Refresh/Retrieve authors' data?

[maddler]

What would you like Grimmory to do?

Currently, there's now way to batch retrieve or update author's data in Grimmory. Keeping information up to date requires going into each author's page and retrieve the information.

What problem does this solve for you?

Keeping authors' information up to date.

Anything else?

No response

Want to help out?

Yes! I'd love to help implement this

Before submitting

• I've searched existing discussions and this hasn't been suggested yet
• I've reviewed this report and have completed it as fully as I can

[zachyale]

While there is the option for selecting an author, then selecting "Select all" at the bottom, and hitting "Auto-match selected", I agree that we could surface a batch flow better. Two ideas:

1. We could go with the ABS-like approach of having a "Match All Authors" type button at the top to target all authors in a quick match
2. We already have the existing UI paradigm of a given card having an interactive element on the bottom left icon (on books, the book icon is interactive- on hover, it gives a tooltip w/ your current read status, on click it allows you to select a new status). Authors currently have a checkmark icon on the bottom left when they are matched- perhaps we introduce two new states- missing (a question mark?) and pending (a spinner)? If an author is mid-match, they show the pending animation, and clicking on an unmatched icon triggers a match?

Thoughts on these ideas? We could one, or both, or neither- you said you'd like to implement this and I don't want to take this from under your feet 😄

[maddler]

Ah, totally missed that option! Which indeed confirms there should be an easier way to get to that.
So, (1) would definitely be useful. (2) would also be a nice improvement.
My (3) would be to have an option for authors that have been matched already to be refreshed at a configurable interval (I know info would not change that often, but still nice).
Thanks!

[zachyale]

3. May be a bit more complicated, since it takes the burden of responsibility away from the user to update their metadata. But if it's only for updating existing matched authors (w/ an ASIN), that's more justifiable. We could add a cron job to the list of tasks though and set it to only refresh matched authors.

What is your interest level in implementation on these? I can make 3 issues to handle these 3 cases- are you interested in implementing all of them, or just 3?

[zachyale]

For 3., we'd probably also need a way to mark an author (or their photo or description or both?) as manually modified, so it isn't updated in the future. For ex., some of the quick match photos are... sub par, and users may edit those authors to use custom images. Just because the ASIN is present doesn't mean those should be overwritten

[zachyale]

On second thought, we could always just add lock columns for details/photo/ASIN/name, etc. in the same vein as books. That would give a clear path for power users to lock author metadata, while allowing 99% to use auto. @maddler @imnotjames thoughts?

[maddler]

Sorry for the delay!
I'm afraid I can't really help with the coding, it was like 20y ago last time I wrote any (real) code.
I think the best way forward would be to gradually add features around the authors' management. I'm not sure what the general appeal/need for a book-like author's management is.

I'd go for something along the lines of https://github.com/orgs/grimmory-tools/discussions/1169#discussioncomment-16832865

Happy to support with beta testing and guinea pig experiments if needed.

[zachyale]

Ah, alright- in the future "Yes! I'd love to help implement this" typically is reserved for actually implementing. I'll make some issues, and ping you on this thread when this stuff is in nightly for testing

[maddler]

Ah, my bad! Just noticed that's the default selection and missed that when I submitted the idea.