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Katsunami · 11-03-2013, 06:14 PM

The reason why I'm thinking about this is, because it would be a good way to create a valid, clean, and bare-bones book, without any auto-generated stuff in there.

Sigil could be used to write a book of course, but it doesn't have things like word count and such, and often it's no fun to edit a file converted with Calibre in Sigil.

Also, if someone who has written a file editor specifically for writing, that uses plain text files (WriteRoom, Darkroom, FocusWriter and so on) could instantly add EPUB-export capabilities by calling this command-line program. This would be a change that can be implemented within a few minutes. (Literally.)

The only requirement would be that the files are in the mentioned directory structure, because there has to be a way to tell the program what file goes where, of course.

The reason why I'm using a directory structure is because in that case, no descriptive file is necessary. One would not need to have a file telling the editor (or the program) that "Introduction" needs to go before "Chapter 1", even though "I" comes later in the alphabet than "C". "10-Introduction" and "20-Chapter 1" would do this automatically.

Every editor that has a file explorer (and many do) will be able to correctly show the book just by displaying the folder structure, sorted by alphabet; there is no need to understand any file formats at all.

===

In the past, a writer would write parts of a book on a typewriter, or by hand, and then order them in a binder or something. Then the document would be typeset, printed, and so on, but the writer wouldn't do that himself (most of the time).

Even when using Word or OpenOfffice or something like that, a writer needs to bother with styles, and then do a conversion using Calibre or other tools. These programs invariably create weird auto-generated code.

Using a setup like mine, would allow a writer to just write text, as if on a typewriter, using any editor, any operating system, or any device. Then they'd order it by numbering it, and the commandline program would spit out a clean file that can be handed off to a professional editor/layout dude. This file would not be a conversion: it'd be built from the ground up, so it would not contain any weird code.

Basicaly, one would need to know *NOTHING* about computers apart from how to create folders and opening and saving plain files, and still be able to obtain a usable (all be it bare-bones) e-book.

11-03-2013, 06:14 PM	#6
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	The reason why I'm thinking about this is, because it would be a good way to create a valid, clean, and bare-bones book, without any auto-generated stuff in there. Sigil could be used to write a book of course, but it doesn't have things like word count and such, and often it's no fun to edit a file converted with Calibre in Sigil. Also, if someone who has written a file editor specifically for writing, that uses plain text files (WriteRoom, Darkroom, FocusWriter and so on) could instantly add EPUB-export capabilities by calling this command-line program. This would be a change that can be implemented within a few minutes. (Literally.) The only requirement would be that the files are in the mentioned directory structure, because there has to be a way to tell the program what file goes where, of course. The reason why I'm using a directory structure is because in that case, no descriptive file is necessary. One would not need to have a file telling the editor (or the program) that "Introduction" needs to go before "Chapter 1", even though "I" comes later in the alphabet than "C". "10-Introduction" and "20-Chapter 1" would do this automatically. Every editor that has a file explorer (and many do) will be able to correctly show the book just by displaying the folder structure, sorted by alphabet; there is no need to understand any file formats at all. === In the past, a writer would write parts of a book on a typewriter, or by hand, and then order them in a binder or something. Then the document would be typeset, printed, and so on, but the writer wouldn't do that himself (most of the time). Even when using Word or OpenOfffice or something like that, a writer needs to bother with styles, and then do a conversion using Calibre or other tools. These programs invariably create weird auto-generated code. Using a setup like mine, would allow a writer to just write text, as if on a typewriter, using any editor, any operating system, or any device. Then they'd order it by numbering it, and the commandline program would spit out a clean file that can be handed off to a professional editor/layout dude. This file would not be a conversion: it'd be built from the ground up, so it would not contain any weird code. Basicaly, one would need to know NOTHING about computers apart from how to create folders and opening and saving plain files, and still be able to obtain a usable (all be it bare-bones) e-book. Last edited by Katsunami; 11-03-2013 at 06:18 PM.