calibre 7.13 merge+delete does not work

[John Card II]

Just updated to calibre 7.13, Windows 11.

Added book with 3 different formats (pdf, mobi, epub) to existing library using automatic adding directory. Automerge turned off. Library has one custom attribute "date_read", which is a date.

Attempted to merge records by highlighting duplicates and pressing keyboard shortcut "M" which invokes "Edit metadata -> Merge Book Records M -> Merge into first selected book - delete others". (I turned off the confirmation for this merge action a long time ago.)

Merge did not work, got error, clipboard:
"calibre, version 7.13.0
ERROR: Unhandled exception: <b>TypeError</b>:cannot unpack non-iterable bool object

calibre 7.13 embedded-python: True
Windows-10-10.0.22631-SP0 Windows ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
('Windows', '10', '10.0.22631')
Python 3.11.5
Windows: ('10', '10.0.22631', 'SP0', 'Multiprocessor Free')
Interface language: None
EXE path: C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe
Successfully initialized third party plugins: DeDRM (7, 2, 1) && Baen (1, 1, 0) && Barnes & Noble (1, 5, 5) && EpubMerge (2, 18, 0) && EpubSplit (3, 7, 0) && Extract ISBN (1, 6, 3) && Find Duplicates (1, 10, 9) && Generate Cover (2, 3, 4) && Goodreads (1, 8, 2) && Kobo Books (1, 9, 2) && Manage Series (1, 5, 2) && Modify ePub (1, 8, 3) && Open With (1, 8, 3) && Quality Check (1, 13, 10) && Quick Preferences (1, 7, 1) && Reading List (1, 15, 4) && Resize Cover (1, 2, 1) && User Category (1, 6, 1)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "calibre\gui2\actions\edit_metadata.py", line 644, in merge_books
TypeError: cannot unpack non-iterable bool object
"

Removed book records, added books with "Add books -> Add books from a single folder A", saw correct duplicate message:

"✓ TheUniverseAbridged by Unknown [MOBI]
 Already in calibre:
 TheUniverseAbridged by Unknown [EPUB]

✓ TheUniverseAbridged by Unknown [PDF]
 Already in calibre:
 TheUniverseAbridged by Unknown [EPUB]
 "
Highlighted three records, right click to first merge option as above, identical error.

Then tried second merge option "Merge into first selected book - keep others Alt-M", worked as expected including confirmation dialog.

Tried third merge option "Merge only formats into first selected book - delete others Alt-Shift-M", worked as expected including confirmation dialog.
Repeated import+3rd merge, and turned off confirmation dialog, worked as expected.
Repeated third time, did not see confirmation dialog, worked as expected

Feature was working around 2 months ago in whatever then-current calibre was.

Confirmed same bug in other libraries with (more) custom fields.
Have not confirmed bug in "plain" library with no custom fields.

[Kovid Goyal (kovid)]

Fixed in branch master. The fix will be in the next release. calibre is usually released every alternate Friday.

[Kovid Goyal (kovid)]

Preview release with the fix is available at: https://download.calibre-ebook.com/preview/

[James McIntosh (xjcryeyz)]

The merge function now works EXCEPT even if I uncheck the "Show this confirmation again" box, the alert shows up again regardless.

On Thursday, July 4th, 2024 at 11:29 PM, Kovid Goyal <email address hidden> wrote:

> Preview release with the fix is available at: https://download.calibre-
> ebook.com/preview/
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to a
> duplicate bug report (2071735).
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2071458
>
> Title:
> calibre 7.13 merge+delete does not work
>
> Status in calibre:
> Fix Released
>
> Bug description:
> Just updated to calibre 7.13, Windows 11.
>
> Added book with 3 different formats (pdf, mobi, epub) to existing
> library using automatic adding directory. Automerge turned off.
> Library has one custom attribute "date_read", which is a date.
>
> Attempted to merge records by highlighting duplicates and pressing
> keyboard shortcut "M" which invokes "Edit metadata -> Merge Book
>
> Records M -> Merge into first selected book - delete others". (I
>
> turned off the confirmation for this merge action a long time ago.)
>
> Merge did not work, got error, clipboard:
> "calibre, version 7.13.0
> ERROR: Unhandled exception: <b>TypeError</b>:cannot unpack non-iterable bool object
>
>
> calibre 7.13 embedded-python: True
> Windows-10-10.0.22631-SP0 Windows ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
> ('Windows', '10', '10.0.22631')
> Python 3.11.5
> Windows: ('10', '10.0.22631', 'SP0', 'Multiprocessor Free')
> Interface language: None
> EXE path: C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe
> Successfully initialized third party plugins: DeDRM (7, 2, 1) && Baen (1, 1, 0) && Barnes & Noble (1, 5, 5) && EpubMerge (2, 18, 0) && EpubSplit (3, 7, 0) && Extract ISBN (1, 6, 3) && Find Duplicates (1, 10, 9) && Generate Cover (2, 3, 4) && Goodreads (1, 8, 2) && Kobo Books (1, 9, 2) && Manage Series (1, 5, 2) && Modify ePub (1, 8, 3) && Open With (1, 8, 3) && Quality Check (1, 13, 10) && Quick Preferences (1, 7, 1) && Reading List (1, 15, 4) && Resize Cover (1, 2, 1) && User Category (1, 6, 1)
> Traceback (most recent call last):
> File "calibre\gui2\actions\edit_metadata.py", line 644, in merge_books
> TypeError: cannot unpack non-iterable bool object
> "
>
> Removed book records, added books with "Add books -> Add books from a
>
> single folder A", saw correct duplicate message:
>
> "✓ TheUniverseAbridged by Unknown [MOBI]
> Already in calibre:
> TheUniverseAbridged by Unknown [EPUB]
>
>
> ✓ TheUniverseAbridged by Unknown [PDF]
> Already in calibre:
> TheUniverseAbridged by Unknown [EPUB]
> "
> Highlighted three records, right click to first merge option as above, identical error.
>
> Then tried second merge option "Merge into first selected book - keep
> others Alt-M", worked as expected including confirmation dialog.
>
> Tried third merge option "Merge only formats into first selected book - delete others Alt-Shift-M", worked as expected including confirmation dialog.
> Repeated import+3rd merge, and turned off confirmation dialog, worked as expected.
> Repeated third time, did not see confirmation dialog, worked as expected
>
> Feature was working around 2 months ago in whatever then-current
...

[Kovid Goyal (kovid)]

Yeah, stupid typo. Will be fixed in next release.