[GUI Plugin] Modify ePub

[FrozenTrout]

I'm having the "No ePub files were updated" problem with the new version, too, but I DID restart! I even tried uninstalling the plugin, restarting Calibre, reinstalling it, then restarting Calibre, and it still isn't working. I'm on OS X. Also, it seemed to save the selected options between the reinstall, so I'm wondering if the config file could be somehow messed up, but I'm not sure where that would be located so as to try removing it...

Here's the log from just trying to "update metadata" on a book:

calibre, version 0.9.5
ERROR: Modify ePub failed: No ePub files were updated

Modify ePubs
Logfile for book ID 671 (Monster Hunter International / Larry Correia)
671
  Modifying:  /var/folders/98/kywyffsj22nfpp_85r9f60v40000gn/T/calibre_0.9.5_tmp_pskkvE/5NUF75_modify_epub/671.epub
	Updating metadata and cover
Parsing xml file: content.opf
Parsing xml file: toc.ncx
ePub not changed after 0.43 seconds

[kiwidude]

Ahhh - I can guess what is happening with that. I will push a fix shortly.

[kiwidude]

Changes in this release:

• Fix regression from last release where only selecting the "Update metadata" option would not apply changes.

[FrozenTrout]

Wow, that was a quick response! It's working now, thanks!

[Firedancer885]

Hi,

I tried to insert covers into stories (I have no other options checked) and got the following error:

Spoiler:

calibre, version 0.9.5
HIBA: Modify ePub failed: No ePub files were updated

Modify ePubs
Logfile for book ID 808 (When the Badger Grows Horns / San Antonio Rose)
808
Modifying: /tmp/calibre_0.9.5_tmp_VK7DaL/rEBApM_modify_epub/808.epub
Parsing xml file: content.opf
Parsing xml file: toc.ncx
Insert or replace cover
...Looking for guide cover reference
Found guide cover reference to: titlepage.xhtml
Related manifest item id: cover
...Looking for meta cover
Found meta tag with cover id: image0
Meta item removed: cover
...Looking for other.ms-* guide references to clean out
...Working with possible existing cover: titlepage.xhtml
Guide reference removed: titlepage.xhtml
...Looking for TOC navpoint for this cover
...Inspecting old cover for removal
Cover page contains only this image so can be deleted
Manifest item removed: titlepage.xhtml (cover)
Spine itemref removed: cover
Checking safe to remove cover image: cover.jpeg
No other html pages use this image, safe to remove
Manifest item removed: cover.jpeg (image0)
Changing playOrder from: 0 to: 1
Changing playOrder from: 1 to: 2
Changing playOrder from: 2 to: 3
Changing playOrder from: 3 to: 4
Changing playOrder from: 4 to: 5
Changing playOrder from: 5 to: 6
...Writing new cover image and titlepage html
New cover image written to: cover.jpeg
New titlepage html written to: OEBPS/titlepage.xhtml
...Updating manifest and TOC for the new cover
Manifest item added: OEBPS/titlepage.xhtml (titlepage)
Manifest item added: cover.jpeg (cover)
Meta item inserted: cover:cover
Spine item inserted: titlepage at pos: 0
Guide item inserted: OEBPS/titlepage.xhtml:Cover:cover
...Looking for inline links to removed cover page: titlepage.xhtml
...Remove any orphaned guide images
...Apply device specific fixes
...Cover modifications completed
When the Badger Grows Horns - ERROR: Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre_plugins.modify_epub.modify", line 76, in process_book
UnboundLocalError: local variable 'is_metadata_updated' referenced before assignment

ePub not changed after 0.34 seconds

[kiwidude]

Changes in this release

• Fix the fix (for when Update metadata is "not" selected) sigh...

[Firedancer885]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

Changes in this release

• Fix the fix (for when Update metadata is "not" selected) sigh...

Thank you

[kiwidude]

Changes in this release:

• Workaround for calibre "bug" to ensure that if user has both remove javascript and smarten punctuation checked, that remove javascript runs first which ensures smarten punctuation will actually work correctly for quotes.

I've emailed Kovid about the issue with an example epub as it looks like an issue with the smarten punctuation code in calibre. I'm sure some of you might have hit this unknowingly as I have - you go to read an epub that you "thought" you had done smarten punctuation on, but are still getting the straight " quotes in it. It looks like if there is an edge case (found with Baen books in my case) where javascript blocks in the html will interfere with the smarten punctuation logic. While the javascript is present, quotes will not get converted.

In the case of Modify ePub, if you have both "Smarten punctuation" and "Remove javascript" checked, then it still took two passes, because of the order they executed in. As a workaround I have now switched them around internally, so if both options are checked your books should end up "smartened" in one pass regardless of whether Kovid decides to change the calibre behaviour or not.

[Man Eating Duck]

@kiwidude: Now that Kovid has written font subsetting code for the calibre conversion, would it be perhaps be possible to add font subset functionality to Modify Epub? It seems that his subsetting functions needs stuff to be done to the css as well, but hopefully these changes can be discarded after the new font files are created?

[kiwidude]

@Man Eating Duck - the code Kovid has written is dependent on having the data structure used by the conversion pipeline that Modify ePub intentionally avoids using. Which means I have to rewrite what he has done basically. Given that it is listed as "experimental" currently if it ever happens then it is only going to be after it has been in calibre for a while longer as I don't want to have to continually be changing my version of it.

[kiwidude]

Changes in this release:

• Add a separate me.py script to allow Modify ePub to be run from the command line. Unzip it and refer to the script for help on how to use it.
• Change to ensure when running via command line the lack of an opf file allows plugin to still run.

I know there are at least a few users out there who put calibre in their workflow only in order to run this plugin to make use of some feature such as removing non DC: metadata or smarten punctuation.

I have bundled in the plugin zip file in a commandline subfolder a python script that can be used from the command line to run almost all of the features of this plugin. There are details on the first post of this thread, a readme.txt inside the zip file, an example batch file and more documentation inside the script itself which can also be viewed.

So after extracting the me.py file from the zip, to see the help:

calibre-debug -e me.py --help

Example of overwriting an epub in place doing an add/replace of the cover image:

calibre-debug -e me.py foo.epub --insert_replace_cover "cover.jpg"

Example of smartening punctuation and removing javascript from foo.epub and writing into a new bar.epub:

calibre-debug -e me.py foo.epub bar.epub --smarten_punctuation --remove_javascript

The two functions you *cannot* do from the command line are:

1. Add/replace jacket (since it requires calibre metadata, which the point of the command line argument is to avoid adding to calibre)
2. Update metadata (same as above)

[PatNY]

I was wondering if it would be possible to add the ability to change the way an epub displays the cover -- from stretch to fit to preservation of aspect ratio. Currently, if one wants to change that, you have to either convert the epub or manually edit the cover page. Can this be done easily? Oftentimes the way the cover is displayed is the only change I need to make in an epub.

--Pat

[kiwidude]

@PatNY - just change your default setting in Preferences -> Output Options -> EPUB Output by ticking the "Preserve cover aspect ratio" box.

[PatNY]

Hi kiwidude. My output settings are already set that way. This is for epubs for which I never did a conversion and for which no conversion needs to be made (other than to change the way the cover is displayed). It even includes magazines downloaded -- the covers are usually set to stretch by default.

--Pat

[kiwidude]

Well, that is the setting this plugin uses when you choose the Insert/Replace cover option.