TOC issue: only h2, h3 selectable, not h1

[DomesticExtremis]

Originally Posted by bubism

Nope. The problem is not the h level, but the behavior of parent headings of any level.

Anytime a h contains sublevel h headings, it only behaves as a "container" instead of a "destination".

Any suggestion?

This doesn't make sense to me - it implies that even if they were all h2, the first one in the book/page would act as a container.
Is that correct?

What I was thinking was:

<h2 class="chapterheading">chapter 1</h2>
<p>intorductory text</p>
<h2 class="subheading">subheading</h2>
<p>etc</p>

With appropriate styling for the various h2 classes.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DomesticExtremis

This doesn't make sense to me - it implies that even if they were all h2, the first one in the book/page would act as a container.
Is that correct?

No. Not unless it had h3's beneath it, similarly structured to the h1-h2 examples above.

What I was thinking was:

<h2 class="chapterheading">chapter 1</h2>
<p>intorductory text</p>
<h2 class="subheading">subheading</h2>
<p>etc</p>

With appropriate styling for the various h2 classes.

This seems to be what the OP does not want to do, for some reason. It seems that the H1 header has text immediately after it (like an introductory section), which is then followed by, Chapter 1, which the OP has structured as an H2, so that the ncx looks collapsible/outline-like in the NCX view (in ADE, Nook, etc.). However, when you do that, you can't use the h1 header, in the NCX, as a link to the actual content in the book. In other words, when you click the h1, (in the NCX TOC) it simply expands/collapses the underlying h2 TOC items. It won't take you to the h1 header, nor the text content, in the book. That's the issue, it seems.

Hitch

[bubism]

@Hitch/DaleDe - I am not entirely sure to be able to follow your answers.

One information you might find useful is a small section of the actual TOC, where you can see that I am talking about an enormous encyclopedic work (just short of 800 pages originally), where structure is most important to allow a meaningful reading experience.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/rc90xuxmrsmz4v9/oi-LucFyjE

[Jellby]

Since this problem is related to the NCX, it has nothing to do with <h1>, <h2> or whatever is in the HTML files. Except that the NCX can be automatically created from those tags by some editors, but that's only a convenient tool.

One could have something like:

<h1>Chapter One</h1>
<p>Some text</p>

<h2 id="sec1">Section 1</h2>
<p>Some text</p>

<h2 id="sec2">Section 2</h2>
<p>Some text</p>

From which the "default" NCX would look like this:

<navPoint id="Chap1">
  <navLabel><text>Chapter One</text></navLabel>
  <content src="Chap1.xhtml" />
  <navPoint id="Sec1">
    <navLabel><text>Section 1</text></navLabel>
    <content src="Chap1.xhtml#sec1" />
  </navPoint>
  <navPoint id="Sec2">
    <navLabel><text>Section 2</text></navLabel>
    <content src="Chap1.xhtml#sec2" />
  </navPoint>
</navPoint>

with sections 1 and 2 inside the block of chapter 1, and this is the problem. Well, nothing prevents you changing the NCX, and only that, into:

<navPoint id="Chap1">
  <navLabel><text>Chapter One</text></navLabel>
  <content src="Chap1.xhtml" />
</navPoint>
<navPoint id="Chap1c">
  <navLabel><text>Chapter One contents</text></navLabel>
  <content src="Chap1.xhtml" />
  <navPoint id="Sec1">
    <navLabel><text>Section 1</text></navLabel>
    <content src="Chap1.xhtml#sec1" />
  </navPoint>
  <navPoint id="Sec2">
    <navLabel><text>Section 2</text></navLabel>
    <content src="Chap1.xhtml#sec2" />
  </navPoint>
</navPoint>

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Since this problem is related to the NCX, it has nothing to do with <h1>, <h2> or whatever is in the HTML files. Except that the NCX can be automatically created from those tags by some editors, but that's only a convenient tool.

One could have something like:

<h1>Chapter One</h1>
<p>Some text</p>

<h2 id="sec1">Section 1</h2>
<p>Some text</p>

<h2 id="sec2">Section 2</h2>
<p>Some text</p>

From which the "default" NCX would look like this:

<navPoint id="Chap1">
  <navLabel><text>Chapter One</text></navLabel>
  <content src="Chap1.xhtml" />
  <navPoint id="Sec1">
    <navLabel><text>Section 1</text></navLabel>
    <content src="Chap1.xhtml#sec1" />
  </navPoint>
  <navPoint id="Sec2">
    <navLabel><text>Section 2</text></navLabel>
    <content src="Chap1.xhtml#sec2" />
  </navPoint>
</navPoint>

with sections 1 and 2 inside the block of chapter 1, and this is the problem. Well, nothing prevents you changing the NCX, and only that, into:

<navPoint id="Chap1">
  <navLabel><text>Chapter One</text></navLabel>
  <content src="Chap1.xhtml" />
</navPoint>
<navPoint id="Chap1c">
  <navLabel><text>Chapter One contents</text></navLabel>
  <content src="Chap1.xhtml" />
  <navPoint id="Sec1">
    <navLabel><text>Section 1</text></navLabel>
    <content src="Chap1.xhtml#sec1" />
  </navPoint>
  <navPoint id="Sec2">
    <navLabel><text>Section 2</text></navLabel>
    <content src="Chap1.xhtml#sec2" />
  </navPoint>
</navPoint>

Jellby:

Yes, or, even simpler, same exact effect:

<h1>Chapter One</h1>
<p>Some text</p>

<h2 id="sec1c" title="Chapter One Contents">&nbsp;</h2>

<h2 id="sec1">Section 1</h2>
<p>Some text</p>

<h2 id="sec2">Section 2</h2>
<p>Some text</p>

Which would keep him from having to mess with his ncx, if he's uncomfortable doing that. However, his replies so far have indicated that he doesn't seem to want to put any new navpoint (however created) in his NCX, at least, that was my take. He wants a solution whereby somebody clicks the h1 header in the NCX and it works, which I don't think any of us can do.

However, your solution is FAR more elegant and Steely-Eyed ePUB Pilot-worthy than mine, which is a cheat we use all the time.

Hitch

[bubism]

@jellby & Hitch - Thank you for your answers... I (a "she", actually) really hoped there was a different solution, but I think I got it now.
I am baffled by the sheer stupidity of designing a device so quirky on such a basic usage... but at the least I now know what's happening under its hood

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Yes, or, even simpler, same exact effect:

<h1>Chapter One</h1>
<p>Some text</p>

<h1 id="sec1c" title="Chapter One Contents">&nbsp;</h1>

<h2 id="sec1">Section 1</h2>
<p>Some text</p>

<h2 id="sec2">Section 2</h2>
<p>Some text</p>

I guess the red bits are h1's and not h2's as you had. I'd rather put that dummy title right below the true <h1>, so it would point to the same place (for readers that can use the NCX properly). And I'd make sure it doesn't show at all in the main text, instead of introducing a (possibly unwanted) blank line plus margins. Oh, and that solution only works with Sigil (and maybe similar software), but ePubs can be created in so many different ways

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Jellby

I guess the red bits are h1's and not h2's as you had. I'd rather put that dummy title right below the true <h1>, so it would point to the same place (for readers that can use the NCX properly). And I'd make sure it doesn't show at all in the main text, instead of introducing a (possibly unwanted) blank line plus margins. Oh, and that solution only works with Sigil (and maybe similar software), but ePubs can be created in so many different ways

Actually, I had meant to cut out the "some text" or move it below the title option, yes. And, yes, it only works with Sigil, but I thought she'd said that's what she was using, mea culpa. ;-)

Hitch