endnotes in epub with Sigil, multiple html
 

Hello everyone. I am trying to use Sigil to insert endnotes into my epub document. It is very difficult, but I want to figure it out! :chinscratch:

As a basis, I'm using the info I found at this link. If your epub file is all in one html file, then what you see there really works. But once you start breaking it up into chapters (ie, dividing into various html files) then it becomes really complicated. Can anyone lend a hand? :pray:

Right now, my specific problem is that I was trying to edit the code and I made a mistake. Now Sigil tells me that "the page contains the following errors: Expected '=', but got ':' " and it doesn't let me back into the code view to change it! :sad: How can I correct my mistake?

When adding endnotes, I think it is important - first thing - to divide the html into chapters BEFORE starting to define endnotes. That way, the chapter number to which each note belongs is determined in advance.

Next, I think it is important to mention that the note anchor numbers do not necessarily correspond to the numbers assigned in the book view. For example, the text might have notes starting at 1 then running to 21. But each one is in a different chapter (for example: 1,2,3 in chapter 1; 4, 5, 6 in chapter 2; 7, 8, 9 in chapter 3...; all endnotes in chapter 8). 2-1 is the first note in section 2 (Section0002.xhtml), but this is displayed as note 4. So, for example, is this right?

CHAPTER 2
<p>This is the text as it would appear in code view. &nbsp;<a href="#fn-2-1" id="fnt-2-1">[4]</a>&nbsp;</p>

CHAPTER 8
<p><a href="#fnt-2-1" id="fn-2-1">1</a>&nbsp;This is what it says in the note. <a href="../Text/Section0002.xhtml#fn-2-1">[return]</a>)</p>

This, at least, is my theory... I have yet to make it work properly, because I keep making mistakes and Sigil won't let me correct them (see above)!

I would really appreciate any suggestions or advice. Thanks very much for your time.

Nested tags are illegal, so Id tags have to be separate from href tags. You also need to point the footnote link in Chapter 2 to Section0008 (or wherever you have the footnotes located). So, something like this:

CHAPTER 2
<p>This is the text as it would appear in code view. &nbsp;<a id="fnt-2-1"></a><a href="../Text/Section0008.xhtml#fn-2-1">[4]</a>&nbsp;</p>

CHAPTER 8
<p><a id="fn-2-1"></a><a href="#fnt-2-1">1</a>&nbsp;This is what it says in the note. <a href="../Text/Section0002.xhtml#fn-2-1">[return]</a>)</p>

To work with the HTML, you'll need to have the Split View or Code View button selected in Sigil:

http://i52.tinypic.com/2e0vbyv.png

If you're working with the Split View, you'll need to make sure you have the HTML field selected instead of the Book field. I double or triple click on something in the HTML view to highlight, then I know I have the HTML field selected. Yes, I've mistakenly entered plenty of HTML up in the Book field.

Hope that helps!

Nested tags are not illegal, unless you mean something different. There's absolutely nothing wrong in adding the "id" attribute to any existing tag, and it's in fact preferred (rather than adding an empty dummy <a> tag just to hold the "id" attribute):

<a id="fnt-2-1" href="../Text/Section0008.xhtml#fn-2-1">[4]</a>
<a id="fn-2-1" href="#fnt-2-1">4</a>
<p id="fn-2-1"><a href="#fnt-2-1">4</a>

are all fine.

In fact, I find it easer to add all my notes when it is still a single file. Usually when I split the file in chapters Sigil automatically adjusts the note references to the correct chapter. This goes well most of the time.

As long as it works and doesn't throw any errors. :) Sigil was splitting my IDs from my HREFs and when I looked at HTML referrences sites I was lead to believe they couldn't share the same A element.

If you compose your text in Word, using its endnote function, Calibre will automatically create the links when converting DOCX to EPUB.

If you're doing it manually in Sigil (or, hopefully, semi-manually using some nifty REGEX) there's no need to have a chapter's endnotes physically at the end of THAT chapter. One block at the end is fine. The linking and linking back works just the same.

When what you really wanted was a footnote on THAT page, consider integrating it into the main text.

Why on earth are you bumping an 8-1/2 year old thread? :blink:

Dunno. It must have shown at the top of some list somewhere.

Usually MR also pops a Necro warning if you try that

I wish it did poop (stet) it, instead is splats it below what I can see when I open a thread at last post :D

BR