Integrated UI?

takkun324 · 08-07-2015, 12:40 PM

Is it possible to create/insert plugin-ui into the main window? ... Other then 'a button', that is.

Note: I have looked through the Manual's "Creating Plugins" and "API" pages. While they do generically describe types of plugins, some seem far-too generalized (ex: the "Viewer Plugin" add functionality to the Calibre Viewer." The window-itself, the file-grid, the alt-file-grid, the virtual-library-tab, the item-tag list, the selected book display @left, what?) and I'm left not knowing what some exactly can/can-not do.

GENERALLY: I would like to use a in-window container (ex: a virtual library tab or an equivalent container, to hold my plugin's UI; avoiding the annoying popup-clutter.

SPECIFICALLY: I'm going to attempt creating a tag-editor similar to "Ultimate Tag Scanner" where as you (multi)select from a list of books and mass-modify their tags on a static right-panel (no popups). Ideally, I would like to reuse the existing cover-grid (or better yet: the list while the grid is off) to identify selected books but I doubt the plugin-functionality exists. -- Essentially, this is a combination of the Book List (gridview=off) with the "Edit Metadata in Bulk" in a single non-changing & intuitive view.

kovidgoyal · 08-07-2015, 02:00 PM

You can do anything in a plugin that you can do in calibre itself. There is no separation between calibre code and plugin code. On the flip side of that, there are no well defined interfaces either. The only well defined interface is that plugins export an action, which becomes a button in the toolbars and/or context menu.

You can in theory do anything you want to the calibre interface in a plugin. Add panels to the main UI, completely replace the main UI with your own, etc. But you are then dependent on all the internal/undocumented/unstable guts of calibre.

woodr2011 · 08-07-2015, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You can in theory do anything you want to the calibre interface in a plugin. Add panels to the main UI, completely replace the main UI with your own, etc. But you are then dependent on all the internal/undocumented/unstable guts of calibre.

With that being said, would it be possible to create a plugin that would download metadata from Amazon for music and movie files that are included in my Calibre Library? If the answer is "yes," whom could I hire to write the plugin(s) for me?

kovidgoyal · 08-07-2015, 11:09 PM

Yes, it would. As for who you can hire, I have no idea. The calibre developers I know only work on it for their personal satisfaction, not monetary compensation. But you can always make a post in the forum asking and see if anyone takes up your offer.

takkun324 · 08-08-2015, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You can do anything in a plugin that you can do in calibre itself. There is no separation between calibre code and plugin code.
...

Oh, thanks!

Yes, I made that incorrect assumption.

That clears that up. Time to dig into some python.

08-07-2015, 12:40 PM	#1
takkun324 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2015 Device: Nexus 7 tablet (1st Gen)	Integrated UI? Is it possible to create/insert plugin-ui into the main window? ... Other then 'a button', that is. Note: I have looked through the Manual's "Creating Plugins" and "API" pages. While they do generically describe types of plugins, some seem far-too generalized (ex: the "Viewer Plugin" add functionality to the Calibre Viewer." The window-itself, the file-grid, the alt-file-grid, the virtual-library-tab, the item-tag list, the selected book display @left, what?) and I'm left not knowing what some exactly can/can-not do. GENERALLY: I would like to use a in-window container (ex: a virtual library tab or an equivalent container, to hold my plugin's UI; avoiding the annoying popup-clutter. SPECIFICALLY: I'm going to attempt creating a tag-editor similar to "Ultimate Tag Scanner" where as you (multi)select from a list of books and mass-modify their tags on a static right-panel (no popups). Ideally, I would like to reuse the existing cover-grid (or better yet: the list while the grid is off) to identify selected books but I doubt the plugin-functionality exists. -- Essentially, this is a combination of the Book List (gridview=off) with the "Edit Metadata in Bulk" in a single non-changing & intuitive view.

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08-07-2015, 02:00 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,171 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You can do anything in a plugin that you can do in calibre itself. There is no separation between calibre code and plugin code. On the flip side of that, there are no well defined interfaces either. The only well defined interface is that plugins export an action, which becomes a button in the toolbars and/or context menu. You can in theory do anything you want to the calibre interface in a plugin. Add panels to the main UI, completely replace the main UI with your own, etc. But you are then dependent on all the internal/undocumented/unstable guts of calibre.

08-07-2015, 11:09 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,171 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Yes, it would. As for who you can hire, I have no idea. The calibre developers I know only work on it for their personal satisfaction, not monetary compensation. But you can always make a post in the forum asking and see if anyone takes up your offer.

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