big book--how to break up

monsieurms · 01-31-2010, 10:23 AM

Hi--I have a huge ebook. 36 megs uncompressed!

WHile it is a nice omnibus, I'd like to break it up.

So, I converted it to HTML, which kept occasional images and table of contents hyperlinks intact, and opened it in WORD, and it comes out with html coding, not as text that is easy to copy and select. Took a long time to load, but that wasn't the primary problem.

Next, I tried Front Page. FP wouldn't load it at all for some reason.

It opened in Notepad, but again with coding.

Any suggestions on how best to go about this?

HarryT · 01-31-2010, 10:32 AM

One would to do it would be to make several copies of the original file, and then erase the unwanted content (using a text editor) from each copy. Eg, if you wanted to split it into three, make three copies, and edit each: keep the first third in one copy, the middle third in the second copy, and the final third in the last copy. Obviously you'd also need to erase the irrelevant portions of any table of contents, etc.

zelda_pinwheel · 01-31-2010, 01:29 PM

you might try using sigil instead of word, etc. ; in the book view, you won't see the code, but the formatted text.

if your html is currently all one flow, to break up the book, you might want to try inserting a page break manually wherever you want to make a new file. when you're done inserting breaks, save your book as an epub file. then, modify the extension of the .epub to .zip and extract all the files in one folder. hypothetically, you *should* end up with one .xhtml file for each book, which you can then import individually into sigil and export as individual epub files after you make any other necessary modifications.

if this doesn't work (i'm not sure whether sigil will automatically split a file which is too large), you there is always the cut and paste method.

let us know which method you use and how it works for you.

monsieurms · 01-31-2010, 02:21 PM

Thanks for the tips--I'll play with it some..

Valloric · 01-31-2010, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

(i'm not sure whether sigil will automatically split a file which is too large)

Sigil doesn't do that. It never will do it automatically, but it will some day perform flow size checks and warn the user if some files cross the magical 300k limit. And even then, the user will be able to permanently dismiss the warning.

Automatically splitting the files is a bad idea for an editor, since a flow split causes a page break. Only the user knows where he wants those to appear in his books.

Solitaire1 · 01-31-2010, 08:54 PM

You could try OpenOffice.org. You can edit the HTML document like any other word processing file, and you can also see the underlying code if you choose. Also, you can have it clean up the HTML code a bit by setting the HTML version. I have mine set to save HTML documents in HTML version 2.3, and when I edit the document it does a good job of cleaning up and simplifying the HTML code.

zelda_pinwheel · 02-03-2010, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valloric

Sigil doesn't do that. It never will do it automatically, but it will some day perform flow size checks and warn the user if some files cross the magical 300k limit. And even then, the user will be able to permanently dismiss the warning.

Automatically splitting the files is a bad idea for an editor, since a flow split causes a page break. Only the user knows where he wants those to appear in his books.

that is excellent to know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

You could try OpenOffice.org. You can edit the HTML document like any other word processing file, and you can also see the underlying code if you choose. Also, you can have it clean up the HTML code a bit by setting the HTML version. I have mine set to save HTML documents in HTML version 2.3, and when I edit the document it does a good job of cleaning up and simplifying the HTML code.

hm, i didn't know you could edit and filter html code with open office. i use that for text documents but i had never thought of using it for code.

pholy · 02-03-2010, 06:35 PM

I use OpenOffice to divide up a big rtf file by selecting the chunk I want, doing a copy, and then opening a new html document, and pasting my copy into it. Then I save it with a new name, and away I go. It should work starting with an html file as well. I'll have to find that html 2.3 option and see if that cleans things up some more.

Solitaire1 · 02-03-2010, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

You could try OpenOffice.org. You can edit the HTML document like any other word processing file, and you can also see the underlying code if you choose. Also, you can have it clean up the HTML code a bit by setting the HTML version. I have mine set to save HTML documents in HTML version 2.3, and when I edit the document it does a good job of cleaning up and simplifying the HTML code.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

hm, i didn't know you could edit and filter html code with open office. i use that for text documents but i had never thought of using it for code.

It's fairly easy. In an HTML document you can select "View" >> "HTML Source" and it will show you the underlying code. You are also able to edit it.

As far as cleaning the code, you can select different versions of HTML: HTML 3.2, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and Writer. When you first view the HTML file, it leaves the code unchanged. But when you make a change to the document, it automatically cleans up the code to match the version of HTML you choose. To force it to clean up the code, I insert a space and then delete that space.

01-31-2010, 10:23 AM	#1
monsieurms Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: palm 680	big book--how to break up Hi--I have a huge ebook. 36 megs uncompressed! WHile it is a nice omnibus, I'd like to break it up. So, I converted it to HTML, which kept occasional images and table of contents hyperlinks intact, and opened it in WORD, and it comes out with html coding, not as text that is easy to copy and select. Took a long time to load, but that wasn't the primary problem. Next, I tried Front Page. FP wouldn't load it at all for some reason. It opened in Notepad, but again with coding. Any suggestions on how best to go about this?

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01-31-2010, 10:32 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	One would to do it would be to make several copies of the original file, and then erase the unwanted content (using a text editor) from each copy. Eg, if you wanted to split it into three, make three copies, and edit each: keep the first third in one copy, the middle third in the second copy, and the final third in the last copy. Obviously you'd also need to erase the irrelevant portions of any table of contents, etc.

01-31-2010, 01:29 PM	#3
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	you might try using sigil instead of word, etc. ; in the book view, you won't see the code, but the formatted text. if your html is currently all one flow, to break up the book, you might want to try inserting a page break manually wherever you want to make a new file. when you're done inserting breaks, save your book as an epub file. then, modify the extension of the .epub to .zip and extract all the files in one folder. hypothetically, you should end up with one .xhtml file for each book, which you can then import individually into sigil and export as individual epub files after you make any other necessary modifications. if this doesn't work (i'm not sure whether sigil will automatically split a file which is too large), you there is always the cut and paste method. let us know which method you use and how it works for you.

01-31-2010, 02:21 PM	#4
monsieurms Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: palm 680	Thanks for the tips--I'll play with it some..

01-31-2010, 08:54 PM	#6
Solitaire1 Samurai Lizard Posts: 14,259 Karma: 66698846 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: NookColor	You could try OpenOffice.org. You can edit the HTML document like any other word processing file, and you can also see the underlying code if you choose. Also, you can have it clean up the HTML code a bit by setting the HTML version. I have mine set to save HTML documents in HTML version 2.3, and when I edit the document it does a good job of cleaning up and simplifying the HTML code.

02-03-2010, 06:35 PM	#8
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	I use OpenOffice to divide up a big rtf file by selecting the chunk I want, doing a copy, and then opening a new html document, and pasting my copy into it. Then I save it with a new name, and away I go. It should work starting with an html file as well. I'll have to find that html 2.3 option and see if that cleans things up some more.

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