How To Stop It From Splitting HTML Files?

[Ransom]

Hello,

I use a combination of programs (like most folks I guess) to do my formatting, but I've noticed that I tend to loose my chapter links after outputting an epub file with Calibre. What I do is to usually start out in html and then use Sigil for making the initial epub from that. Then I'll bring the epub into Calibre to resave it as epub again while using the "remove spacing between paragraphs" function to get my single spaced lines with proper indents. This works fine except that the epub that Calibre outputs splits the html files into chucks, and in doing so, the chapter links will only work up till the first page split. My only solution so far has been to bring the contents of the zip file into Sigil once more, copy the code from any pages AFTER the first page split, and paste them back to the first page so that it's all one long html page again, and resave it once more. This works fine, but it's a lot of steps.

I'm new to this stuff, and I realize there must be a better way. I was hoping there was a command I was missing in Calibre that would stop it from splitting the file up while exporting as epub. Short of that, I'm sure there must be some way to format the indents properly within Sigil, possibly with CSS? I know some old-time html but never really learned much about style sheets.

Any help would be appreciated.

R

[kovidgoyal]

You can control splittin via options in the EPUB Output section of the conversion dialog. Though when calibre splits files it automatically adjusts links, so I doubt that is your problem.

[Ransom]

Thanks for replying. I can see where it says: "Split files larger than:", but while I can select how big the file is before splitting, I see no option not to split the file at all. I guess I can set it to some massive size though. I'll see how that works. I really don't think there's any other problem. I've looked over the codes in the resulting html files, and everything seems to be fine--unless it's something being done in the other files within the zip folder (of which I know very little).

[itimpi]

Note that most readers require the (X)HTML to be split inside the ebook file to allow them to handle it without running out of RAM trying to load it. That is why Calibre by default has a split maximum of about 260KB as many readers start chocking when you get above 300KB.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by itimpi

Note that most readers require the (X)HTML to be split inside the ebook file to allow them to handle it without running out of RAM trying to load it. That is why Calibre by default has a split maximum of about 260KB as many readers start chocking when you get above 300KB.

No, not "most"; only those running older versions of Adobe's software - primarily the older Sony Readers. More modern versions of the Adobe software don't have this issue, and nor of course do other file formats such as Mobipocket.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Ransom

Short of that, I'm sure there must be some way to format the indents properly within Sigil, possibly with CSS? I know some old-time html but never really learned much about style sheets.

If you already use Sigil, you don't need (in fact, you should avoid), further processing with calibre.
What you want is very easily achieved within Sigil by properly coding your CSS. I suggest you have a look at my ePub tutorial (see my signature), which covers HTML, CSS and Sigil.

Hope it helps.

[dwig]

Originally Posted by Ransom

...My only solution so far has been to bring the contents of the zip file into Sigil once more, copy the code from any pages AFTER the first page split, and paste them back to the first page so that it's all one long html page again, ...

One of the horrid things about Sigil is that some of its more useful functionality is rather hidden by the UI design. There is one such "hidden" function that makes this problem much easier to fix.

To merge/concatenate two xhtml files in Sigil you simply right click (Windows, I presume its CTRL-click on Mac??) on the second file in the "Book View" pane and select "Merge with previous" from the resulting menu.

I use this frequently with machine converted ePubs that are split somewhat haphazardly. I generally split the files again at appropriate breaks in the text (e.g. chapters, ...). Since Sigil's UI slows down noticably with larger files, particularily switching from code to preview mode after a CSS edit, I generally start by splitting the first segment and only do the "merge with previous" when I get to the end of that segment and find that part of the chapter spans to the next xhtml file. I then continue splitting that combined file.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by dwig

One of the horrid things about Sigil is that some of its more useful functionality is rather hidden by the UI design. There is one such "hidden" function that makes this problem much easier to fix.

To merge/concatenate two xhtml files in Sigil you simply right click (Windows, I presume its CTRL-click on Mac??) on the second file in the "Book View" pane and select "Merge with previous" from the resulting menu.

I use this frequently with machine converted ePubs that are split somewhat haphazardly. I generally split the files again at appropriate breaks in the text (e.g. chapters, ...). Since Sigil's UI slows down noticably with larger files, particularily switching from code to preview mode after a CSS edit, I generally start by splitting the first segment and only do the "merge with previous" when I get to the end of that segment and find that part of the chapter spans to the next xhtml file. I then continue splitting that combined file.

great tip, thanks.

[Ransom]

Great answers one and all!