Editing the Kobo's I'm Reading list with Calibre

timlegge · 09-16-2010, 09:56 PM

The next version of Calibre (version 0.7.19), due to be releasedd in the next day or so, will support editing the "I'm Reading" list on the Kobo. There are three different options for managing what Calibre refers to as Collections.

I have been using the code regularly during development and it seems to work fine. However, you will no doubt find issues that I will need to fix in the next release ;-).

Get used to the ability to manage the list using Manual Management and then start tagging books and using Automatic management as you get used to it.

Backing up your Kobo and Calibre library is probably a good idea. A better idea might be to let the brave and foolhardy go first. ;-)

1) Manual Management:

This is Calibre's default unless you have previously modified the "Preferences-Sending books to device" option for Metadata Management.

In manual mode you connect the Kobo, Calibre determines which books are on the device and displays "Im_Reading" (for books on the I'm Reading list) in the Collections field of the device view.

To edit the device collections simply double click on the book you wish to edit (in the Collections field). The only supported collection is Im_Reading. If you enter other data in the field it will disappear the next time you connect the device.

Note that you can double click and edit other fields currently but the changes will not get transfered to the kobo.

Manual mode must be used if you wish to include kobo format books on your I'm Reading list. Manual management may not be be supported long term if Calibre gets the ability to export kobo format books to the library.

2) Only on Send:

Not fully supported. In theory it works however because the book you are sending to the Kobo will not exist in the database until after you disconnect the kobo from your computer, Calibre cannot update the I'm Reading list for the new book.

Do not choose this option.

3) Automatic Management:

To use this option you need to click the "Preferences" icon and select the "Sending books to device" option for Metadata Management.

Like "Only on Send" this option uses the Tag named "Im_Reading" to manage the collections. If you want to put a book in the Kobo's I'm Reading list, it must be tagged (in the library) with a tag named "Im_Reading".

This option will remove all the books currently on the Kobo's "I'm Reading" list. Then it will add any books on the device, that have been tagged in the Library with the Im_Reading tag, to the list. That is, it replaces the Kobo's I'm Reading list with a list of books generated from books tagged with Im_Reading.

This is the recommended setting. However because the book must be tagged in Calibre's library it does not support kobo format books.

This is important Automatic management will not be able to add kobo format books to the I'm Reading list and will remove all kobo format books from that list.

Bugs should be posted at http://bugs.calibre-ebook.com. I will keep an eye on the Calibre and Kobo forums but you would be amazed what I can miss...

Tim

taming · 09-16-2010, 10:30 PM

Tim--thank you for all your hard work. What a man!

sabredog · 09-16-2010, 11:28 PM

Shows just how good Calibre and the development team are!

Nice work.

Zyzomys · 09-17-2010, 08:31 AM

Great job! Thanks.

Duiker · 09-17-2010, 11:25 AM

Awesome news. Thanks.

timlegge · 09-17-2010, 09:23 PM

Bugs:

The only confirmed bug so far occurs if you have a SD Card. If you do not you should be fine. If you do have an SD card you may want to wait a bit.

Tim

J. Strnad · 09-19-2010, 11:33 AM

Thanks for this info.

I'm not sure what you mean by a "Kobo format book." Can you explain, please?

timlegge · 09-19-2010, 11:58 AM

Kobo format books are those that are loaded onto the kobo via the desktop application. Basically not an ePub loaded via calibre or adobe digital editions

Tim

J. Strnad · 09-19-2010, 12:51 PM

Thanks!

I love this feature! It's bugged me that books I've finished were still showing up, including books I'd tried and abandoned. Problem solved!

timlegge · 09-19-2010, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timlegge

Bugs:

The only confirmed bug so far occurs if you have a SD Card. If you do not you should be fine. If you do have an SD card you may want to wait a bit.

Tim

This issue is now resolved in the source code and will be in 0.7.20 next week.

Tim

p_a_smith · 09-19-2010, 04:12 PM

I'm glad to be able to move things from the I'm reading list through Calibre

Not sure if it is a bug or not but I noticed 0.7.19 also switched all my books in the libraryto "unread" automatically when I last uploaded some things to my Kobo.

I know its not major. Personally I would like to be able to change the staues of books from unread to read through Calibre. (Again I know it is something minor and certainly not as importahnt as being able to get things out of the "I'm reading" list)

timlegge · 09-19-2010, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p_a_smith

I'm glad to be able to move things from the I'm reading list through Calibre

Not sure if it is a bug or not but I noticed 0.7.19 also switched all my books in the libraryto "unread" automatically when I last uploaded some things to my Kobo.

I know its not major. Personally I would like to be able to change the staues of books from unread to read through Calibre. (Again I know it is something minor and certainly not as importahnt as being able to get things out of the "I'm reading" list)

I will take a look at it. The good news is that ifw something is wrong it should be fairly easy to fix...

For any kobo devs reading this, it would be helpful to have the details of what fields get set/reset when a book is finished. It is possible that I missed something.

Tim

timlegge · 09-19-2010, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timlegge

I will take a look at it. The good news is that ifw something is wrong it should be fairly easy to fix...

For any kobo devs reading this, it would be helpful to have the details of what fields get set/reset when a book is finished. It is possible that I missed something.

Tim

Found the issue. It looks like "Finished" is ReadStatus = 2. I will correct the issue and I will look at implementing an additional Tag (possibly Read or Kobo_Read) to allow you to specify which books are read.

Tim

timlegge · 09-19-2010, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timlegge

Found the issue. It looks like "Finished" is ReadStatus = 2. I will correct the issue and I will look at implementing an additional Tag (possibly Read or Kobo_Read) to allow you to specify which books are read.

Tim

The work was easier than expected. I need to run through some tests but if all goes well you may be able to set a books status to Finished in the next release.

Tim

CazMar · 09-19-2010, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timlegge

This issue is now resolved in the source code and will be in 0.7.20 next week.

Tim

I presume that is when it shows the books on the SD card as "unread" even though you are still reading them? I notice that even with this it finds the correct place in your book when you re-open it. No great drama and it got rid of all those books my friends had opened while they were "playing" with my Kobo!

09-16-2010, 09:56 PM	#1
timlegge Addict Posts: 305 Karma: 78651 Join Date: May 2010 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Device: Kobo, Kobo Wifi, Kobo Touch	Editing the Kobo's I'm Reading list with Calibre The next version of Calibre (version 0.7.19), due to be releasedd in the next day or so, will support editing the "I'm Reading" list on the Kobo. There are three different options for managing what Calibre refers to as Collections. I have been using the code regularly during development and it seems to work fine. However, you will no doubt find issues that I will need to fix in the next release ;-). Get used to the ability to manage the list using Manual Management and then start tagging books and using Automatic management as you get used to it. Backing up your Kobo and Calibre library is probably a good idea. A better idea might be to let the brave and foolhardy go first. ;-) 1) Manual Management: This is Calibre's default unless you have previously modified the "Preferences-Sending books to device" option for Metadata Management. In manual mode you connect the Kobo, Calibre determines which books are on the device and displays "Im_Reading" (for books on the I'm Reading list) in the Collections field of the device view. To edit the device collections simply double click on the book you wish to edit (in the Collections field). The only supported collection is Im_Reading. If you enter other data in the field it will disappear the next time you connect the device. Note that you can double click and edit other fields currently but the changes will not get transfered to the kobo. Manual mode must be used if you wish to include kobo format books on your I'm Reading list. Manual management may not be be supported long term if Calibre gets the ability to export kobo format books to the library. 2) Only on Send: Not fully supported. In theory it works however because the book you are sending to the Kobo will not exist in the database until after you disconnect the kobo from your computer, Calibre cannot update the I'm Reading list for the new book. Do not choose this option. 3) Automatic Management: To use this option you need to click the "Preferences" icon and select the "Sending books to device" option for Metadata Management. Like "Only on Send" this option uses the Tag named "Im_Reading" to manage the collections. If you want to put a book in the Kobo's I'm Reading list, it must be tagged (in the library) with a tag named "Im_Reading". This option will remove all the books currently on the Kobo's "I'm Reading" list. Then it will add any books on the device, that have been tagged in the Library with the Im_Reading tag, to the list. That is, it replaces the Kobo's I'm Reading list with a list of books generated from books tagged with Im_Reading. This is the recommended setting. However because the book must be tagged in Calibre's library it does not support kobo format books. This is important Automatic management will not be able to add kobo format books to the I'm Reading list and will remove all kobo format books from that list. Bugs should be posted at http://bugs.calibre-ebook.com. I will keep an eye on the Calibre and Kobo forums but you would be amazed what I can miss... Tim

09-19-2010, 12:51 PM	#9
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	Thanks! I love this feature! It's bugged me that books I've finished were still showing up, including books I'd tried and abandoned. Problem solved! Last edited by J. Strnad; 09-19-2010 at 01:08 PM. Reason: To heap praise upon the developer

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09-16-2010, 10:30 PM	#2
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	Tim--thank you for all your hard work. What a man!

09-16-2010, 11:28 PM	#3
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Shows just how good Calibre and the development team are! Nice work.

09-17-2010, 08:31 AM	#4
Zyzomys Hooked on Phonics Posts: 122 Karma: 24 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Ottawa, Canada Device: Kindle	Great job! Thanks.

09-17-2010, 11:25 AM	#5
Duiker Addict Posts: 258 Karma: 30680 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Awesome news. Thanks.

09-17-2010, 09:23 PM	#6
timlegge Addict Posts: 305 Karma: 78651 Join Date: May 2010 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Device: Kobo, Kobo Wifi, Kobo Touch	Bugs: The only confirmed bug so far occurs if you have a SD Card. If you do not you should be fine. If you do have an SD card you may want to wait a bit. Tim

09-19-2010, 11:33 AM	#7
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	Thanks for this info. I'm not sure what you mean by a "Kobo format book." Can you explain, please?

09-19-2010, 11:58 AM	#8
timlegge Addict Posts: 305 Karma: 78651 Join Date: May 2010 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Device: Kobo, Kobo Wifi, Kobo Touch	Kobo format books are those that are loaded onto the kobo via the desktop application. Basically not an ePub loaded via calibre or adobe digital editions Tim

09-19-2010, 04:12 PM	#11
p_a_smith Me, Myself, but not I Posts: 161 Karma: 228652 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kobo Original, Acer 200, Asus FHD, Kobo Touch	I'm glad to be able to move things from the I'm reading list through Calibre Not sure if it is a bug or not but I noticed 0.7.19 also switched all my books in the libraryto "unread" automatically when I last uploaded some things to my Kobo. I know its not major. Personally I would like to be able to change the staues of books from unread to read through Calibre. (Again I know it is something minor and certainly not as importahnt as being able to get things out of the "I'm reading" list)

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