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Old 05-07-2025, 11:17 AM   #1
sup
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sup began at the beginning.
 
Posts: 103
Karma: 10
Join Date: Sep 2013
Device: Kindle Paperwhite (2012)
Is it time for proper handling of subtitles?

Right now, when Calibre encounters an epub with this in its OPF file:
Code:
<dc:title id="maintitle">Great Title</dc:title>
<meta property="title-type" refines="#maintitle">main</meta>
<meta property="display-seq" refines="#maintitle">1</meta>
<dc:title id="subtitle">Usually a Very Long Subtitle</dc:title>
<meta property="title-type" refines="#subtitle">subtitle</meta>
<meta property="display-seq" refines="#subtitle">2</meta>
it parses it into title with the content "Great title: Usually a Very Long Subtitle"

When one converts the EPUB*with Calibre into EPUB, it transforms into:

Code:
<dc:title id="id">Great title: Usually a Very Long Subtitle</dc:title>
leading to a loss of information, as it is not longer clear (at least to a machine) what is the main title and what is the subtitle.

Given this notation is now used in e-books in the wild (after the epub v3 specification no longer being a draft), is it not now time for Calibre to use it when writing epub files? The subtitle field would then need to be exposed in the UI too (a new column, a field in the "Edit metadata dialog" and probably elsewhere). I now use a custom column for it, but it is not an ideal solution.

Seems like I am not the only one interested in proper handling of subtitles:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=358483

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=333157
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