ePub -> mobi

[crutledge]

I am using Calibre to convert epUB TO MOBI. I then use KindlePreviewer for the final check. All is well except the List of Illustrations does not appear in the KP GOTO menu. Not a big deal, but I'm curious if I have done, or not done, something to cause this.

Below is the OPF GUIDE that I use.

  <guide>
    <reference href="Text/The%20Expressman%20and%20the%20Detective.htm" title="Cover" type="cover" />
    <reference href="Text/The%20Expressman%20and%20the%20Detective_0001.htm" title="Title Page" type="title-page" />
    <reference href="Text/The%20Expressman%20and%20the%20Detective_0002.htm" title="Table Of Contents" type="toc" />
    <reference href="Text/The%20Expressman%20and%20the%20Detective_0003.htm" title="List Of Illustrations" type="loi" />
    <reference href="Text/The%20Expressman%20and%20the%20Detective_0004.htm" title="Beginning" type="text" />
  </guide>

[kovidgoyal]

The only guide elements calibre support for conversion to mobi are cover and text (or start).

[crutledge]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The only guide elements calibre support for conversion to mobi are cover and text (or start).

Now I know. Is there any particular reason for this?

[Jeff L]

Amazon didn't support all the <guide> options for older Kindles (as noted in their publishing guidelines). I'm not sure what the newer Kindles do but I've only seen a few of the options show up - Cover, ToC, Start/Text.

[kovidgoyal]

Yeah, as JeffL said, when I wrote the code the Kindles didn't support anything else. I dont know if that has changed now.

Oh and just to be accurate, the set of supported guide element is text/cover and toc, I forgot toc last time.

[crutledge]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Yeah, as JeffL said, when I wrote the code the Kindles didn't support anything else. I dont know if that has changed now.

Oh and just to be accurate, the set of supported guide element is text/cover and toc, I forgot toc last time.

Kovid, Please understand that I am not complaining or being critical. You have done a yoeman.s work for mobileread and sbooks in general and I do admire and thank you.

However, if all epub tools were built to the epub standard even if some readers, like amazon, do not honor them. then many irritations disappear. Amazon varys between it's different readers.

The modification of the Calibre ePub -> MOBI shuld be straight foward and would remove the need for modifying the output of KindleGen to get a reasonable MOBI.

I have no knowledge of Python or I might try myself. Even at my age.

Thank you.

[kovidgoyal]

This has nothing to do with epub or its standards. The Kindle devices did not support the other guide elements. I dont know if that has changed with newer kindles.

[kovidgoyal]

To explain some more:

When I wrote the original epub to mobi conversion code, the Kindle devices and the MOBI format had no support for guide entries other than the ones I listed previously, which is why calibre only converts those particular guide entries. That may have changed with newer kindle devices, I will have to check when I can find the time.

[crutledge]

Why worry about what is implemented in the various flavors of Kindle Readers. Just build in the handling of any and all lawful guide items.

That would be great!!!

[kovidgoyal]

Nobody knows what is lawful in MOBI. MOBI is aproprietary format that Amazon keeps secret. calibre's MOBI support comes from reverse engineering. The only way to figure out what is lawful in MOBI is to experiment with the file and look at the results on a Kindle.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by crutledge

Why worry about what is implemented in the various flavors of Kindle Readers. Just build in the handling of any and all lawful guide items.

Because having guide terms that Kindles don't understand might cause problems. If you can verify that (say) Kindle for PC or the Kindle Paperwhite now handle more guide items, perhaps Kovid could add support for them.

But it's a bit much to expect him to do the research into an undocumented format for you.

[crutledge]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Nobody knows what is lawful in MOBI. MOBI is aproprietary format that Amazon keeps secret. calibre's MOBI support comes from reverse engineering. The only way to figure out what is lawful in MOBI is to experiment with the file and look at the results on a Kindle.

Using Sigil, I have used several of the available semantics selections. There has been no problem in passing them thru kindlegen. Kindle Previewer shows all in its GoTO menu.

Howsever, thanks for the interesting exchange. Enjoy spring!!

[crutledge]

I took the attached ePub and inserted every semantic from Sigil. I then ran the ePub thru Kindle Previewer. All Semantics showed in the KP GoTo menu and went to the right position in the book. All devices in KP were tested. If the actual deviced does not recognize a semantic, it will just not show in the reader GoTo.

This may mean nothing

[kovidgoyal]

OK I will look into it when I am next working on the MOBI output code.

[crutledge]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

OK I will look into it when I am next working on the MOBI output code.

Thank you