Why is there no "close" in Sigil?
 

How do I close the entire epub from inside Sigil?

Thanks.

Go up to the menu and click on File, Exit. Or you could click on the X at the far upper right corner of the screen. If you want to close the current epub without exiting Sigil, you can click on File, New and the current epub will be closed and a new, blank epub will start or you can click on File, Open to open another one. If there are any changes to your current document, all of these will prompt you to save your work first.

- Byron

In other words, close is automatic. No need for a manual command.

No Close
 

In other words, it's messy. When I'm done with looking at an epub, I want to close it, but not necessarily to close Sigil. Seems like I can't do that. :(

One man's messy is another man's elegant, I suppose. I just minimize it.

Dale

There have been lengthy discussions over the years whether a "Close" command makes sense in a single document interface application, which I would like to summarize:

There are four things Sigil could possibly do when the current (and only) book is closed:

1. Close the book, followed by closing the application. That is what the File->Quit command already does.
2. Close the book, followed by creating a new blank book. That is what the File->New command already does.
3. Close the book, followed by opening another existing book. That is what the File->Open command does.
4. Close the book, and leave you with a gray window with nothing in it. There is no command that does this at the moment.

Now many people have stated that the last option makes no sense, since the other three options exist. But in order to choose one of the other three ways to close a book, you need to know what you want to do next. If you don't, you have to pick a random one, knowing that part of the action performed is unnecessary, and possibly distracting. This is suboptimal.

On the other hand, having a separate Close command leaves the application in a new state which currently doesn't exist: an running Sigil instance with no current document to be worked on. This not only requires some programming work (e.g. graying out commands), but also introduces new questions as to the programs general behaviour in such a state.

In the end, it's not an easy choice to make. There are trade-offs on both sides of the equation.

Funnily enough I hit this situation a few days ago. For some reason on my open menu in Win 7 explorer, I cannot do a an "Open with" for Sigil. (It doesn't appear in the list of programs, and when I browse to it and click ok it doesn't do anything).

So I thought no problem, I will do a "File Close" on a Sigil instance launched via Calibre, then drag/drop my book onto Sigil. Except Sigil had no File/Close, nor does it support such a drag/drop, as per the clarifying post by daubnet. So it had to be File Open and pasting paths between dialogs.

I guess it is just one of those things you learn to live with, like not being able to close "the last tab".

That is strange, the "open with" does work on my Win 7 laptop.

Somehow part of your program W7 registration got lost.
:smack: Did you un-tick all 3 choices at Sigil install time?

You should be able to Open With and select Sigil as a program to use for EPUB
There is a tick box to make it the default if that is your choice.

I've been a bit surprised by the lack of "File -> Close" too. Another thing which seems missing quite often is the inability to lock toolbars and replace files (i.e Add from existing source, for something that's already there).

I have run into this multiple times on Windows 7 and on Windows XP with various programs. I use this program to get around this problem.

I have never missed it so far and as Daubnet has already explained there is only a little use case for it.

Replacing files can easily be done by removing and then add again. Since you can use Sigil as a XHTML editor, you can make your changes there.

The post was comment/feedback on this topic, while you clearly have different views - neither are wrong.

Also, replacing a file by manually removing and then adding again, does not help much if the internal structure requires the file to be renamed, ordered or in the case of images - it will not be reflected until you reload the epub.

I don't say your view is wrong, I just don't relate.

I am trying to figure out what you mean in your next part. When you rename a file in Sigil, all links to that file are renamed with it. I don't have to reload the epub for that. That at least works for XHTML files and pictures.

Brilliant, thx Walt. That utility did the trick.