Add a "Show items in selected books" choice to manage tags and manage authors.

Radio buttons are more visually intuitive than checkboxes, but it is a little strange not having a "Use all" radio button. You click the radio button again to turn it off. Adding the third button takes up more vertical space than it is worth. Switching back to checkboxes is trivial.

src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.py

@@ -108,7 +108,10 @@ class EditAuthorsDialog(QDialog, Ui_EditAuthorsDialog):
         self.buttonBox.button(QDialogButtonBox.StandardButton.Cancel).setText(_('&Cancel'))
         self.buttonBox.accepted.connect(self.accepted)
         self.buttonBox.rejected.connect(self.rejected)
-        self.apply_vl_checkbox.stateChanged.connect(self.use_vl_changed)
+        self.apply_vl_checkbox.setAutoExclusive(False)
+        self.apply_vl_checkbox.toggled.connect(self.use_vl_changed)
+        self.apply_selection_checkbox.setAutoExclusive(False)
+        self.apply_selection_checkbox.toggled.connect(self.apply_selection_box_changed)
 
         self.table.setAlternatingRowColors(True)
         self.table.setSelectionMode(QAbstractItemView.SelectionMode.SingleSelection)
@@ -211,8 +214,22 @@ class EditAuthorsDialog(QDialog, Ui_EditAuthorsDialog):
             self.ignore_cell_changed = orig
 
     def use_vl_changed(self, x):
+        if self.apply_vl_checkbox.isChecked():
+            self.apply_selection_checkbox.setChecked(False)
         self.show_table(None, None, None, False)
 
+    def apply_selection_box_changed(self, x):
+        if self.apply_selection_checkbox.isChecked():
+            self.apply_vl_checkbox.setChecked(False)
+        self.show_table(None, None, None, False)
+
+    def selection_to_apply(self):
+        if self.apply_selection_checkbox.isChecked():
+            return 'selection'
+        if self.apply_vl_checkbox.isChecked():
+            return 'virtual_library'
+        return None
+
     def clear_filter(self):
         self.filter_box.setText('')
         self.show_table(None, None, None, False)
@@ -221,8 +238,7 @@ class EditAuthorsDialog(QDialog, Ui_EditAuthorsDialog):
         self.show_table(None, None, None, False)
 
     def show_table(self, id_to_select, select_sort, select_link, is_first_letter):
-        auts_to_show = {t[0] for t in
+        auts_to_show = {t[0] for t in self.find_aut_func(self.selection_to_apply())}
-                   self.find_aut_func(use_virtual_library=self.apply_vl_checkbox.isChecked())}
         filter_text = icu_lower(str(self.filter_box.text()))
         if filter_text:
             auts_to_show = {id_ for id_ in auts_to_show

src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.ui

@@ -66,17 +66,37 @@
       </spacer>
      </item>
      <item row="0" column="4">
-      <widget class="QCheckBox" name="apply_vl_checkbox">
+      <widget class="QRadioButton" name="apply_vl_checkbox">
        <property name="toolTip">
-        <string>&lt;p&gt;Only show authors in the
+        <string>&lt;p&gt;Show authors only if they appear in the
           current Virtual library. Edits already done may be hidden but will
-          not be forgotten.&lt;/p&gt;</string>
+          not be forgotten.
+          &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;
+          Note that this box affects only what is displayed. Changes
+          will affect all books in your library even if this box
+          is checked.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;</string>
        </property>
        <property name="text">
         <string>Only show authors in the current &amp;Virtual library</string>
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
+     <item row="1" column="4">
+      <widget class="QRadioButton" name="apply_selection_checkbox">
+       <property name="toolTip">
+        <string>&lt;p&gt;Show items only if they appear in the
+          currently selected books. Edits already done may be hidden but will
+          not be forgotten.
+          &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;
+          Note that this box affects only what is displayed. Changes
+          will affect all books in your library even if this box
+          is checked.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;</string>
+       </property>
+       <property name="text">
+        <string>O&amp;nly show authors in the currently selected books</string>
+       </property>
+      </widget>
+     </item>
      <item row="1" column="0">
       <widget class="QLabel">
        <property name="text">

src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_list_editor.py

@@ -372,7 +372,10 @@ class TagListEditor(QDialog, Ui_TagListEditor):
             ac.triggered.connect(self.clear_filter)
         le.returnPressed.connect(self.do_filter)
         self.filter_button.clicked.connect(self.do_filter)
-        self.apply_vl_checkbox.clicked.connect(self.vl_box_changed)
+        self.apply_vl_checkbox.setAutoExclusive(False)
+        self.apply_vl_checkbox.toggled.connect(self.vl_box_changed)
+        self.apply_selection_checkbox.setAutoExclusive(False)
+        self.apply_selection_checkbox.toggled.connect(self.apply_selection_box_changed)
 
         self.is_enumerated = False
         if fm:
@@ -537,9 +540,24 @@ class TagListEditor(QDialog, Ui_TagListEditor):
         return txt.swapcase()
 
     def vl_box_changed(self):
+        if self.apply_vl_checkbox.isChecked():
+            self.apply_selection_checkbox.setChecked(False)
         self.search_item_row = -1
         self.fill_in_table(None, None, False)
 
+    def apply_selection_box_changed(self):
+        if self.apply_selection_checkbox.isChecked():
+            self.apply_vl_checkbox.setChecked(False)
+        self.search_item_row = -1
+        self.fill_in_table(None, None, False)
+
+    def selection_to_apply(self):
+        if self.apply_selection_checkbox.isChecked():
+            return 'selection'
+        if self.apply_vl_checkbox.isChecked():
+            return 'virtual_library'
+        return None
+
     def do_search(self):
         self.not_found_label.setVisible(False)
         find_text = str(self.search_box.currentText())
@@ -653,7 +671,7 @@ class TagListEditor(QDialog, Ui_TagListEditor):
     def fill_in_table(self, tags, tag_to_match, ttm_is_first_letter):
         self.create_table()
 
-        data = self.get_book_ids(self.apply_vl_checkbox.isChecked())
+        data = self.get_book_ids(self.selection_to_apply())
         self.all_tags = {}
         filter_text = icu_lower(str(self.filter_box.text()))
         for k,v,count in data:

src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_list_editor.ui

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
     </spacer>
    </item>
    <item row="0" column="4">
-    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="apply_vl_checkbox">
+    <widget class="QRadioButton" name="apply_vl_checkbox">
      <property name="toolTip">
       <string>&lt;p&gt;Show items only if they appear in the
           current Virtual library. Edits already done may be hidden but will
@@ -87,6 +87,22 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item row="1" column="4">
+    <widget class="QRadioButton" name="apply_selection_checkbox">
+     <property name="toolTip">
+      <string>&lt;p&gt;Show items only if they appear in the
+          currently selected books. Edits already done may be hidden but will
+          not be forgotten.
+          &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;
+          Note that this box affects only what is displayed. Changes
+          will affect all books in your library even if this box
+          is checked.&lt;/p&gt;</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="text">
+      <string>O&amp;nly show items in the currently selected books</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
    <item row="1" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
      <property name="text">

src/calibre/gui2/tag_browser/ui.py

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from qt.core import (
 )
 
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import title_sort
-from calibre.gui2 import config, error_dialog, gprefs, question_dialog
+from calibre.gui2 import config, error_dialog, gprefs, question_dialog, warning_dialog
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.edit_authors_dialog import EditAuthorsDialog
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.tag_categories import TagCategories
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.tag_list_editor import TagListEditor
@@ -157,7 +157,6 @@ class TagBrowserMixin:  # {{{
         self.library_view.model().research(reset=False)
         self.library_view.current_id = current_row_id # the setter checks for None
 
-
     def do_restriction_error(self, e):
         error_dialog(self.tags_view, _('Invalid search restriction'),
                          _('The current search restriction is invalid'),
@@ -312,8 +311,22 @@ class TagBrowserMixin:  # {{{
         db.new_api.clear_search_caches()
         self.user_categories_edited()
 
+    # Keep this for compatibility. It isn't used here but could be used in a plugin
     def get_book_ids(self, use_virtual_library, db, category):
-        book_ids = None if not use_virtual_library else self.tags_view.model().get_book_ids_to_use()
+        return self.get_book_ids_in_vl_or_selection(
+            ('virtual_library' if use_virtual_library else None), db, category)
+
+    def get_book_ids_in_vl_or_selection(self, use_what, db, category):
+        if use_what is None:
+            book_ids = None
+        elif use_what == 'virtual_library':
+            book_ids = self.tags_view.model().get_book_ids_to_use()
+        else:
+            book_ids = self.library_view.get_selected_ids()
+            if not book_ids:
+                warning_dialog(self.tags_view, _('No books selected'),
+                               _('No books are selected. Showing all items.'), show=True)
+                book_ids = None
         data = db.new_api.get_categories(book_ids=book_ids)
         if category in data:
             result = [(t.id, t.original_name, t.count) for t in data[category] if t.count > 0]
@@ -337,7 +350,7 @@ class TagBrowserMixin:  # {{{
         d = TagListEditor(self, category=category,
                           cat_name=db.field_metadata[category]['name'],
                           tag_to_match=tag,
-                          get_book_ids=partial(self.get_book_ids, db=db, category=category),
+                          get_book_ids=partial(self.get_book_ids_in_vl_or_selection, db=db, category=category),
                           sorter=key, ttm_is_first_letter=is_first_letter,
                           fm=db.field_metadata[category],
                           link_map=db.new_api.get_link_map(category))
@@ -514,7 +527,7 @@ class TagBrowserMixin:  # {{{
         Open the manage authors dialog
         '''
         db = self.library_view.model().db
-        get_authors_func = partial(self.get_book_ids, db=db, category='authors')
+        get_authors_func = partial(self.get_book_ids_in_vl_or_selection, db=db, category='authors')
         if lookup_author:
             for t in get_authors_func(use_virtual_library=False):
                 if t[1] == id_: