is there an elegant solution to add hidden chapter numbers

[Karellen]

Originally Posted by BeckyEbook

Identifiers are added only to those headers that are in the same file. And that's a very good thing.

Yes, a single header does not need an ID, but subsequent headers in the same xhtml file will need one.

I think @stumped is under the mistaken idea that the TOC needs ID's to work, which is not the case for a single header, as far as I understand it.

[Tex2002ans]

On generating a Table of Contents + "Chapter Images"... also see:

• 2022: "How to generate a Nav or TOC w/Pictures"

That's the last time I remember it was all discussed.

It gave examples, details, and why it's also not that great of an idea to have images-as-chapter-headings.

Similarly, we also discussed "Discworld" and similar "entire book has no chapters, so how do I deal with it?" situations:

• 2022: "Pratchett and Chapters?"

Originally Posted by Karellen

I wonder if @Turtle91 would like to comment. Haven't seen him around for a while...

Yes, I'm thinking the same thing. I think I sense a ghostly presence in this thread though!

Originally Posted by BeckyEbook

Surely this is the situation:

[...]

Identifiers are added only to those headers that are in the same file. And that's a very good thing.

Yep. Exactly how I read it too.

Originally Posted by Karellen

I think @stumped is under the mistaken idea that the TOC needs ID's to work, which is not the case for a single header, as far as I understand it.

Correct. In many cases, Sigil will just point to the very beginning/top of the file:

<p class="tocone"><a href="../Text/Chapter01.xhtml">Chapter 1</a></p>

That points straight to the Chapter01 file, so there's no need for a specific ID.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by BeckyEbook

@DiapDealer.

Surely this is the situation:

  <h1>Chapter 1</h1>
  <p>Blah, blah, blah</p>
  <h2>Subchapter A</h2>
  <p>Blah, blah, blah</p>
  <h2>Subchapter B</h2>
  <p>Blah, blah, blah</p>
  <h2>Subchapter C</h2>
  <p>Blah, blah, blah</p>

After creating TOC/NCX:

  <h1>Chapter 1</h1>
  <p>Blah, blah, blah</p>
  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_1">Subchapter A</h2>
  <p>Blah, blah, blah</p>
  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_2">Subchapter B</h2>
  <p>Blah, blah, blah</p>
  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_3">Subchapter C</h2>
  <p>Blah, blah, blah</p>

Identifiers are added only to those headers that are in the same file. And that's a very good thing.

Yes. That makes sense. I read his post wrong, I guess. If there's only one header, there's no need for an id. The toc goes to the top of the file in that case.

[stumped]

That's it.
It's all about tricking sigil to add incremental ids to new h3 tags
I did not invent that 2014 recipe, I just used it. Doitsu was the author I think

I should also have added, that after creating all temporary h2 lines, I used calibre with structure detect to split the book into lots of html files, one per chapter.
Only then do I regenerate toc in sigil.

[Turtle91]

Originally Posted by stumped

That's it.
It's all about tricking sigil to add incremental ids to new h3 tags
I did not invent that 2014 recipe, I just used it. Doitsu was the author I think

I should also have added, that after creating all temporary h2 lines, I used calibre with structure detect to split the book into lots of html files, one per chapter.
Only then do I regenerate toc in sigil.

You can also use Sigil to split a really long file into smaller ones. Continuing with your current example:

Find: 
<p class="textbreak"><span class="dropcap"><span><img src="../images/00003.jpeg" alt="" class="calibre7"/></span></span></p>

Replace: 
<hr class="sigil_split_marker" />
<p class="textbreak"><span class="dropcap"><span><img src="../images/00003.jpeg" alt="" class="calibre7"/></span></span></p>

Select: edit, split at markers (F6)

Then continue with the steps I posted previously.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

You can also use Sigil to split a really long file into smaller ones.

It would be nice to be able to see what the sizes of the file resulting files will be before they are split. That makes it a lot easier to find a place to split if it's not at a chapter start.

A good example is Discworld. No chapters and I've seen some of the eBooks not properly split.

[Turtle91]

If there isn’t at least some separator indication (ie just continuous paragraphs) then, in Sigil, you would just manually insert the split marker wherever (after every x number of paragraphs). You could then run a report which would tell you how many KBs are in each file; then add an additional split if files are too large. This is an (outdated?) concern, as most readers/devices don’t have that old file size limit anymore.

However, the point I think you are trying to make is that Calibre has a splitting-on-size function.

[theducks]

I just scroll down n (of typical dialog) lines in the editor, find a natural looking place to break (usually a scene or POV change)

[stumped]

Originally Posted by Karellen

Yes, a single header does not need an ID, but subsequent headers in the same xhtml file will need one.

I think @stumped is under the mistaken idea that the TOC needs ID's to work, which is not the case for a single header, as far as I understand it.

Nol it's that I need sequential tocds so that I can rexex the numbers into my headers.
I see no other way to generate chapter numbers across 144 files. My example has 144 chapters, too many to number them manually
E.g. find <h2 toc_id(\d+) >placeholder
Replace <h2 > \1

[Turtle91]

Originally Posted by stumped

…
I see no other way to generate chapter numbers across 144 files. My example has 144 chapters, too many to number them manually
E.g. find <h2 toc_id(\d+) >placeholder
Replace <h2 > \1

Did you see my responses above??

I’m starting to think you have my posts blocked… lol

[Tex2002ans]

Originally Posted by stumped

It's all about tricking sigil to add incremental ids to new h3 tags
I did not invent that 2014 recipe, I just used it.

You keep on mentioning this mythical "2014 post" or instructions. Can you link us to the exact post, so we can see what the heck you are talking about?

And why keep using the 2014 method, when multiple people have explained alternate and much better/easier/faster—2023—methods.

Originally Posted by stumped

I should also have added, that after creating all temporary h2 lines, I used calibre with structure detect to split the book into lots of html files, one per chapter.
Only then do I regenerate toc in sigil.

So your ultimate goal is to SPLIT the HTML files based on chapters/headings?

Then just use Sigil's:

• Edit > Split at Markers (F6)

You can use Search/Replace (or Regular Expressions) to insert this code:

<hr class="sigil_split_marker" />

wherever you want Sigil to split an HTML file for you:

<hr class="sigil_split_marker" /><h2>Chapter 1</h2>

<hr class="sigil_split_marker" /><h2>Chapter 2</h2>

<hr class="sigil_split_marker" /><h2>Chapter 3</h2>

Then you press that shortcut, and boom... Sigil splits the HTML files exactly where that <hr> code existed.

I think it's WAY easier than Calibre's Xpath stuff.

- - -

I explained step-by-step instructions for Sigil's "Split Markers" multiple times:

• 2021: "Advice for fixing a publisher's broken book"
• 2021: "Indexing in SIGIL - How to add "See also...""
  
  • Steps 6+7 are all you need—those are the Splitting HTML files steps.

- - -

Originally Posted by Turtle91

Did you see my responses above??

I’m starting to think you have my posts blocked… lol

lol. I sense another ghostly turtle-shaped presence!

[DiapDealer]

Who's this Turtle-person everyone keeps mentioning?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

You keep on mentioning this mythical "2014 post" or instructions. Can you link us to the exact post, so we can see what the heck you are talking about?

I suspect the thread being referred to is: Mass find and replace for chapter numbers, especially message #5 in the thread.

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

And why keep using the 2014 method, when multiple people have explained alternate and much better/easier/faster—2023—methods.

Baby duckling syndrome?

[stumped]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I suspect the thread being referred to is: Mass find and replace for chapter numbers, especially message #5 in the thread.



Baby duckling syndrome?

this is getting somewhat confusing and insulting

for the record
1. i created the thread, but after 2 days there was no posted help
2. so I went searching and found the infamous/ inefficient/bad solution which I used successfully, and partially quoted, to help anyone else searching for similar help.

3. sometime after that , the cavalry arrived with various smart solutions

4.but there was also one person querying my posted code so i posted more, trying to explain what I had already done, step by step ( note: past tense, already done, before any advice got posted - only to get accused of ignoring the help and of promoting an outdated, poor quality solution


this baby duckling, however, still flounders on" what it the elegant solution to generating non existent incremental chapter NUMBERS and getting those into the code & the toc"
[ without using a plug in]

the smart help seems more focussed on how to split one file into separate chapters using sigil not calibre, and on ridiculing the only solution that google search was able to find for me, but not on a smarter way to conjure up 144 chapter numbers out of this air

[Turtle91]

Sorry, no.

1. BeckyEbook posted an answer to your question within 2 HOURS...not days.

2. Also, you never said [without using a plugin] until just now... If you don't want to use a plugin, that's fine, but that is how we are telling you to "elegantly solve your problem."

3. It appears you have several of the people on this thread 'blocked', or you just refuse to read their posts...that, I'm afraid, is on you.

4. You probably won't be able to read this thread either so