Haven't seen any updates to BookDesigner for quite a while, but I've noticed a bug, thought I'd post it here.

If a book has a chapter that takes up exactly one page, the next chapter is not defined as a chapter in the Table of Contents in the LRS file generated. If it would be helpful, I could create a test html0 file that would show this and post it, but it's fairly easy to reproduce with a few junk paragraphs and an HR.

Also, is development on BD dead at this point? If so, is there any hope that the source could be released so that the open source community could get their hands on the code?

Thanks,
-xopher

Can't speak for others, but I've noticed this problem for quite a while. I always go through and check chapter titles by hand and make necessary page breaks before making the toc. It only takes a minute unless your book is really large, and even then you have to do it.

Can't answer your other question, but I was looking at the Book Designer site the other day and noticed that vvv is still posting there and that Astra, who occasionally posts here, understands Russian so perhaps he could respond and tell us what he knows about what's going on.

Jim

If a book has a chapter that takes up exactly one page, the next chapter is not defined as a chapter in the Table of Contents in the LRS file generated. If it would be helpful, I could create a test html0 file that would show this and post it, but it's fairly easy to reproduce with a few junk paragraphs and an HR.


It's not a bug, as such; it happens if you have automatic page breaks enabled, because BD won't insert a page break if it considers the previous page to be too short.

You can avoid the problem by inserting a manual page break at the appropriate point.

Sorry, should have probably mentioned that automatic page breaks are disabled, and the chapters have a manual page break at the appropriate point. The only way I've been able to get around it is by pausing the build process (not for the faint of heart) to manually fix the .LRS file, then letting the build proceed.
I'll try to put together a sample to post this evening.

Have you got the "User page breaks" box checked?

I find that inserting a manual page break will work. But it also helps to add some empty lines between the chapter title and the page break: I usually add about 15.
This works perfectly.

AHA!
While poking around in the options to make sure I knew what I was talking about, I discovered the "toc" option (set to short). I set it to long, and everything is good.

Also discovered the "long" dashes option, and I'm in type-A heaven!!!

Thanks for all the suggestions, which led me to the correct answer.

(Also, a note to an admin - if you would be so kind as to change the topic title from "BookDesigner bug" to "BookDesigner quirk", I think that would be more appropriate.)

Thread title amended, as you requested.

[B]AHAAlso discovered the "long" dashes option, and I'm in type-A heaven!!!
Actually, using the long dash option ruins the books. What you should do (IMHO) is it go to the Book Cleaner thread and install the Book Cleaner files. That way you will have proper emdashes and other assorted fixes applied as you load in the book.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11649

Actually, using the long dash option ruins the books. What you should do (IMHO) is it go to the Book Cleaner thread and install the Book Cleaner files. That way you will have proper emdashes and other assorted fixes applied as you load in the book.


Well, I've been doing that for quite a while, but based on your comments, I've dug a little deeper into how this works, and have come to realize that "as it is" is the correct setting for me (to the point that I wonder why there are other options). So to assist everyone else considering dash options and rendering, I'll do my best to explain how things work.

First, I'll say that using the BookCleaner files linked above may have absolutely no affect on your generated LRF file, depending on what your "dashes" options on the "Make Sony Reader file options" page are set to. I've been using the BookCleaner files for a very long time, with no impact on my LRF files because of the way my BookDesigner settings files were configured.

Here is a quick explanation of the options:


"as it is" (recommended for type a personalities) - emdashes are rendered as long, and hyphens are rendered as short no matter where they appear in a line
short dashes- emdashes and hyphens are rendered as hyphens regardless of spacing/line position
middle dashes - hyphens and emdashes are rendered as short unless they are surrounded by spaces or at the beginning of a line, in which they are a little bit longer
long dashes - hyphens and emdashes are rendered as short unless they are surrounded by spaces or at the beginning of a line, in which they are rendered as emdashes


It makes more sense if you see it in action, so I've attached samples of the same document, rendered with the various settings.

I just stick with "as it is" so I have the dashes and emdashes as they are meant to be. The Book Cleaner files make sure the emdahses are properly kept. The Book Cleaner files do fix some things on load that otherwise would be incorrect. When I read something that I know is supposed to have emdashes but the dashes have been converted incorrectly, it does bug me.