calibre 3.x - should/can we prepare?

DrChiper · 10-21-2016, 09:19 AM

Recently there were several posts mentioning the forthcoming "calibre 3.x" version. To be prepared for a possible migration, it would be nice for us mortals to know in advance what we can expect.

I assume (assuming is dangerous, I know

) database changes can (and likely will) be involved. So, is there any way we can prepare for a more-or-less painless migration path? What to do and what to avoid?
Or will we have the benefit of a fully automagical migration action which will work for all (because batteries are included)?

Any thoughts / ideas ?

BetterRed · 10-21-2016, 02:21 PM

@DrChiper - as I understand version 3.0, it's 'merely' a new server and a browser based viewer

In this thread Calibre 3.0 changes and bèta release date? you will find the following exchange between Kovid and me:

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

... Could I run the existing server from a 2.99 portable install [after v3.0 is released]? It does everything I want...

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

... You can of course run the old server if you like. As long as there are no db structural changes (which is very rare) there should be no problems.

That, and that fact that you can run the new server and viewer against existing libraries (in post #2 of that thread, Kovid tells us how to take a sneak peek from within the current release) says to me that there will be no database changes - I'm banking on it

BR

theducks · 10-21-2016, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrChiper

Recently there were several posts mentioning the forthcoming "calibre 3.x" version. To be prepared for a possible migration, it would be nice for us mortals to know in advance what we can expect.

I assume (assuming is dangerous, I know

) database changes can (and likely will) be involved. So, is there any way we can prepare for a more-or-less painless migration path? What to do and what to avoid?
Or will we have the benefit of a fully automagical migration action which will work for all (because batteries are included)?

Any thoughts / ideas ?

Standard rules

always apply (just in case

) :

MAKE A BACKUP of your Library
Keep the last 2.x installer handy

Calibre will migrate the DB if needed. There is code in the installer that does this when a DB stale version was detected. (It has been a Long time since this fired off)

kovidgoyal · 10-21-2016, 11:16 PM

Hopefully, you dont have to do anything -- it is all magic -- assuming there are no bugs, of course. Obviously backup your data if you are concerned.

Divingduck · 10-22-2016, 04:57 AM

... and a usual behavior for calibre users

DrChiper · 10-22-2016, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Standard rules

always apply (just in case

) :

MAKE A BACKUP of your Library
Keep the last 2.x installer handy

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Obviously backup your data if you are concerned.

Sound advise, and I always advise that

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

-- it is all magic -- assuming there are no bugs, of course.

Sounds promising (especially the "magic"

part), and possible bugs are part of the game, not?

What made me think and posed the question in the first place was the possible home-brew constructs one can have made in the past, like private columns, functions and such. They sometimes can have impact on migration / transformation activities by causing unexpected behavior as this is hardly testable for everybody in advance.

kovidgoyal · 10-22-2016, 11:45 PM

There are very few changes to the db structure in 3.0 basically just the addition of a single table to store position data so you can sync your last read position across devices when using the in browser viewer. The addition of tables to a database is highly unlikey to cause any problems with anything.

DrChiper · 10-24-2016, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

There are very few changes to the db structure in 3.0 basically just the addition of a single table ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

...says to me that there will be no database changes - I'm banking on it

Ok, so there are some minor DB changes after all. @BetterRed: time to change banks?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The addition of tables to a database is highly unlikey to cause any problems with anything.

I agree that it is unlikely that adding tables to a DB will cause problems, but as always: don't held your breath

(Just 2 weeks ago I had a fail on adding tables to a DB myself. Turned out to be a resource issue, but nevertheless just expanding a DB might be error prone. I never was nor will be a DB-lover

)

BetterRed · 10-24-2016, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrChiper

Ok, so there are some minor DB changes after all. @BetterRed: time to change banks?

In Kovid I Trust

And cattle price futures.

BR

jvorzimmer · 10-27-2016, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

There are very few changes to the db structure in 3.0 basically just the addition of a single table to store position data so you can sync your last read position across devices when using the in browser viewer. The addition of tables to a database is highly unlikey to cause any problems with anything.

I'm currently running Calibre 2.65. Is there/will there be a way to disable bookmarking? Will version 3 handle the bookmarking external to the ebook file? The reason I ask is that the calibre_bookmarks.txt file causes epubs to fail preflights when uploading to vendors and when sharing books from other calibre users, the ebooks open to their bookmarks. And all my bookmarking is handled my reading device.

BetterRed · 10-27-2016, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvorzimmer

I'm currently running Calibre 2.65. Is there/will there be a way to disable bookmarking? Will version 3 handle the bookmarking external to the ebook file? The reason I ask is that the calibre_bookmarks.txt file causes epubs to fail preflights when uploading to vendors and when sharing books from other calibre users, the ebooks open to their bookmarks. And all my bookmarking is handled my reading device.

@jvorzimmer - the current epub viewer can do what you appear to want, viz:

Click image for larger version

Name: 1.jpg
Views: 256
Size: 69.6 KB
ID: 152622

Click the gears icon in the viewer.

BR

Dopedangel · 10-28-2016, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@jvorzimmer - the current epub viewer can do what you appear to want, viz:

Attachment 152622

Click the gears icon in the viewer.

BR

He is also talking about books from other users that already have the bookmarks in them. Btw calibre already updates the metadata and cover when sending book to device or saving to folder. Does it at the same time take out the bookmark file.

BetterRed · 10-28-2016, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

He is also talking about books from other users that already have the bookmarks in them.

The bookmarks can be removed by the Modify ePub plugin, 2nd item in the Known Artefacts section.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

Btw calibre already updates the metadata and cover when sending book to device or saving to folder. Does it at the same time take out the bookmark file.

No idea, I don't use them. Why don't you try it, if it doesn't then use Modify before send/save.

BR

davidfor · 10-28-2016, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

He is also talking about books from other users that already have the bookmarks in them. Btw calibre already updates the metadata and cover when sending book to device or saving to folder. Does it at the same time take out the bookmark file.

No it doesn't. As BR suggested, the Modify ePub before exporting the book for upload to the vendors is probably the way to go.

DrChiper · 10-28-2016, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvorzimmer

...the calibre_bookmarks.txt file causes epubs to fail preflights ...

Can you elaborate more about "preflights"? I assume (but assuming is dangerous

) it is a kind of validating, like calibres' "Check Book". As long as "Check Books" indicates "no problems" you are fine. But that said, "Check Book" will indicate a calibre_bookmarks.txt is present and provide you the option to remove it if you wish.
As only calibre uses "calibre_bookmarks.txt" it will simply be ignored by other reading devices, no real problems there.

Further, if "preflight" behaves like "Check Book", you can probably configure it to ignore (perhaps even remove) certain files as there can be more e-reader device specific files be present, which are normally simply ignored when the used e-readers are not using them. But if you want to check for a clean EPUB you will have to address those too.

10-21-2016, 09:19 AM	#1
DrChiper Bookish Posts: 1,017 Karma: 2003162 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: PC, t1, t2, t3, Clara BW, Clara HD, Libra 2, Libra Color, Nxtpaper 11	calibre 3.x - should/can we prepare? Recently there were several posts mentioning the forthcoming "calibre 3.x" version. To be prepared for a possible migration, it would be nice for us mortals to know in advance what we can expect. I assume (assuming is dangerous, I know ) database changes can (and likely will) be involved. So, is there any way we can prepare for a more-or-less painless migration path? What to do and what to avoid? Or will we have the benefit of a fully automagical migration action which will work for all (because batteries are included)? Any thoughts / ideas ?

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10-21-2016, 11:16 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,345 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Hopefully, you dont have to do anything -- it is all magic -- assuming there are no bugs, of course. Obviously backup your data if you are concerned.

10-22-2016, 04:57 AM	#5
Divingduck Wizard Posts: 1,166 Karma: 1410083 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Germany Device: Sony PRS-650	... and a usual behavior for calibre users

10-22-2016, 11:45 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,345 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	There are very few changes to the db structure in 3.0 basically just the addition of a single table to store position data so you can sync your last read position across devices when using the in browser viewer. The addition of tables to a database is highly unlikey to cause any problems with anything.

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