The starting point is:

• There is a fairly accepted standard for comic books (.cbr/.cbz).
• This standard does not include structured information about the issue.
• There is little or no standardization for filenames.
• <>There is little or no way to follow storylines (especially when spanning different titles).

What I aim to do is:

• Construct a comics database structured around Filename <=> /Editor/Series/Volume/No paradigm.
• Construct a database for Storylines
• Given a filename guess as much information as possible from it (using also path information).
• Show the first page in order to provide visual feedback.
• Allow editing of all information and update database with them.
• Export Database in XML format.
• Import database optionally stripping filename information (allows creation of "empty" databases with all static info about comics series and issues)
• Rename archive files to import in well-defined directory hierarchy (defined with templates).
• Decode archives and (optionally) re-encode them with standard settings (e.g.: convert everything to .cbz format).
• Display issues page-by-page with good resampling to fit into screen.
• Build filters to download from Internet pages information about editors/series/issues to avoid retyping the whole database.

Environment:

I tested with Firebird-Embedded and it seems to work OK. You can download it from Souceforge (click here); just copy the files alongside with the executable and rename fbembed.dll => gds32.dll. This removes the need for Interbase installed on tatget machine.

Status:

• Basic database is in place. Current database structure is:
  

   create table EDITORS
     ID INT NOT NULL primary key,
     Name VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL UNIQUE
   );
create table CHARACTERS (
     ID INT NOT NULL primary key,
     EDITOR_ID INT references EDITORS (ID),
     Name VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL UNIQUE
   );
create table SERIES (
     ID INT NOT NULL primary key,
     EDITOR_ID INT NOT NULL references EDITORS (ID),
     Name VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL,
     Volume INT DEFAULT 1 NOT NULL,
     CHARACTER_ID INT references CHARACTERS (ID),
     First INT default 0,
     Last INT default 999,
     constraint C_SR unique (EDITOR_ID, Name, Volume)
   );
create table ISSUES (
     ID INT NOT NULL primary key,
     SERIE_ID INT NOT NULL references SERIES (ID),
     Num INT NOT NULL,
     iDate DATE,
     Title VARCHAR(128),
     Filename VARCHAR(128),
     CHARACTER_ID INT references CHARACTERS (ID),
     constraint C_IS unique (SERIE_ID, Num)
   );
create table STORYLINES (
     ID INT NOT NULL primary key,
     Title VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL unique,
     CHARACTER_ID INT references CHARACTERS (ID),
     StartDate DATE,
     Total INT
   );
create table STORYISSUES (
     ID INT NOT NULL primary key,
     ISSUE_ID INT NOT NULL references ISSUES (ID),
     Num INT NOT NULL,
     STORYLINE_ID INT NOT NULL references STORYLINES (ID),
     constraint C_SE unique (STORYLINE_ID, Num)
   );

• XML read-write is in place (it also allows to convert if database structure changes a little). Current DTD is:
  

   <!DOCTYPE Fumetti [
     <!ELEMENT Fumetti (Editor*, Character*, Serie*, Storyline*)>
     <!ELEMENT Editor (Character*, Serie*)>
     <!ATTLIST Editor name CDATA #REQUIRED>
     <!ELEMENT Character (Serie*)>
     <!ATTLIST Character name CDATA #REQUIRED>
     <!ELEMENT Serie (Issue*)>
     <!ATTLIST Serie
               name CDATA #REQUIRED
               volume CDATA #REQUIRED
               editor CDATA #REQUIRED
               character CDATA #IMPLIED
               first CDATA #IMPLIED
               last CDATA #REQUIRED
     >
     <!ELEMENT Issue (EMPTY)>
     <!ATTLIST Issue 
               serie CDATA #REQUIRED
               volume CDATA #REQUIRED
               editor CDATA #REQUIRED
               num CDATA #REQUIRED
               title CDATA #IMPLIED
               character CDATA #IMPLIED
               date CDATA #IMPLIED
     >
     <!ELEMENT Storyline (StoryIssue*)>
     <!ATTLIST Storyline 
               title CDATA #REQUIRED
               character CDATA #IMPLIED
               date CDATA #IMPLIED
               total CDATA #IMPLIED
     >
     <!ELEMENT StoryIssue (EMPTY)>
     <!ATTLIST StoryIssue 
               storyline CDATA #REQUIRED
               serie CDATA #REQUIRED
               volume CDATA #REQUIRED
               num CDATA #REQUIRED
               ordinal CDATA #REQUIRED
     >
   ]>

• Basic issue data editing is available.
• Basic data guessing from path/filename is available.
• Single file rename with templating is available.
• Archive decoding (zip/rar) and JPEG image loading is available.
• Page display with good resampling and basic navigation is available.
• I currently have no installer, so whoever wants to try this should be prepared to deal with Delphi, Interbase and a few DLL's (unzip.dll & unrar.dll).

To Do:

• Gather feedback about other people actual needs (e.g.: I currently have no provision for writer/designer/penciler/... is it important?).
• Review user interface to make it fit for large databases.
• Build filters to import large databases.
• Add JPEG-containing-directory as archive type.
• Implement a better UI for page navigation.
• Batch rename.
• Archive encoding in standard format.
• Include database information in standard format.
• Use information in standard format (if available) for issue data guessing.
• Debugging.
• Write documentation.
• Debugging.
• Make installer.
• Debugging.