Edit a converted book

[GeePee]

I have a book which was written and saved in rtf and this has been converted quite successfully by Calibre. There are one or two very slight formatting errors. If I correct these in the word version, can I upload the whole correct manuscript again and overwrite the original rather than start again, as I would not like to upset the calibre settings which I have got just right for me.

Secondly, if there a preferred format for pictures? ie jpg or gif? Although I have found this "how to" website - HERE

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by GeePee

I have a book which was written and saved in rtf and this has been converted quite successfully by Calibre. There are one or two very slight formatting errors. If I correct these in the word version, can I upload the whole correct manuscript again and overwrite the original rather than start again, as I would not like to upset the calibre settings which I have got just right for me.

You can use the Edit Metadata dialog to replace (or add/delete) the formats associated with a book entry. Rerunning a conversion will then overwrite the output file.

Secondly, if there a preferred format for pictures? ie jpg or gif? Although I have found this "how to" website - HERE

I would expect that jpg is now the commonest format with png the next most common.

[cybmole]

if the converted format is epub then edit it sigil ( free epub editor) no need to go back to rtf.

OTOH, calibre will remember how it converted the book last time, so a reconvert should be just like before.

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by cybmole

if the converted format is epub then edit it sigil ( free epub editor) no need to go back to rtf.

OTOH, calibre will remember how it converted the book last time, so a reconvert should be just like before.

That's what I hope Thanks.

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by itimpi

You can use the Edit Metadata dialog to replace (or add/delete) the formats associated with a book entry. Rerunning a conversion will then overwrite the output file.

I don't think that was what I had in mind. I'm hoping NOT to have to re-do all the metadata associated with the original conversion, just overwrite the existing converted file with the one with the new pictures in it. Thanks anyway.

I would expect that jpg is now the commonest format with png the next most common.

Thanks. I think I will just use the existing files from my Pictures folder which are all jpg. Thanks

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by GeePee

I don't think that was what I had in mind. I'm hoping NOT to have to re-do all the metadata associated with the original conversion, just overwrite the existing converted file with the one with the new pictures in it. Thanks anyway.

I was not suggesting you CHANGE the metadata. I was just pointing that out that the Edit Metadata dialog is ALSO the place where you add or remove ebook files from a book entry. This is by no means obvious if you do not already know this.

[GeePee]

Oh! Thanks. Misunderstood. You are right, nothing is particularly obvious about Calibre. I have spent hours investigating it and am nearly to the point of understanding it. Forums like this have been a big help.

[itimpi]

I have thought for a while that the Edit Metadata dialog should be renamed to something like Edit Book Details as it covers more than the metadata. A small change lke that might make people look more closely at the dialog to see what it does.

However it is always a little tricky to make that sort of change without upsetting existing users.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by itimpi

I have thought for a while that the Edit Metadata dialog should be renamed to something like Edit Book Details as it covers more than the metadata. A small change lke that might make people look more closely at the dialog to see what it does.

However it is always a little tricky to make that sort of change without upsetting existing users.

+1 for the name change

it allows you e.g. to change cover, and calibre does not treat cover as being part of metadata

[itimpi]

Even more dramtic than changing the cover it allows you to add and remove book formats. That is definitely not metadata!

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by itimpi

Even more dramtic than changing the cover it allows you to add and remove book formats. That is definitely not metadata!

IMO the set of formats available for a particular logical book is very definitely metadata about that book.

[itimpi]

Maybe so, but I strongly suspect that most people would not consider adding a book format to a logical book just to be an alteration in the metadata

Since Calibre does not treat a cover as metadata in some ways, it does seem a bit strange to consider a a whole ebook file as purely metadata.

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by itimpi

Maybe so, but I strongly suspect that most people would not consider adding a book format to a logical book just to be an alteration in the metadata

Well I really doubt that changing the name to edit book details will make it any more obvious. A book format is no more naturally a "detail" than it is "metadata".

[theducks]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Well I really doubt that changing the name to edit book details will make it any more obvious. A book format is no more naturally a "detail" than it is "metadata".

Leave it be. .
This is details about the book.

IMHO "book details" would be "about", per Format, of the book.

[DoctorOhh]

I like getting new users to think about the term metadata. For most of them this is new and searching on that term will get them more generic answers/information in Google then searching for book details. For this not very good reason I vote for it to remain as it is.