Conversion Indents Not Working

[Jimbo724]

0.9.20 on OS X 10.8.2

When I convert to AZW3, on Look & Feel I use:
Remove spacing between paragraphs
Insert blank line between paragraphs
Indent size: 2.0 em (or 1.5)
Line size: 1.0 em
Justify text
All five boxes checked on Filter Style Information

This used to give me the substantial indents that I want. However, starting around the time "polishing" was added (which I cannot find), the indent setting is ignored.

I don't know why the indent setting is being ignored after it worked for a long time. I don't know what I'm doing. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[theducks]

Jimbo
The Polishing Icon is not automatically added (?on existing installations?).
Use Preferences: Toolbars
to add 'The Brush' icon to your chosen bar

[Jimbo724]

Originally Posted by theducks

Use Preferences: Toolbars
to add 'The Brush' icon to your chosen bar

Okay, thanks.

I see polishing does not adjust indents. I'll have to whip up a lorem ipsit test file as the posting directions request.

[Jimbo724]

Actually, maybe I don't need a full-blown test document yet. I am using Blue Griffon 1.6.1 to prepare an html file for importation into Calibre and subsequent conversion by Calibre to AZW3 format. Blue Griffon puts "<br>" at the end of each paragraph, "<br>" on a new line before each paragraph, and "&nbsp; " at the start of each paragraph. Apparently the latter is used to indent each paragraph. Does Calibre have a problem overriding "&nbsp; "?

P.S. FWIW, I deleted all occurrences of "&nbsp; " and there are no indents after conversion. I guess I'll gin up a lorem ipsit file after all.

P.S.S. Indents are inserted at each "<p>" but not at any "<br>". Then again, the <br>s are either at the end of paragraphs or on new lines followed by the beginning of paragraphs on the next line.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Jimbo724

Actually, maybe I don't need a full-blown test document yet. I am using Blue Griffon 1.6.1 to prepare an html file for importation into Calibre and subsequent conversion by Calibre to AZW3 format. Blue Griffon puts "<br>" at the end of each paragraph, "<br>" on a new line before each paragraph, and "&nbsp; " at the start of each paragraph. Apparently the latter is used to indent each paragraph. Does Calibre have a problem overriding "&nbsp; "?

P.S. FWIW, I deleted all occurrences of "&nbsp; " and there are no indents after conversion. I guess I'll gin up a lorem ipsit file after all.

< BR /> &nbsp;

You have 1 Paragraph
Paragraphs start with a <p>, That is what Calibre indents

You need to replace all < BR /> &nbsp; with </p> <p> to turn thos lines into individual paragraphs

[JSWolf]

You could use Sigil to load the HTML file. Then you can do the splits and message the HTML and edit the CSS.

[Jimbo724]

Thanks duck and wolf. I did pretty much what you guys suggested, but I used a little utility called Balthisar Tidy to clean up the html, then I used TextWrangler to find & replace patterns that included the <br>s -- one pattern with <p>, another pattern with </p>. Balthisar Tidy was helpful in creating distinct patterns for one and the other.

FWIW, this is where I found Balthisar Tidy (free):

http://www.balthisar.com/products/tidy

I'm on a Mac. Better tools may exist for Windows.

... now if only I can remember what I did the next time I need to do it. (Set break-before-br to Yes, then replace a pattern including stuff BEFORE <br> with <p> and a pattern including stuff AFTER <br> with </p>. Replace "<br> blankline <p>" with "</p> blankline <p>" or something like that.)

[Jimbo724]

Originally Posted by theducks

replace all < BR /> &nbsp; with </p> <p>

That would have been easier than what I did.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Jimbo724

That would have been easier than what I did.

I have been doing this for a few weeks
Beware, I do goof on occasion. Always backup, then step thru my code and examine the results be for letn' er' rip

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Jimbo724

Thanks duck and wolf. I did pretty much what you guys suggested, but I used a little utility called Balthisar Tidy to clean up the html, then I used TextWrangler to find & replace patterns that included the <br>s -- one pattern with <p>, another pattern with </p>. Balthisar Tidy was helpful in creating distinct patterns for one and the other.

FWIW, this is where I found Balthisar Tidy (free):

http://www.balthisar.com/products/tidy

I'm on a Mac. Better tools may exist for Windows.

... now if only I can remember what I did the next time I need to do it. (Set break-before-br to Yes, then replace a pattern including stuff BEFORE <br> with <p> and a pattern including stuff AFTER <br> with </p>. Replace "<br> blankline <p>" with "</p> blankline <p>" or something like that.)

Better tools exist on a MAC. It's called Sigil. You don't need to use some unknown tidying software. If the program you used to make the HTML doesn't make good/valid code, then you shouldn't be using it.

In Sigil you can do your search/replace. You can edit the code and CSS and see your indents.

[Jimbo724]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Better tools exist on a MAC. It's called Sigil.

That may be completely true. However, I do not feel comfortable with Sigil because of experiences where I would edit the wsyiwyg text and the changes would not be visible in the html code. Too strange for me.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If the program you used to make the HTML doesn't make good/valid code, then you shouldn't be using it.

That's just it; I'm not using the program that creates bad code. In general, I am starting with poor html and trying to clean it up. The Balthizar Tidy utility does a good job for me. BTW, Tidy has been around for a long time as open source; Balthizar Tidy is just one guy's free continuation of the project and works well for my limited purposes in cleaning up crappy code. FWIW.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Jimbo724

That may be completely true. However, I do not feel comfortable with Sigil because of experiences where I would edit the wsyiwyg text and the changes would not be visible in the html code. Too strange for me.

What changes are you making that are not visible in the HTML code? I've never seen this before. Have you tried the new 0.7.0 version?

As for cleaning up the code I would convert to ePub and then work on cleaning up the code. It's a lot easier when the CSS is where most cleaning is done.

[Jimbo724]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What changes are you making that are not visible in the HTML code? I've never seen this before. Have you tried the new 0.7.0 version?

I always get the latest update when Sigil tells me one is available.

Starting with an ebook created from a lousy scan with little apparent proofreading, I would make simple textual edits in wysiwyg mode. When I would look at the source, the textual edits would not be visible in the source. For example, the misspelled word would still be present in the source even though it was changed in wysiwyg. Too strange for me.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

As for cleaning up the code I would convert to ePub and then work on cleaning up the code. It's a lot easier when the CSS is where most cleaning is done.

As much as possible, I need to edit at the wysiwyg level and rely on software to do all the mysterious code stuff at the source level. I don't have your knowledge of the code and CSS stuff.

[JSWolf]

I've done editing in the book view and the changes are made in the code. I think you need to move to the Sigil forum and mention this issue there so someone can try to help.

Oh and are you using Windows XP?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've done editing in the book view and the changes are made in the code. I think you need to move to the Sigil forum and mention this issue there so someone can try to help.

Oh and are you using Windows XP?

I don't think the job of Sigil is to fix BAD code, but to be a tool that allows you to get at the code to fix it.