Structure Detection - trying to learn

odamizu · 09-16-2015, 01:34 AM

I'm trying to better understand the "Structure Detection" preferences in Calibre conversions.

1. Is the purpose of "Structure Detection" primarily (or entirely) to determine where page breaks are inserted and/or files are split? Anything else it does?

2. Most of my ebook conversions are EPUB to AZW3 or MOBI. If the EPUB is well-made, with each chapter and section split into a separate file, can I safely set Detect chapters to "/", Chapter mark "none" and Insert page breaks before to "/"? Will doing this ensure that the resulting AZW3/MOBI has the same page breaks as the original EPUB?

3. Occasionally I build my own ebook from a single HTML file using <h1> and <h2> for chapter headings. If I specify <h1> and <h2> for chapters in the Table of Contents prefs and use CSS to insert the proper page breaks (page-break-before: always), can I leave the Structure Detection settings "off" per above?

4. If I leave Structure Detections settings "off" per above, will that have any affect on how the Table of Contents is built?

Thank you for any insights and enlightenment!

kovidgoyal · 09-16-2015, 01:38 AM

Most of this is discussed in http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/conv...ture-detection

odamizu · 09-16-2015, 12:47 PM

Thanks! I did read the Calibre manual before posting my question, but sadly, I did not understand enough of it

Perhaps this requires more technical understanding than I have

I generally leave the Structure Detection settings alone (defaults), and that works fine for the most part. But on a couple ebooks recently, I started getting unwanted page breaks. Fiddling with the settings solved the problem, but I didn't really understand why. It was more, "hmmm ... let's see what happens if I try this -- oho! that solves it, not sure why."

I guess what I really want to know is:

1. If an EPUB has proper page breaks specified either using file splits and CSS (e.g., page-break-before: always), can I safely turn off Structure Detection and get the same page breaks?

2. The manual says "When the input document has a Table of Contents in its metadata, calibre will just use that." For an EPUB, does that mean the .ncx file?

Thanks! (and sorry for my densitude)

kovidgoyal · 09-16-2015, 02:08 PM

1. yes

2. yes

odamizu · 09-16-2015, 08:00 PM

Excellent. Thanks much! (not just for the answers but also for your most excellent Calibre program

)

09-16-2015, 01:34 AM	#1
odamizu just an egg Posts: 1,586 Karma: 4300000 Join Date: Mar 2015 Device: Kindle, iOS	Structure Detection - trying to learn I'm trying to better understand the "Structure Detection" preferences in Calibre conversions. 1. Is the purpose of "Structure Detection" primarily (or entirely) to determine where page breaks are inserted and/or files are split? Anything else it does? 2. Most of my ebook conversions are EPUB to AZW3 or MOBI. If the EPUB is well-made, with each chapter and section split into a separate file, can I safely set Detect chapters to "/", Chapter mark "none" and Insert page breaks before to "/"? Will doing this ensure that the resulting AZW3/MOBI has the same page breaks as the original EPUB? 3. Occasionally I build my own ebook from a single HTML file using <h1> and <h2> for chapter headings. If I specify <h1> and <h2> for chapters in the Table of Contents prefs and use CSS to insert the proper page breaks (page-break-before: always), can I leave the Structure Detection settings "off" per above? 4. If I leave Structure Detections settings "off" per above, will that have any affect on how the Table of Contents is built? Thank you for any insights and enlightenment!

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09-16-2015, 01:38 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Most of this is discussed in http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/conv...ture-detection

09-16-2015, 12:47 PM	#3
odamizu just an egg Posts: 1,586 Karma: 4300000 Join Date: Mar 2015 Device: Kindle, iOS	Thanks! I did read the Calibre manual before posting my question, but sadly, I did not understand enough of it Perhaps this requires more technical understanding than I have I generally leave the Structure Detection settings alone (defaults), and that works fine for the most part. But on a couple ebooks recently, I started getting unwanted page breaks. Fiddling with the settings solved the problem, but I didn't really understand why. It was more, "hmmm ... let's see what happens if I try this -- oho! that solves it, not sure why." I guess what I really want to know is: 1. If an EPUB has proper page breaks specified either using file splits and CSS (e.g., page-break-before: always), can I safely turn off Structure Detection and get the same page breaks? 2. The manual says "When the input document has a Table of Contents in its metadata, calibre will just use that." For an EPUB, does that mean the .ncx file? Thanks! (and sorry for my densitude)

09-16-2015, 02:08 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	1. yes 2. yes

09-16-2015, 08:00 PM	#5
odamizu just an egg Posts: 1,586 Karma: 4300000 Join Date: Mar 2015 Device: Kindle, iOS	Excellent. Thanks much! (not just for the answers but also for your most excellent Calibre program )

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