The Woes of Calibre

[simontompkins]

I have just spent many hours trying to get the absurdly unhelpful google ai to help solve a problem.

Firstly I'll tell you what it was then I'll tell you what I think caused it and thirdly what I think solved it.

Then some ideas on what not to do in Calibre

1. I create a new Column to create my own hierarchical index.
2. The second book I enter details for ends up greying out the columns hierarchy in the left had pane.
3. The problem is cause I think because Calibre does not update properly.
4. Go into a library setting that fixes the library - it does a search for fault then it fixes.

What I think happened is that Calibre can not update its metadata and worse still you can have orphan metadata that can cause all kinds of issues with a book. When you try and delete things and start again, Calibre can have orphan files that conflict and cause all kinds of issues.
That conclusion is speculation on my part from the last few hours struggling to get a custom index hierarchy index no not be greyed out on a book.

So all the above a cautionary tale - I don't know what its to be cautious of but hopefully if anyone can weigh in please respond to two things.

1. Google said dont alter data in the main window - this cause problems - always use the editor button - is that true.
2. In creating my own hierarchical list is there a good process to follow to nurse Calibre into not making errors.
3. Any other thoughts around this specif area (as I'm guess around some of these areas if anyone with a greater knowledge has a clearer view of what happens please advise)

[pdurrant]

1. Nonsense. Edit away in the main display, it's what everyone does.

2. Did you restart calibre after making the column changes?

3. Sorry, I don't know about hierarchical indexes. I've made extra custom columns, but just simple data.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

1. Nonsense. Edit away in the main display, it's what everyone does.

My impression that most people edit metadata in the Edit Metadata dialogue window rather than the book list cells.

BR

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

My impression that most people edit metadata in the Edit Metadata dialogue window rather than the book list cells.

BR

I mostly edit in the main GUI.

[Sirtel]

Depending on what I edit, I use the Edit Metadata window, the main GUI or the bulk metadata editor.

[JSWolf]

After I edit an ePub, I'll use the metadata editor to pull out the metadata in case I've made any changes. This goes for the cover as well.

[pdurrant]

Clearly my hyperbole has been taken seriously.

People use calibre in a variety of ways. If there was any problem with editing metadata in the main list, we'd all have heard about it. There's no such problem.

[theducks]

Did you declare the hierarchy in Preferences:Look and feel: Heirarch andsearching ?

BTW Left column? Tag Browser?
Grey might be because there is a rating shading being applied. sorry, I turned it off a long time ago and do nor remember where)

[simontompkins]

Thank you very much for weighing in, to:
pdurrant:
Yes I restarted Calibre many times – it didn’t help alas.
I thought about just adding a column but I felt that more columns would have too many columns in the window. Thanks for confirming you edit in main window.
BetterRed: One thing that I think may have made a difference is that when making your custom column put a hashtag eg #name in the Lookup Name box – it may be relevant as if you use a hashtag it tells Calibre to use your rules – if you leave it out it can default to to Calibre (again I’m not sure how true that is but the hashtag is mentioned on a Calibre help page and I note I did not put a hashtag when I first tried columns)
JSWolf: Thank you for saying where you edit data – it helps to narrow down where the error was likely not coming from.
Sirtel: Ibid
JS Wolf: What I found can help is rather than trying to work out what formatting or sorting issues an entry has, if you select two books and bulk edit and just rewrite a category name that can solve the issue.
Theducks: I did check the hiearchy and searching tab to make it a collapsible hierarchical but good to note as if anyone has an issue with a collapsible list its good to note what makes it a hierarchy rather just as a line of text. Thanks also for the rating shading idea.

In the end I deleted the column and went to bed. To be sure Im not sure what happened but I think not saving and restarting played its part. Certainly Calibre needs restarting at some points so I’d suggest when doing something novel to do the global change first (new column with hierarchy) and then when that works input lots of data in your new column. To be honest I think I rushed in and did a new column, then found out you need to make it a hierarchy and then at some point (getting more irritable – I realised I’d done something else that resulted in the hierarchy being displayed as a single line.
In future I should do what I’d normally do when learning new software – one thing at a time and then once tested – move onto the next.
So in ending this post, thank you ever so much for everyone weighing in.

[theducks]

Bingo!
You do NOT put the # when creating. mycolumn
You DO use when referring. {#mycolumn}