A real PDF to epub/djvu/rtf/html software?. - Page 2

nrapallo · 09-30-2008, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Under the hood, this is a two step process and sometimes you might want to edit the intermediate HTML. MobiPocket Creator should leave behind its intermediate OEB ebook files, but you can also just use the command line version pdf2xml, see Mobipocket convert in mass?.

Nice to know, but I *do* like the complete run through to get the .prc actually produced. I'm a lazy bugger...

Dumb question time: What good is the .xml if I already have the .prc and .opf with .html from the Mobipocket Creator Import?

I've never used .xml files (my Word is 'stuck' at Word 2003). Which program converts these and/or reads them for further processing?

Would you say they are better for storage, portability or something else? I'm not in the know here. Any info would be appreciated!

Thanks!

DaleDe · 09-30-2008, 01:43 PM

You can add the import and export of XML files to your Word 2003 (Actually all the way back to Word 2000) via a free download from Microsoft. They are pushing their new docx format. See the wiki.

Dale

sasilk · 10-03-2008, 09:20 AM

For the iLiad users...

I found a nice easy way of outputting PDF files so that they're readable on the iLiad. You can create your own PDF format styles for the PDF printer. So I created one for a paper size and margins that fir my iLiad, with a font that I liked to read. Then all you have to do is print whatever format you have to the PDF printer using that style and it will create a file that works on your iLiad.

chrisophus · 05-04-2009, 12:59 PM

I wrote a python script which converts the output of pdf2xml to html and attempts to maintain formatting of complex pdf's. I then use calibre to generate the ebook format (mobi in my case). It seems to work pretty well. You can read more about it on my blog at http://talkings.org/2009/05/03/complex-pdf-html/.

kovidgoyal · 05-04-2009, 06:38 PM

Cool, it was always in the back of my mind to write a script to implement column detection and a few other goodies form the output of pdf2xml, but I never found the time/motivation.

I'll be willing to integrate this into calibre (after the 0.6 release), so open a ticket and attch your script. Integration will depend on how easy it is to compile pdf2xml on various platforms.

chrisophus · 05-04-2009, 10:35 PM

That sounds good. What time frame are you looking at? I still need to do some work on it to automate detection of more aspects of the content.

kovidgoyal · 05-04-2009, 10:54 PM

0.6 will take another couple of moths, so there's no rush

chrisophus · 05-06-2009, 01:21 PM

I am pretty happy with the progress I've made in the last couple of days. It seems to be working with almost anything I throw at it. I am adding a lot of options to customize how it handles the formatting. I'll post again when I have a new version up. I wish I had a better name than cxpdfhtml.py...

kovidgoyal · 05-06-2009, 01:28 PM

the name i used for my abortive attempt was pdfreflow.py

tlc · 05-08-2009, 03:39 AM

My interest is just getting better reflowable paragraphs on fiction. I tried cxpdfhtml.py on a novel and was surprised at how well the "break on short lines" approach worked, although I haven't read in depth to find the not-short-enough lines.

I was wondering if you are considering (or anyone else has implemented) detection of paragraphs based on indentation?

chrisophus · 05-10-2009, 12:01 AM

Actually it does use indentation to detect paragraphs. Basically if a line is indented and the next line is not, it is considered the beginning of a paragraph block. A short line break is detected if no other type of block/code is detected and the line is indented and doesn't quite go to the end of the line (10 pixels).
Although that could easily be made a configuration option as well.

Thanks for the feedback. I hope it proves useful.

JSWolf · 05-10-2009, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisophus

Actually it does use indentation to detect paragraphs. Basically if a line is indented and the next line is not, it is considered the beginning of a paragraph block. A short line break is detected if no other type of block/code is detected and the line is indented and doesn't quite go to the end of the line (10 pixels).
Although that could easily be made a configuration option as well.

Thanks for the feedback. I hope it proves useful.

And it is and where do we get whatever it is? Thanks!

chrisophus · 05-10-2009, 09:06 PM

It is cxpdfhtml. See my earlier post and my blog for details and download links: http://talkings.org/2009/05/07/cxpdfhtml/

JSWolf · 05-11-2009, 10:48 AM

Thank you. I'll give it a go later when I have a chance and find a PDF I want to convert.

stisev · 09-10-2009, 06:03 AM

Hi all,
Like you guys, I have a lot of purchased PDF files, none of which are DRMed (I refuse to purchase any store that DRMs anything).

All I can say is that it is virtually impossible to convert everything successfully.

Like 2 previous recommendations, I like Nuance PDF Converter Pro. Nuance PDF Converter 6.0 Pro just came out and the converter is the most accurate so far, but still chokes with some books.

05-04-2009, 12:59 PM	#19
chrisophus Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Kindle	Complex PDF to HTML I wrote a python script which converts the output of pdf2xml to html and attempts to maintain formatting of complex pdf's. I then use calibre to generate the ebook format (mobi in my case). It seems to work pretty well. You can read more about it on my blog at http://talkings.org/2009/05/03/complex-pdf-html/.

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09-30-2008, 01:43 PM	#17
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	You can add the import and export of XML files to your Word 2003 (Actually all the way back to Word 2000) via a free download from Microsoft. They are pushing their new docx format. See the wiki. Dale

10-03-2008, 09:20 AM	#18
sasilk Connoisseur Posts: 75 Karma: 14 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Australia Device: iPad Pro 12"; Kindle Paperwhite	For the iLiad users... I found a nice easy way of outputting PDF files so that they're readable on the iLiad. You can create your own PDF format styles for the PDF printer. So I created one for a paper size and margins that fir my iLiad, with a font that I liked to read. Then all you have to do is print whatever format you have to the PDF printer using that style and it will create a file that works on your iLiad.

05-04-2009, 06:38 PM	#20
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Cool, it was always in the back of my mind to write a script to implement column detection and a few other goodies form the output of pdf2xml, but I never found the time/motivation. I'll be willing to integrate this into calibre (after the 0.6 release), so open a ticket and attch your script. Integration will depend on how easy it is to compile pdf2xml on various platforms.

05-04-2009, 10:35 PM	#21
chrisophus Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Kindle	That sounds good. What time frame are you looking at? I still need to do some work on it to automate detection of more aspects of the content.

05-04-2009, 10:54 PM	#22
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	0.6 will take another couple of moths, so there's no rush

05-06-2009, 01:21 PM	#23
chrisophus Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Kindle	I am pretty happy with the progress I've made in the last couple of days. It seems to be working with almost anything I throw at it. I am adding a lot of options to customize how it handles the formatting. I'll post again when I have a new version up. I wish I had a better name than cxpdfhtml.py...

05-06-2009, 01:28 PM	#24
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	the name i used for my abortive attempt was pdfreflow.py

05-08-2009, 03:39 AM	#25
tlc Zealot Posts: 140 Karma: 50288 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: KK 3G, iPad	My interest is just getting better reflowable paragraphs on fiction. I tried cxpdfhtml.py on a novel and was surprised at how well the "break on short lines" approach worked, although I haven't read in depth to find the not-short-enough lines. I was wondering if you are considering (or anyone else has implemented) detection of paragraphs based on indentation?

05-10-2009, 12:01 AM	#26
chrisophus Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Kindle	Actually it does use indentation to detect paragraphs. Basically if a line is indented and the next line is not, it is considered the beginning of a paragraph block. A short line break is detected if no other type of block/code is detected and the line is indented and doesn't quite go to the end of the line (10 pixels). Although that could easily be made a configuration option as well. Thanks for the feedback. I hope it proves useful.

05-10-2009, 09:06 PM	#28
chrisophus Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Kindle	It is cxpdfhtml. See my earlier post and my blog for details and download links: http://talkings.org/2009/05/07/cxpdfhtml/

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05-11-2009, 10:48 AM	#29
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Thank you. I'll give it a go later when I have a chance and find a PDF I want to convert.

09-10-2009, 06:03 AM	#30
stisev Austrian Economist Posts: 20 Karma: 16 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: X51v	Hi all, Like you guys, I have a lot of purchased PDF files, none of which are DRMed (I refuse to purchase any store that DRMs anything). All I can say is that it is virtually impossible to convert everything successfully. Like 2 previous recommendations, I like Nuance PDF Converter Pro. Nuance PDF Converter 6.0 Pro just came out and the converter is the most accurate so far, but still chokes with some books.