Visible Table of Contents - Page 2

arjaybe · 06-28-2015, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

In the Editor (book file list) , drag it to the end (it is a separate file if Calibre / Sigil generated it) : save

Of course, do it later. Why didn't I think of that?-)

arjaybe · 06-28-2015, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You are missing a very important step. After you convert the ODT file to ePub, you MUST have a look at the code. You MUST have a look inside the ePub. You MUST clean up anything that needs to be cleaned up. You MUST make sure the code in your ePub is as clean as can be made. Only then can you go to the next step of converting the ePub into a Kindle eBook.

What kind of dirty code gets in there?

gmw · 06-28-2015, 04:31 PM

arjaybe, most word processors manage to leave behind various bits of detritus. Most of it is tends to be fairly harmless, a result of repeated editing. Things like emphasised spaces and other such formatting that does nothing. For obsessive people, like myself, that look at the source, these things are an eyesore (but not much worse). Every now and then something else gets left behind that may not be visible in the word processor but may upset an ereader (empty columns or other such stuff). There can also be artefacts from the conversion process itself, which is rarely perfect. A lot of that sort of stuff has more to do with how careful you have been with the use of styles while creating and editing your text, and it's difficult to be completely consistent (especially with how most editors work) over the life of a manuscript.

The other thing about a visible table of contents is: how much does it really matter if it's there? Kindle automatically takes the reader to the start of the text (if you've set that up correctly), and for everyone else it's a matter of a swipe or button press to get past it. (It reminds me a little of the big deal that used to be made over how many clicks it took to shutdown Windows ... I mean, really, what did it matter if it was one click or two?)

arjaybe · 06-28-2015, 05:27 PM

Thanks, GM. I think I've been pretty careful with styles, but I'm sure there are some signs of desperate hacking, too.-) I think I'll go and look at the html and see if I can see anything. (Picture Jerry Lewis commanding a battleship.)

arjaybe · 07-04-2015, 12:01 PM

Well, I hacked away at it until I had something that worked. I pruned and edited until it looked like all the extraneous stuff was gone, and I'm happy with the result. The appearance of the ePub was the same as it was going in, but it was cleaner underneath. And now I know I can do that if I have to. Thanks. I guess the next step is to identify the procedures that produce the cleanest code in the first place.

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06-28-2015, 04:31 PM	#18
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	arjaybe, most word processors manage to leave behind various bits of detritus. Most of it is tends to be fairly harmless, a result of repeated editing. Things like emphasised spaces and other such formatting that does nothing. For obsessive people, like myself, that look at the source, these things are an eyesore (but not much worse). Every now and then something else gets left behind that may not be visible in the word processor but may upset an ereader (empty columns or other such stuff). There can also be artefacts from the conversion process itself, which is rarely perfect. A lot of that sort of stuff has more to do with how careful you have been with the use of styles while creating and editing your text, and it's difficult to be completely consistent (especially with how most editors work) over the life of a manuscript. The other thing about a visible table of contents is: how much does it really matter if it's there? Kindle automatically takes the reader to the start of the text (if you've set that up correctly), and for everyone else it's a matter of a swipe or button press to get past it. (It reminds me a little of the big deal that used to be made over how many clicks it took to shutdown Windows ... I mean, really, what did it matter if it was one click or two?)

06-28-2015, 05:27 PM	#19
arjaybe Wizard Posts: 1,000 Karma: 12012526 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Canada Device: Sony PRS-650	Thanks, GM. I think I've been pretty careful with styles, but I'm sure there are some signs of desperate hacking, too.-) I think I'll go and look at the html and see if I can see anything. (Picture Jerry Lewis commanding a battleship.)

07-04-2015, 12:01 PM	#20
arjaybe Wizard Posts: 1,000 Karma: 12012526 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Canada Device: Sony PRS-650	Well, I hacked away at it until I had something that worked. I pruned and edited until it looked like all the extraneous stuff was gone, and I'm happy with the result. The appearance of the ePub was the same as it was going in, but it was cleaner underneath. And now I know I can do that if I have to. Thanks. I guess the next step is to identify the procedures that produce the cleanest code in the first place.

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