starred/audiobookshelf
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/advplyr/audiobookshelf.git synced 2026-05-30 23:40:40 +02:00
Code Issues 1.0k Packages Projects Releases 10 Wiki Activity

[Enhancement]: Better handling for supplementary eBooks including icon #2611

New Issue
Open
opened 2026-04-25 00:09:00 +02:00 by adam · 6 comments
adam commented 2026-04-25 00:09:00 +02:00
Owner
Copy Link
Copy Source

Originally created by @ZLoth on GitHub (Feb 24, 2025).

Type of Enhancement

None

Describe the Feature/Enhancement

There should be better handling for supplemental ebooks. Currently, the only indication is if a ebook is flagged as primary with a big blue buttom.

Why would this be helpful?

As currently designed and documented at https://www.audiobookshelf.org/guides/ebooks/, only a ebook flagged as primary brings up a big blue Read button, and if you advance the book, it advances the progress of the audio recording.

However, there are multiple books available that include supplemental ebook material. These include:

  • Great Courses - The supplemental ebooks are the textbooks that is included in the course.
  • Fiction book: The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece - This book has two supplements: A script of the "movie" as well as the "comic books" referenced in the book.
  • Fiction book: Air Raid Book Club - Includes the books referenced in the book.
  • History books: May contain maps or illustrations related to the books.

These should be accessible, but their progress should not be tied to the book.

Future Implementation (Screenshot)

Image

If there are multiple supplements, then a list appears in the browser.

Audiobookshelf Server Version

2.19.5

Current Implementation (Screenshot)

Image

Originally created by @ZLoth on GitHub (Feb 24, 2025). ### Type of Enhancement None ### Describe the Feature/Enhancement There should be better handling for supplemental ebooks. Currently, the only indication is if a ebook is flagged as primary with a big blue buttom. ### Why would this be helpful? As currently designed and documented at https://www.audiobookshelf.org/guides/ebooks/, only a ebook flagged as primary brings up a big blue Read button, and if you advance the book, it advances the progress of the audio recording. However, there are multiple books available that include supplemental ebook material. These include: - Great Courses - The supplemental ebooks are the textbooks that is included in the course. - Fiction book: The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece - This book has two supplements: A script of the "movie" as well as the "comic books" referenced in the book. - Fiction book: Air Raid Book Club - Includes the books referenced in the book. - History books: May contain maps or illustrations related to the books. These should be accessible, but their progress should not be tied to the book. ### Future Implementation (Screenshot) ![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ef07b64f-ef58-49d4-98d0-2f6fb1b28cb5) If there are multiple supplements, then a list appears in the browser. ### Audiobookshelf Server Version 2.19.5 ### Current Implementation (Screenshot) ![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a295a1be-ebc7-465e-aef7-2daf9ba00720)
adam added the enhancement label 2026-04-25 00:09:00 +02:00
adam commented 2026-04-25 00:09:00 +02:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link
Copy Source

@ZLoth commented on GitHub (Feb 24, 2025):

Here is a recording demonstrating the issue:
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5edca33c-2ad7-44db-9644-243813cf99f9

@ZLoth commented on GitHub (Feb 24, 2025): Here is a recording demonstrating the issue: https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5edca33c-2ad7-44db-9644-243813cf99f9
adam commented 2026-04-25 00:09:01 +02:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link
Copy Source

@nichwall commented on GitHub (Feb 25, 2025):

As currently designed and documented at https://www.audiobookshelf.org/guides/ebooks/, only a ebook flagged as primary brings up a big blue Read button, and if you advance the book, it advances the progress of the audio recording.

Ebook and audio progress is tracked separately. The ebook progress is only shown for the primary ebook if there is no audio progress on the library item. Reading the book does not affect listen position (there are feature requests for syncing this and it has been discussed many times in Discord).

However, there are multiple books available that include supplemental ebook material. These include:

  • Great Courses - The supplemental ebooks are the textbooks that is included in the course.
  • Fiction book: The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece - This book has two supplements: A script of the "movie" as well as the "comic books" referenced in the book.
  • Fiction book: Air Raid Book Club - Includes the books referenced in the book.
  • History books: May contain maps or illustrations related to the books.

For Great Courses or scripts/comics, I think it still makes sense to have this marked as a primary ebook to track progress for when you come back to reading it. Another example is when you have the ebook and the audiobook version of the same book and store them together.

These should be accessible, but their progress should not be tied to the book.

Something short (like maps and illustrations) are what supplementary items are designed for and do not track progress.

If there are multiple supplements, then a list appears in the browser.

What kind of list? Like multiple buttons or a drop-down menu? Multiple buttons would be difficult to navigate when file titles get long, and the drop down is basically the same as the current table.

I think having a button that specifically says "Supplemental" works well for if there is only one supplement ebook file.

@nichwall commented on GitHub (Feb 25, 2025): > As currently designed and documented at https://www.audiobookshelf.org/guides/ebooks/, only a ebook flagged as primary brings up a big blue Read button, and if you advance the book, it advances the progress of the audio recording. Ebook and audio progress is tracked separately. The ebook progress is only shown for the primary ebook if there is no audio progress on the library item. Reading the book does not affect listen position (there are feature requests for syncing this and it has been discussed many times in Discord). > However, there are multiple books available that include supplemental ebook material. These include: > - Great Courses - The supplemental ebooks are the textbooks that is included in the course. > - Fiction book: The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece - This book has two supplements: A script of the "movie" as well as the "comic books" referenced in the book. > - Fiction book: Air Raid Book Club - Includes the books referenced in the book. > - History books: May contain maps or illustrations related to the books. For Great Courses or scripts/comics, I think it still makes sense to have this marked as a primary ebook to track progress for when you come back to reading it. Another example is when you have the ebook and the audiobook version of the same book and store them together. > These should be accessible, but their progress should not be tied to the book. Something short (like maps and illustrations) are what supplementary items are designed for and do not track progress. > If there are multiple supplements, then a list appears in the browser. What kind of list? Like multiple buttons or a drop-down menu? Multiple buttons would be difficult to navigate when file titles get long, and the drop down is basically the same as the current table. I think having a button that specifically says "Supplemental" works well for if there is only one supplement ebook file.
adam commented 2026-04-25 00:09:01 +02:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link
Copy Source

@ZLoth commented on GitHub (Feb 25, 2025):

What kind of list? Like multiple buttons or a drop-down menu? Multiple buttons would be difficult to navigate when file titles get long, and the drop down is basically the same as the current table.

Brainstorming here, but if there are more than one e-books, then a downward-caret should indicate that more items are available. This should bring up a selection box:

Image

In looking across my library, there are only a handful of books that have more than one PDF file.

@ZLoth commented on GitHub (Feb 25, 2025): >What kind of list? Like multiple buttons or a drop-down menu? Multiple buttons would be difficult to navigate when file titles get long, and the drop down is basically the same as the current table. Brainstorming here, but if there are more than one e-books, then a downward-caret should indicate that more items are available. This should bring up a selection box: ![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3bc63e29-5c1a-4a6d-bc24-1215ade5162b) In looking across my library, there are only a handful of books that have more than one PDF file.
adam commented 2026-04-25 00:09:01 +02:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link
Copy Source

@ZLoth commented on GitHub (Feb 26, 2025):

For Great Courses or scripts/comics, I think it still makes sense to have this marked as a primary ebook to track progress for when you come back to reading it.

It depends on the material. A textbook may not follow the lecture closely. As they say, let the administrator decide.

Another example is when you have the ebook and the audiobook version of the same book and store them together.

From what I have gathered, this is the intention of the primary eBook functionality in ABS, and the operating assumption.

Right now, the only way to disable flagging the ebooks as primary is to go into the library settings and set it as "Audiobook only".

Image

Once this is set and the library scanned, all ebooks are flagged as supplemental, but then you cannot have exceptions where you do have that rare ebook.

@ZLoth commented on GitHub (Feb 26, 2025): > For Great Courses or scripts/comics, I think it still makes sense to have this marked as a primary ebook to track progress for when you come back to reading it. It depends on the material. A textbook may not follow the lecture closely. As they say, let the administrator decide. > Another example is when you have the ebook and the audiobook version of the same book and store them together. From what I have gathered, this is the intention of the primary eBook functionality in ABS, and the operating assumption. Right now, the only way to disable flagging the ebooks as primary is to go into the library settings and set it as "Audiobook only". ![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/497eaee0-5f00-4b1a-b154-c883c37a7604) Once this is set and the library scanned, all ebooks are flagged as supplemental, but then you cannot have exceptions where you do have that rare ebook.
adam commented 2026-04-25 00:09:01 +02:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link
Copy Source

@ZLoth commented on GitHub (Oct 22, 2025):

Just following up on this.

@ZLoth commented on GitHub (Oct 22, 2025): Just following up on this.
adam commented 2026-04-25 00:09:01 +02:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link
Copy Source

@saltedlolly commented on GitHub (Dec 10, 2025):

I would also love to see this feature improved.

Complimentary to this, I would like the ability to display an image gallery alongside the autdiobook, sourced from a pre-defined subfolder of the book folder. It could contain maps, charts, artwork, paperback covers, concept art. etc as covered in issue #4897.

Maps and family trees are a very common feature of fantasy books and science fiction books, as well as non-fiction books, and it has always been frustrating that audiobook apps don't provide an easy built-in way ro refer to these materials within the app. Not all supplementary material is an ebook or pdf.

This would also give administrators a way to prevent these supplementary image files from being incorrectly used as the audiobook cover art, which is currently a frustrating problem.

@saltedlolly commented on GitHub (Dec 10, 2025): I would also love to see this feature improved. Complimentary to this, I would like the ability to display an image gallery alongside the autdiobook, sourced from a pre-defined subfolder of the book folder. It could contain maps, charts, artwork, paperback covers, concept art. etc as covered in issue #4897. Maps and family trees are a very common feature of fantasy books and science fiction books, as well as non-fiction books, and it has always been frustrating that audiobook apps don't provide an easy built-in way ro refer to these materials within the app. Not all supplementary material is an ebook or pdf. This would also give administrators a way to prevent these supplementary image files from being incorrectly used as the audiobook cover art, which is currently a frustrating problem.
Sign in to join this conversation.
No Branch/Tag Specified
Branches Tags
Labels
Clear labels
authentication
backlog
bug
chapter editor
config-issue
ebooks
encoding/embedding
enhancement
help wanted
listening sessions & progress
planned
possible plugin
progress sync
pull-request
Mirrored from GitHub Pull Request
 sorting/filtering/searching
unable to reproduce
upload
users & permissions
waiting
No Label enhancement
Milestone
No items
No Milestone
Projects
Clear projects
No project
Assignees
Clear assignees
adam (Adam Melkus)
No Assignees
1 Participants
Notifications
Due Date
No due date set.
Dependencies

No dependencies set.

Reference: starred/audiobookshelf#2611
Delete Branch "%!s()"

Deleting a branch is permanent. Although the deleted branch may continue to exist for a short time before it actually gets removed, it CANNOT be undone in most cases. Continue?