New program: EPub Metadata Editor

BenChen · 05-09-2011, 08:48 AM

Hi everyone,

I wanted to let everyone know about a program that I recently put on Google Code:

http://code.google.com/p/epub-metadata-editor/

If you use Calibre as your book library software, then you probably don't need my program. But if you are like me, and only use Calibre for ebook conversions, then this might be of interest.

The program allows you to edit the metadata of EPUB files, with a number of buttons that allow the user to do a number of common tasks with one click.
You can change (or add) a cover.
You can view the Table of Contents.
You can link to an external viewer (like the one in the Calibre program folder) if you want to view the EPUB file itself.
There is also an advanced pane which contains some batch operations and the ability to view and edit the OPF and TOC.NCX files.

I trust that you find it useful. If you discover any bugs, please use the Google code issues list:

http://code.google.com/p/epub-metada...or/issues/list

Sincerely,
Ben.

Latest Update: The current version is 1.2.11
Recent Changes:

Drag & drop epub file onto form to open
Context menu for textboxes

BenChen · 05-09-2011, 08:50 AM

By the way, if you are wondering about the book in the screenshots, it is a free download from Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/53406 (for fans of Douglas Adams' "Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy", Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash" and the TV series "Max Headroom"!)

st_albert · 05-09-2011, 10:51 AM

Hi, Ben!

Looks like a great app, but it appears to be Windows only. Any plans to make it cross-platform?

BenChen · 05-09-2011, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by st_albert

Looks like a great app, but it appears to be Windows only. Any plans to make it cross-platform?

Sorry, no. It's programmed in Visual Basic .Net. I know that Mono is said to be somewhat similar, but I have not looked into it.

Sincerely,
Ben.

thadmc · 05-09-2011, 06:49 PM

Hi Ben,

Very interesting work. Thank you.

Have you seen any discussion of whether ONIX-style metadata should be stored within an epub file or kept as a separate file? Thanks.

BenChen · 05-10-2011, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thadmc

Have you seen any discussion of whether ONIX-style metadata should be stored within an epub file or kept as a separate file? Thanks.

Hi there,
I hadn't heard of ONIX, and after a short amount of googling, I am of the opinion that ONIX is a completely separate standard of ebook metadata. So, I don't know the answer to your question. However, an epub file is simply a zip file with a different extension, so you could certainly put the ONIX info in a file and put it inside the epub file. It's just that no current program would know what to do with it!
Sincerely,
Ben.

BenChen · 05-12-2011, 12:21 PM

Hi everyone,

A small update: I discovered a problem with the darg and drop of cover images. Fixed! Download link: here

Sincerely,
Ben.

thadmc · 05-13-2011, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenChen

Hi there,
I hadn't heard of ONIX, and after a short amount of googling, I am of the opinion that ONIX is a completely separate standard of ebook metadata. So, I don't know the answer to your question. However, an epub file is simply a zip file with a different extension, so you could certainly put the ONIX info in a file and put it inside the epub file. It's just that no current program would know what to do with it!
Sincerely,
Ben.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for getting back to me.

Interesting that it never appeared on your radar before. I think that's true for many, and reflects an odd disconnect in publishing. Metadata is essential to discoverability, to ecommerce, to librarians, etc. and in an all-digital world it makes sense -- to me at least -- to keep metadata in the same place as "content" data. Amazon insists on receiving ONIX as does Apple for the iBookstore.

Currently they're separate, and ONIX is very unevenly supported among smaller publishers (although everyone agrees that it is THE standard for book metadata). But no one appears to have considered making it a part of ePub 3. (It presumably was considered, but for some reason not pursued.)

I'm going to the IDPF meeting in New York in 10 days, so I'll learn more there.

Thanks and best wishes with your software and your books.

BenChen · 05-21-2011, 11:18 AM

Hi everyone,

Another update. Here is the changelog:
- New 'metadata changed' dialog box with choices 'save', 'discard' and 'cancel'. This is definitely more intuitive!
- Minor fix when setting external viewer.
- Removing the content of some fields was not working. It is now.

Let me know if you find anything weird or just plain buggy!

Sincerely,
Ben.

BenChen · 06-01-2011, 11:17 AM

Hi everyone,

Another update. The change is minor. You can now drag the cover image from the application. If you drag to the desktop, for example, the cover file will be copied there. You can also drag from one instance of the program to another instance (copying the cover from one epub to another).

Sincerely,
Ben.

BenChen · 07-12-2011, 07:40 AM

Hi everyone,

Another small update. I discovered that if the original EPUB had no title or author metadata, my program was not saving these if the user added them. So this has now been fixed! Download from here.

Sincerely,
Ben.

Toxaris · 07-12-2011, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenChen

Hi everyone,

Another small update. I discovered that if the original EPUB had no title or author metadata, my program was not saving these if the user added them. So this has now been fixed!

Actually, If there is no title and author it is not a valid ePUB afak.

BenChen · 07-12-2011, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Actually, If there is no title and author it is not a valid ePUB afak.

I guess so. But today I made an EPUB using Sigil and forgot to add the metadata. So when I opened it in my program (to add a cover!) I also added the title and author metadata and discovered the bug!

Sincerely,
Ben.

DaleDe · 07-12-2011, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Actually, If there is no title and author it is not a valid ePUB afak.

A title is required along with the language and a unique id to be a valid epub but an author is not required as the author may not be known.

Dale

BenChen · 07-12-2011, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

A title is required along with the language and a unique id to be a valid epub but an author is not required as the author may not be known.

Dale

Interestingly, Sigil provides the id, but allows you to save an EPUB without adding a title. (I can't remember if it includes a language tag or not.)

Sincerely,
Ben.

05-09-2011, 08:48 AM	#1
BenChen Chess for PRS! Posts: 369 Karma: 20680 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: PRS-600, PRS-650	New program: EPub Metadata Editor Hi everyone, I wanted to let everyone know about a program that I recently put on Google Code: http://code.google.com/p/epub-metadata-editor/ If you use Calibre as your book library software, then you probably don't need my program. But if you are like me, and only use Calibre for ebook conversions, then this might be of interest. The program allows you to edit the metadata of EPUB files, with a number of buttons that allow the user to do a number of common tasks with one click. You can change (or add) a cover. You can view the Table of Contents. You can link to an external viewer (like the one in the Calibre program folder) if you want to view the EPUB file itself. There is also an advanced pane which contains some batch operations and the ability to view and edit the OPF and TOC.NCX files. I trust that you find it useful. If you discover any bugs, please use the Google code issues list: http://code.google.com/p/epub-metada...or/issues/list Sincerely, Ben. Latest Update: The current version is 1.2.11 Recent Changes: Drag & drop epub file onto form to open Context menu for textboxes Attached Thumbnails Last edited by BenChen; 04-27-2013 at 01:50 AM. Reason: Latest Update: The current version is 1.2.11

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05-09-2011, 08:50 AM	#2
BenChen Chess for PRS! Posts: 369 Karma: 20680 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: PRS-600, PRS-650	By the way, if you are wondering about the book in the screenshots, it is a free download from Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/53406 (for fans of Douglas Adams' "Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy", Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash" and the TV series "Max Headroom"!)

05-09-2011, 10:51 AM	#3
st_albert Evangelist Posts: 432 Karma: 22676 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: none	Hi, Ben! Looks like a great app, but it appears to be Windows only. Any plans to make it cross-platform?

05-09-2011, 06:49 PM	#5
thadmc Thad McIlroy Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: San Francisco, CA Device: My personal computer	Hi Ben, Very interesting work. Thank you. Have you seen any discussion of whether ONIX-style metadata should be stored within an epub file or kept as a separate file? Thanks.

05-12-2011, 12:21 PM	#7
BenChen Chess for PRS! Posts: 369 Karma: 20680 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: PRS-600, PRS-650	Hi everyone, A small update: I discovered a problem with the darg and drop of cover images. Fixed! Download link: here Sincerely, Ben.

05-21-2011, 11:18 AM	#9
BenChen Chess for PRS! Posts: 369 Karma: 20680 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: PRS-600, PRS-650	Hi everyone, Another update. Here is the changelog: - New 'metadata changed' dialog box with choices 'save', 'discard' and 'cancel'. This is definitely more intuitive! - Minor fix when setting external viewer. - Removing the content of some fields was not working. It is now. Let me know if you find anything weird or just plain buggy! Sincerely, Ben.

06-01-2011, 11:17 AM	#10
BenChen Chess for PRS! Posts: 369 Karma: 20680 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: PRS-600, PRS-650	Hi everyone, Another update. The change is minor. You can now drag the cover image from the application. If you drag to the desktop, for example, the cover file will be copied there. You can also drag from one instance of the program to another instance (copying the cover from one epub to another). Sincerely, Ben.

07-12-2011, 07:40 AM	#11
BenChen Chess for PRS! Posts: 369 Karma: 20680 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: PRS-600, PRS-650	Hi everyone, Another small update. I discovered that if the original EPUB had no title or author metadata, my program was not saving these if the user added them. So this has now been fixed! Download from here. Sincerely, Ben.


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