database is to send a format for that book.

There is a fairly straight forward workaround. In calibre, add a small (possibly empty) txt file to these books. Tell CC that it is allowed to receive txt files (CC Settings, Formats and Folders, enable "txt"). Then connect to calibre and send these books. Calibre will send the metadata and the small txt file. From then on, calibre and CC will cooperate to send metadata changes for these books.

And who knows, you might actually want to put something in the txt files.

Thank you. That works well. Now I just have to add a txt file to a few hundred entries.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by wawasteele

Thank you. That works well. Now I just have to add a txt file to a few hundred entries.

You can speed up the process by

1. Put the text file on your desktop
2. Search for all the books with no formats (formats:false), then:
3. Select a book so its details are showing at the bottom or the right, depending on your layout.
4. Drag the text file onto the details, for example onto the cover. That will add the text file to that book.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until done.

[wawasteele]

Wow, thank you again! I didn't know about step four. That will be a huge help.