Testers needed for Reading Tracker plugin

[varia]

📚 Reading Tracker
Reading Tracker is a flexible Calibre plugin designed to help you track, analyze, and visualize your reading activity.
Monitor progress, review statistics, and stay motivated with clear dashboards, KPIs, charts, and yearly summaries — all directly inside Calibre.

🚀 Key Features
📊 Interactive Dashboard

• Multi-year tracking
• Visualize reading trends with pie charts and monthly bar charts
• View total pages read and reading progress
• See most-read authors and genres
• Set and monitor yearly reading goals

🗂 Tracker Tab (Spreadsheet View)

• Edit reading data directly inside the plugin
• Supports:

◦ Tracked status
◦ Reading status (Finished, Reading, TBR, Paused, DNF)
◦ Start and finish dates
◦ Page count
◦ Format type (audio, ebook, print)
◦ Percentage read
◦ Ratings (supports half-star ratings)
◦ Optional review notes

• Alternating row styling adapts to plugin light/dark theme
• Automatically loads tracked books for quick editing

🧩 Guided Column Setup

• Dedicated Column Requirements panel
• Copy lookup names with one click
• Live mapping indicators (Required / Optional)
• Takes the pain out of custom column setup

🎨 Light & Dark Mode Support

• Fully theme-aware interface
• Instant switching between light and dark modes
• Consistent styling across all tabs

⚡ Performance Optimized

• Efficient handling of large libraries
• Fast loading of tracked books
• Optimized statistics calculations

🛠 Custom Column Requirements
Reading Tracker works with Calibre custom columns.
The plugin provides clear guidance to help you create and map:

• Yes/No tracking column
• Status (Tag Browser text)
• Start & Finish dates
• Page count
• Type (Tag Browser text)
• Percentage read
• Rating (Stars, half-star enabled)
• Optional review column

The setup process is guided and beginner-friendly.


📈 Designed For

• Readers tracking yearly reading goals
• Users who log detailed reading progress
• Those who want analytics without leaving Calibre
• Anyone who prefers structured reading statistics

🔢 Versioning
Version: 1.1.1
Type: Minor update (Stability & Sorting Update)

Spoiler:

📦 Reading Tracker v1.1.1
✨ Stability & Sorting Update

This update focuses on fixing table sorting, rating consistency, and overall stability improvements across the Tracker and Dashboard.

🛠️ Stability & Sorting Improvements

• Fixed Tracker table sorting for dates, numeric columns, and ratings
• Pages and Percentage columns now sort numerically (not by first digit)
• Start and Finish dates now sort chronologically
• Title column sorting restored to proper alphabetical order

⭐ Rating System Fixes

• Corrected half-star display inconsistencies
• Resolved rating scale conversion (Calibre 0–10 → 0–5 display)
• Half-star ratings now fully supported across Tracker and Dashboard
• Improved consistency between Tracker, Dashboard, and Calibre

📊 Dashboard Accuracy Improvements

• Rating statistics now correctly reflect stored Calibre values
• Improved data stability during refresh and filtering

🔧 Internal Refinements

• Improved table refresh stability
• Cleaner handling of numeric and date fields
• General polish and internal cleanup

Spoiler:

📦 Reading Tracker v1.1.0
✨ What’s New
🧩 Improved Columns Setup

• New Column Requirements panel
• Two-column layout for better readability
• Copy Lookup buttons for quick column creation
• Live mapping indicators (✅ Mapped / ❌ Missing)
• Setup workflow is significantly clearer and faster

📊 Tracker Tab Enhancements

• Tracker table now loads automatically on open
• Alternating row colors now fully follow plugin light/dark theme
• Improved table readability and consistency

📈 Dashboard Improvements

• Fixed rating calculation errors
• Added proper support for half-star ratings (e.g., 0.5, 1.5, etc.)
• Improved statistics reliability and stability

🎨 Theme Consistency

• Full light/dark mode alignment across:

◦ Dashboard
◦ Tracker tab
◦ Columns tab

• Table styling now independent of Calibre theme
• Instant live theme switching

🛠 Bug Fixes

• Fixed column mappings appearing to reset after Preferences changes
• Fixed dashboard population errors
• Resolved NameError and KeyError issues in stats engine
• Improved performance for large libraries

Caveats:

Spoiler:

The plugin was made using LLM, with my input and direction. I am not a programmer. You are advised to follow good backup procedure. Check plugins on a test copy of Calibre. If the code does not follow proper standards, I would like to know specifics. This plugin is not meant to 'compete' with any others, only to provide tracking for readers.

Thanks for the feedback.
Varia

[P.S. A big thank-you to Comfy.n for the encouragement and tech assistance]

[Comfy.n]

I will test it ASAP

[Comfy.n]

I find it very cool how it triggers the search queries via dashboard clicks on the cards. If filtering 2026, it does #tracked:true and (#finish_date:2026 or #start_date:2026).

But I miss the Tracker tab, the table with all populated columns you showed me in the alpha version phase. Perhaps Kovid can advise on the best way to implement it.

[varia]

Thanks, that was one of the toughest parts. There was a lot of back and forth about the logic and what made the most sense. Between the cards and the legends, there were a LOT of changes to get them to pull up the books correctly.

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

But I miss the Tracker tab, the table with all populated columns you showed me in the alpha version phase. Perhaps Kovid can advise on the best way to implement it.

The Tracker tab...I miss it too. It was very convenient to have an all-in-one solution. To be totally honest I got a bit nervous about the writing to db bit. Then too, what if a user wanted to track 30,000 books? 50,000 books? Not knowing if plugins can handle that prompted me to change direction. I still have all the Tracker tab files, so the data is still available.

[Comfy.n]

Check this out @varia

[varia]

Oh Nice. I completely missed having the Tracker tab. I'd be more than happy to bring it back if it doesn't cause trouble.
You didn't see anything wonky in the code, I take it? Hopefully not because I already have some export improvements in the works. Will also tweak for dark mode theme.

ETA: Looking at the second iteration closer it seems the logic broke for the ratings breakdown and the added width altered the visuals on the KPI charts. The width is easy enough to adjust and already have that in the works. The pie legend, I will have to take a closer look at the wiring on the tracker tab.

[Comfy.n]

No nothing wonky. It fixes several issues, in addition to the Tracker tab reinstatement.

[CAIArchive]

I'd also be really interested (snagged comfy's addition above for the current time, I hope that is ok).

Looks great at install. Minor request, when on the settings tab, the only way to get the bottom informational area to show for a specific column is to have all those columns above filled in. My request would be that as soon as you start with the dropdown for a specific column, the bottom informational area should match not still on any unfilled column above it. Example, I hadnt made the tracked column on first opening after install and restart. I tried to fill out the rest of the columns with those I had already so I knew which ones to create, but only the tracked info was available. (note here, I was able to fill in all columns but type just by the specificness of the column name.) So I saved, added tracked column, restarted, then could see what I needed for type. (screenshot below there is a faint blue border around type drop down, and tracked has not been filled in yet).

Second request, my status do not match the ones given, is there a way we can self adjust those please? (this is under the tracker tab)

Very excited to try this app. Thank you

[varia]

Hi, thanks for checking out the plugin.

Originally Posted by CAIArchive

Minor request, when on the settings tab, the only way to get the bottom informational area to show for a specific column is to have all those columns above filled in. My request would be that as soon as you start with the dropdown for a specific column, the bottom informational area should match not still on any unfilled column above it. Example, I hadnt made the tracked column on first opening after install and restart. I tried to fill out the rest of the columns with those I had already so I knew which ones to create, but only the tracked info was available.

Would it help if the custom column info was permanently at the right of the create button? Or some other way for it to always be visible so when you go in to create a new column, you can see the wording?

Originally Posted by CAIArchive

Second request, my status do not match the ones given, is there a way we can self adjust those please? (this is under the tracker tab)

I will definitely check into this. A very good idea for giving users more flexibility.

Thanks for looking and if you see anything else, positive or negative, don't hesitate to mention it.

[varia]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

No nothing wonky. It fixes several issues, in addition to the Tracker tab reinstatement.

Good to know the original code was at least stable. The last few weeks working in was in a word, hairy.

Which issues did you apply fixes to? I want to incorporate those into the code since I've already worked in quite a bit of changes into a copy.
I'm going to have to look into workflow management sooner or later. lol

[CAIArchive]

Originally Posted by varia

Would it help if the custom column info was permanently at the right of the create button? Or some other way for it to always be visible so when you go in to create a new column, you can see the wording?

Honestly I think the info/example being at the bottom where it is works nicely, just that the info there needs to coincide with the dropdown being used. (note I also am not a coder so I have no idea how easy or difficult this is).


Looking more closely, I think it may just be the process I used to set up the plugin. I so used to creating my own columns, that if I didnt have a match (tracking column), I saw, it needed x name and y/n type column, so I filled in all the ones I had, then saved and went to the standard create a column section. So for the most part its my own fault/process that caused the issue.


With what you have already this goes a significant way toward replacing multiple online reading trackers (goodreads/storygraph/hardcover/librarything/page bound to name just a few) Thank you so much for its creation

[CAIArchive]

Last thing, the rating column does 1/2 stars, would 1/4 stars be possible? Not required, I have columns for full half and quarter, prefer quarter but used to half as well.

[varia]

Originally Posted by CAIArchive

Honestly I think the info/example being at the bottom where it is works nicely, just that the info there needs to coincide with the dropdown being used. (note I also am not a coder so I have no idea how easy or difficult this is).


Looking more closely, I think it may just be the process I used to set up the plugin. I so used to creating my own columns, that if I didnt have a match (tracking column), I saw, it needed x name and y/n type column, so I filled in all the ones I had, then saved and went to the standard create a column section. So for the most part its my own fault/process that caused the issue.

So maybe a suggestion for the user to map the columns or create in the order listed? (It is also in the Help tab under Recommended Columns).

Originally Posted by CAIArchive

With what you have already this goes a significant way toward replacing multiple online reading trackers (goodreads/storygraph/hardcover/librarything/page bound to name just a few) Thank you so much for its creation

That was my intent. I've used Goodreads in the past and quit when I learned too many years too late that they were bought out by that big online store that shall not be named. I tried storygraph (lots of book versions but not inspiring) and hardcoverapp (very pretty but too many book errors), but I'm ready to quit them all and keep my reading habits out of the hands of companies.

You are very welcome.

[bulletproof2k]

Nice plugin. I will test it ASAP too.

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by varia

Good to know the original code was at least stable. The last few weeks working in was in a word, hairy.

Which issues did you apply fixes to?

hmm, here's some:

Spoiler:

PREFS config name mismatch (CRITICAL): columns_tab.py uses JSONConfig('plugins/reading_tracker') (lowercase) while data.py, main.py, and tracker_tab.py use JSONConfig('plugins/ReadingTracker') (CamelCase). When you save column mappings in the Columns tab, they go to a different JSON file — data.py never sees them and always falls back to #name.

'list' object has no attribute 'lower': The status column is a "Tag browser" type, so mi.get(col('status')) returns a list/tuple, not a string. Calling .lower() on it crashes.

10k+ book iteration: Both data.py and tracker_tab.py call api.all_book_ids() + api.get_metadata() per book. With 10k+ books this takes minutes. The fix: use api.search('#tracked:true') (returns ~66 book IDs instantly from in-memory index) then api.all_field_for() for bulk field reads.

It was a pain to set up. Then I got this infinite spinning wheel and had to uninstall several times/delete jsons/kill calibre etc. until I made the plugin at least save the columns setup again. Felt like it was polling my entire library, instead of just the books with the Tracked boolean.

IMO it should easier to set up if what CAIArchive suggested can be implemented. I relied upon looking at a screenshot I made of the Help tab, while creating the columns.

Reading Goal implements column setup brilliantly.