New program: EPub Metadata Editor

[Ennas]

Hi!

This is a great program and I use it all the time! I especially like the easy cover fix and the fact that you can edit all(?) metadata.

Recently, I get this error message a lot when I try to view the epub I just edited.

---------
Unable to read OPF file.
Line: 9 column 2 - unexpected ' '.
---------

I use Sigil as my epub viewer and I have the latest update of Epubmetadataeditor.
At the moment, I solve this problem by converting the epub to mobi (at 2epub.com) and back to epub. It works fine, but it's quite a hassle.
Is there an easier way to solve this?

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by Ennas

Hi!

This is a great program and I use it all the time! I especially like the easy cover fix and the fact that you can edit all(?) metadata.

Recently, I get this error message a lot when I try to view the epub I just edited.

---------
Unable to read OPF file.
Line: 9 column 2 - unexpected ' '.
---------

I use Sigil as my epub viewer and I have the latest update of Epubmetadataeditor.
At the moment, I solve this problem by converting the epub to mobi (at 2epub.com) and back to epub. It works fine, but it's quite a hassle.
Is there an easier way to solve this?

Are you saying you get the error when you open the epub in Sigil? If you could send me an example EPUB file, that would help. You can attach them as "images" on this thread, if you rename the file extension from .EPUB to .JPG before inserting it.

[Ennas]

Yes, that's what I mean. I edit the epub, click the button "view epub" (set to Sigil) and then I get the error message.

Usually the epub is ok before, but "breaks" during editing. Converting to mobi and back and then editing works fine. Weird, isn't it?

Epub with error attached.

Edit: it doesn't accept the disguised epub, so I uploaded the epub as epub. I think it worked now.

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by Ennas

Yes, that's what I mean. I edit the epub, click the button "view epub" (set to Sigil) and then I get the error message.

Usually the epub is ok before, but "breaks" during editing. Converting to mobi and back and then editing works fine. Weird, isn't it?

Epub with error attached.

Edit: it doesn't accept the disguised epub, so I uploaded the epub as epub. I think it worked now.

I can clearly see what's causing Sigil to give the error message. In EPUB Metadata Editor, if you open the "Batch Operations / Advanced Tasks" panel and click the "Edit .opf file" button, you'll see an unnecessary "<" character (image attached). Just delete it, click the Save button, and then Save in the main window of the program, and you should be able to view the epub in Sigil successfully.

Now, as to tracking down what's causing that character to appear in the first place, that's harder (unless this happens to you all the time!) You will need to monitor when it happens so that you can send me the original version of the EPUB (before any changes are made) and then tell me what to do to make the problem happen. Does that make sense? Then I can dive into debugging and track down the root cause.

Sincerely,
Ben.

[Ennas]

Thanks for looking into this!

Attached is the original unbroken file.
It "breaks" when I click "apply all cover fixes", but I think it doesn't matter what I change. Whenever I change something and save it, it goes wrong.

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by Ennas

Thanks for looking into this!

Attached is the original unbroken file.
It "breaks" when I click "apply all cover fixes", but I think it doesn't matter what I change. Whenever I change something and save it, it goes wrong.

Issue confirmed. I will look into it when I get a chance.

(Now that I have downloaded a copy of the epub, you can delete the ones in your two posts. Thanks!)

[Ennas]

Done.
Thanks!

[BenChen]

Latest Update: The current version is 1.4.10
Recent Changes:

• Drop down menu of EPUBs in current folder now sorted
• Added "Delete selected item" button to Batch Operations file list
• Better handle selection errors when using Batch Operations file list
• Fix for bug while saving creator information in EPUB3.
• Fix for second creator information appearing as part of first creator in EPUB3.

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by Ennas

Done.
Thanks!

Hi Ennas,

I think I have fixed the issue (and made the most of putting out an update by making a few other changes/fixes!) Let me know if you discover any other problems!

Sincerely,
Ben.

[Ennas]

Great!

Maybe you could add an easy way to go to the update site/page from the program in the next update. Something like an "update to latest version" button in the "about" screen would be nice for n00bs like me.

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by Ennas

Great!

Maybe you could add an easy way to go to the update site/page from the program in the next update. Something like an "update to latest version" button in the "about" screen would be nice for n00bs like me.

Hi Ennas,

Actually, there already is. When there is an update, you can click the little "Update available!" link. A dialog box appears, with another link to the download location and some instructions.

Sincerely,
Ben.

[Ennas]

Really? I don't see it. I guess it's only there when you're not up-to-date. Great!

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by Ennas

Really? I don't see it. I guess it's only there when you're not up-to-date. Great!

That's right: it only appears when there's an update available.

[BenChen]

Latest Update: The current version is 1.4.11
Recent Changes:

• Yet another fix for non-standard OPF files.
• Apply OPF fixes when using "Apply all Cover Fixes and Save EPUB" button.

[BenChen]

Latest Update: The current version is 1.5.0
Recent Changes:

• Changed "Find EPUB3" button into a more general "Find in current folder..." button that opens a dialog with options to find 1) EPUB3 files, 2) OPF files with tag errors (and the option to fix those errors if found), or 3) OPF files containing a user-defined string. Any files found will then be listed in the batch file list. Clicking on an entry in the list will open those files in the main window.
• Bug fixes.

Note: the reason for looking for tag errors is that it appears that EPUB Metadata Editor has at some point in the past and possibly for quite a few versions made changes to the OPF file that left it with ">>" when adding or possibly replacing a cover image. A more recent version (briefly) introduced "<<" as well! Most EPUB readers cannot handle these sorts of errors in an XML file. So using the new "Find in current folder" dialog, you can search a single folder for any EPUBs with these sorts of errors and fix them.

Note, too: it may not be too difficult to extend the searching capabilities so that the entire contents of all the EPUB files in the current folder could be searched for a user-defined string. I am not sure if this is something people would like to be able to do. For a large number of EPUB files, this would take a very long time to perform. Let me know what you think in the comments...