diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library/coloring.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library/coloring.py
index 7fb45d9ba6..4c8d678b19 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library/coloring.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library/coloring.py
@@ -2,186 +2,19 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=UTF-8:ts=4:sw=4:sta:et:sts=4:ai
 from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
                         print_function)
-from future_builtins import map
 
 __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2011, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
-import json, binascii, re
-from textwrap import dedent
-
 from PyQt4.Qt import (QWidget, QDialog, QLabel, QGridLayout, QComboBox,
         QLineEdit, QIntValidator, QDoubleValidator, QFrame, QColor, Qt, QIcon,
         QScrollArea, QPushButton, QVBoxLayout, QDialogButtonBox)
 
 from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key
 from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog
-
-class Rule(object): # {{{
-
-    SIGNATURE = '# BasicColorRule():'
-
-    def __init__(self, fm):
-        self.color = None
-        self.fm = fm
-        self.conditions = []
-
-    def add_condition(self, col, action, val):
-        if col not in self.fm:
-            raise ValueError('%r is not a valid column name'%col)
-        v = self.validate_condition(col, action, val)
-        if v:
-            raise ValueError(v)
-        self.conditions.append((col, action, val))
-
-    def validate_condition(self, col, action, val):
-        m = self.fm[col]
-        dt = m['datatype']
-        if (dt in ('int', 'float', 'rating') and action in ('lt', 'eq', 'gt')):
-            try:
-                int(val) if dt == 'int' else float(val)
-            except:
-                return '%r is not a valid numerical value'%val
-
-        if (dt in ('comments', 'series', 'text', 'enumeration') and 'pattern'
-                in action):
-            try:
-                re.compile(val)
-            except:
-                return '%r is not a valid regular expression'%val
-
-    @property
-    def signature(self):
-        args = (self.color, self.conditions)
-        sig = json.dumps(args, ensure_ascii=False)
-        return self.SIGNATURE + binascii.hexlify(sig.encode('utf-8'))
-
-    @property
-    def template(self):
-        if not self.color or not self.conditions:
-            return None
-        conditions = map(self.apply_condition, self.conditions)
-        conditions = (',\n' + ' '*9).join(conditions)
-        return dedent('''\
-                program:
-                {sig}
-                test(and(
-                         {conditions}
-                    ), {color}, '');
-                ''').format(sig=self.signature, conditions=conditions,
-                        color=self.color)
-
-    def apply_condition(self, condition):
-        col, action, val = condition
-        m = self.fm[col]
-        dt = m['datatype']
-
-        if dt == 'bool':
-            return self.bool_condition(col, action, val)
-
-        if dt in ('int', 'float', 'rating'):
-            return self.number_condition(col, action, val)
-
-        if dt == 'datetime':
-            return self.date_condition(col, action, val)
-
-        if dt in ('comments', 'series', 'text', 'enumeration'):
-            ism = m.get('is_multiple', False)
-            if ism:
-                return self.multiple_condition(col, action, val, ism)
-            return self.text_condition(col, action, val)
-
-    def bool_condition(self, col, action, val):
-        test = {'is true': 'True',
-                'is false': 'False',
-                'is undefined': 'None'}[action]
-        return "strcmp('%s', raw_field('%s'), '', '1', '')"%(test, col)
-
-    def number_condition(self, col, action, val):
-        lt, eq, gt = {
-                'eq': ('', '1', ''),
-                'lt': ('1', '', ''),
-                'gt': ('', '', '1')
-        }[action]
-        lt, eq, gt = '', '1', ''
-        return "cmp(field('%s'), %s, '%s', '%s', '%s')" % (col, val, lt, eq, gt)
-
-    def date_condition(self, col, action, val):
-        lt, eq, gt = {
-                'eq': ('', '1', ''),
-                'lt': ('1', '', ''),
-                'gt': ('', '', '1')
-        }[action]
-        return "cmp(format_date(raw_field('%s'), 'yyyy-MM-dd'), %s, '%s', '%s', '%s')" % (col,
-                val, lt, eq, gt)
-
-    def multiple_condition(self, col, action, val, sep):
-        if action == 'is set':
-            return "test('%s', '1', '')"%col
-        if action == 'is not set':
-            return "test('%s', '', '1')"%col
-        if action == 'has':
-            return "str_in_list(field('%s'), '%s', \"%s\", '1', '')"%(col, sep, val)
-        if action == 'does not have':
-            return "str_in_list(field('%s'), '%s', \"%s\", '', '1')"%(col, sep, val)
-        if action == 'has pattern':
-            return "in_list(field('%s'), '%s', \"%s\", '1', '')"%(col, sep, val)
-        if action == 'does not have pattern':
-            return "in_list(field('%s'), '%s', \"%s\", '', '1')"%(col, sep, val)
-
-    def text_condition(self, col, action, val):
-        if action == 'is set':
-            return "test('%s', '1', '')"%col
-        if action == 'is not set':
-            return "test('%s', '', '1')"%col
-        if action == 'is':
-            return "strcmp(field('%s'), \"%s\", '', '1', '')"%(col, val)
-        if action == 'is not':
-            return "strcmp(field('%s'), \"%s\", '1', '', '1')"%(col, val)
-        if action == 'matches pattern':
-            return "contains(field('%s'), \"%s\", '1', '')"%(col, val)
-        if action == 'does not match pattern':
-            return "contains(field('%s'), \"%s\", '', '1')"%(col, val)
-
-# }}}
-
-def rule_from_template(fm, template):
-    ok_lines = []
-    for line in template.splitlines():
-        if line.startswith(Rule.SIGNATURE):
-            raw = line[len(Rule.SIGNATURE):].strip()
-            try:
-                color, conditions = json.loads(binascii.unhexlify(raw).decode('utf-8'))
-            except:
-                continue
-            r = Rule(fm)
-            r.color = color
-            for c in conditions:
-                try:
-                    r.add_condition(*c)
-                except:
-                    continue
-            if r.color and r.conditions:
-                return r
-        else:
-            ok_lines.append(line)
-    return '\n'.join(ok_lines)
-
-def conditionable_columns(fm):
-    for key in fm:
-        m = fm[key]
-        dt = m['datatype']
-        if m.get('name', False) and dt in ('bool', 'int', 'float', 'rating', 'series',
-                'comments', 'text', 'enumeration', 'datetime'):
-            yield key
-
-
-def displayable_columns(fm):
-    for key in fm.displayable_field_keys():
-        if key not in ('sort', 'author_sort', 'comments', 'formats',
-                'identifiers', 'path'):
-            yield key
+from calibre.library.coloring import (Rule, conditionable_columns,
+    displayable_columns)
 
 class ConditionEditor(QWidget):
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/coloring.py b/src/calibre/library/coloring.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7e2b0f67c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/library/coloring.py
@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# vim:fileencoding=UTF-8:ts=4:sw=4:sta:et:sts=4:ai
+from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
+                        print_function)
+from future_builtins import map
+
+__license__   = 'GPL v3'
+__copyright__ = '2011, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
+__docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
+
+import binascii, re, json
+from textwrap import dedent
+
+class Rule(object): # {{{
+
+    SIGNATURE = '# BasicColorRule():'
+
+    def __init__(self, fm, color=None):
+        self.color = color
+        self.fm = fm
+        self.conditions = []
+
+    def add_condition(self, col, action, val):
+        if col not in self.fm:
+            raise ValueError('%r is not a valid column name'%col)
+        v = self.validate_condition(col, action, val)
+        if v:
+            raise ValueError(v)
+        self.conditions.append((col, action, val))
+
+    def validate_condition(self, col, action, val):
+        m = self.fm[col]
+        dt = m['datatype']
+        if (dt in ('int', 'float', 'rating') and action in ('lt', 'eq', 'gt')):
+            try:
+                int(val) if dt == 'int' else float(val)
+            except:
+                return '%r is not a valid numerical value'%val
+
+        if (dt in ('comments', 'series', 'text', 'enumeration') and 'pattern'
+                in action):
+            try:
+                re.compile(val)
+            except:
+                return '%r is not a valid regular expression'%val
+
+    @property
+    def signature(self):
+        args = (self.color, self.conditions)
+        sig = json.dumps(args, ensure_ascii=False)
+        return self.SIGNATURE + binascii.hexlify(sig.encode('utf-8'))
+
+    @property
+    def template(self):
+        if not self.color or not self.conditions:
+            return None
+        conditions = map(self.apply_condition, self.conditions)
+        conditions = (',\n' + ' '*9).join(conditions)
+        return dedent('''\
+                program:
+                {sig}
+                test(and(
+                         {conditions}
+                    ), {color}, '');
+                ''').format(sig=self.signature, conditions=conditions,
+                        color=self.color)
+
+    def apply_condition(self, condition):
+        col, action, val = condition
+        m = self.fm[col]
+        dt = m['datatype']
+
+        if dt == 'bool':
+            return self.bool_condition(col, action, val)
+
+        if dt in ('int', 'float', 'rating'):
+            return self.number_condition(col, action, val)
+
+        if dt == 'datetime':
+            return self.date_condition(col, action, val)
+
+        if dt in ('comments', 'series', 'text', 'enumeration'):
+            ism = m.get('is_multiple', False)
+            if ism:
+                return self.multiple_condition(col, action, val, ism)
+            return self.text_condition(col, action, val)
+
+    def bool_condition(self, col, action, val):
+        test = {'is true': 'True',
+                'is false': 'False',
+                'is undefined': 'None'}[action]
+        return "strcmp('%s', raw_field('%s'), '', '1', '')"%(test, col)
+
+    def number_condition(self, col, action, val):
+        lt, eq, gt = {
+                'eq': ('', '1', ''),
+                'lt': ('1', '', ''),
+                'gt': ('', '', '1')
+        }[action]
+        lt, eq, gt = '', '1', ''
+        return "cmp(field('%s'), %s, '%s', '%s', '%s')" % (col, val, lt, eq, gt)
+
+    def date_condition(self, col, action, val):
+        lt, eq, gt = {
+                'eq': ('', '1', ''),
+                'lt': ('1', '', ''),
+                'gt': ('', '', '1')
+        }[action]
+        return "cmp(format_date(raw_field('%s'), 'yyyy-MM-dd'), %s, '%s', '%s', '%s')" % (col,
+                val, lt, eq, gt)
+
+    def multiple_condition(self, col, action, val, sep):
+        if action == 'is set':
+            return "test('%s', '1', '')"%col
+        if action == 'is not set':
+            return "test('%s', '', '1')"%col
+        if action == 'has':
+            return "str_in_list(field('%s'), '%s', \"%s\", '1', '')"%(col, sep, val)
+        if action == 'does not have':
+            return "str_in_list(field('%s'), '%s', \"%s\", '', '1')"%(col, sep, val)
+        if action == 'has pattern':
+            return "in_list(field('%s'), '%s', \"%s\", '1', '')"%(col, sep, val)
+        if action == 'does not have pattern':
+            return "in_list(field('%s'), '%s', \"%s\", '', '1')"%(col, sep, val)
+
+    def text_condition(self, col, action, val):
+        if action == 'is set':
+            return "test('%s', '1', '')"%col
+        if action == 'is not set':
+            return "test('%s', '', '1')"%col
+        if action == 'is':
+            return "strcmp(field('%s'), \"%s\", '', '1', '')"%(col, val)
+        if action == 'is not':
+            return "strcmp(field('%s'), \"%s\", '1', '', '1')"%(col, val)
+        if action == 'matches pattern':
+            return "contains(field('%s'), \"%s\", '1', '')"%(col, val)
+        if action == 'does not match pattern':
+            return "contains(field('%s'), \"%s\", '', '1')"%(col, val)
+
+# }}}
+
+def rule_from_template(fm, template):
+    ok_lines = []
+    for line in template.splitlines():
+        if line.startswith(Rule.SIGNATURE):
+            raw = line[len(Rule.SIGNATURE):].strip()
+            try:
+                color, conditions = json.loads(binascii.unhexlify(raw).decode('utf-8'))
+            except:
+                continue
+            r = Rule(fm)
+            r.color = color
+            for c in conditions:
+                try:
+                    r.add_condition(*c)
+                except:
+                    continue
+            if r.color and r.conditions:
+                return r
+        else:
+            ok_lines.append(line)
+    return '\n'.join(ok_lines)
+
+def conditionable_columns(fm):
+    for key in fm:
+        m = fm[key]
+        dt = m['datatype']
+        if m.get('name', False) and dt in ('bool', 'int', 'float', 'rating', 'series',
+                'comments', 'text', 'enumeration', 'datetime'):
+            yield key
+
+
+def displayable_columns(fm):
+    for key in fm.displayable_field_keys():
+        if key not in ('sort', 'author_sort', 'comments', 'formats',
+                'identifiers', 'path'):
+            yield key
+