Best way for .TXT to be edited?

[phossler]

I had a terribly badly formatted book that I had to go back to the raw TXT and try to start over

That file was clean ASCII with CR-LF's separating paragraphs (#1 and #2)

I added it to Calibre and converted to epub using the default TXT input preferences. I didn't see any knobs to turn that would help.

There were some H2 and H3 assumptions made and the text was divided in unexpected places. For example (#3) the TOC text from the TXT file was pretty much converted to the first 42 files with 2 or 3 lines per file. The bulk of the text was in the last 4 files. Since the TOC was in the ASCII text file two time it was converted 2 times, driving up the number of 2 line files.

Q1 - why were there so many 2 or 3 line files created? What is the conversion logic that decided H2 and H3's and separate file?

Q2 - is there a better way to add and convert txt files?

Q3 - RegEx will clean or fix a lot. For example

<p>6</p> into <h1>Chapter 6</h1>

but it can still be a lot of fiddly work. Are there any options or plug ins that might help?

Thanks

[theducks]

Originally Posted by phossler

I had a terribly badly formatted book that I had to go back to the raw TXT and try to start over

That file was clean ASCII with CR-LF's separating paragraphs (#1 and #2)

I added it to Calibre and converted to epub using the default TXT input preferences. I didn't see any knobs to turn that would help.

There were some H2 and H3 assumptions made and the text was divided in unexpected places. For example (#3) the TOC text from the TXT file was pretty much converted to the first 42 files with 2 or 3 lines per file. The bulk of the text was in the last 4 files. Since the TOC was in the ASCII text file two time it was converted 2 times, driving up the number of 2 line files.

Q1 - why were there so many 2 or 3 line files created? What is the conversion logic that decided H2 and H3's and separate file?

Q2 - is there a better way to add and convert txt files?

Q3 - RegEx will clean or fix a lot. For example

<p>6</p> into <h1>Chapter 6</h1>

but it can still be a lot of fiddly work. Are there any options or plug ins that might help?

Thanks

have you played with the Preferences: Input Options: (TXT input): Structure? Auto is not always best

Personally, I am in no big rush so I use the EPUB Editor (Sigil in my case as I have dozens of saved searches) to do line various 'Join" cleanup.
Then I do a spell check pass to find gross damage (gap (split) words or still hyphens,lost hyphens)
And (section)file merge when the basics have been smoothed.

[phossler]

Ahh - much better

I used Paragraph style: Block and Formatting style: Plain and it gave MUCH cleaner outputs to use in the Editor.

A lot of the text can be easily deleted (if there are 2 or more TOC html's, then you know it's been Calibre-ized multiple times)

[JSWolf]

Question...

Where did this badly formatted eBook come from? I have never seen an ePub or KF8 eBook from Penguin that was so badly formatted that you need to start with the raw text.

[phossler]

Doing a favor for a friend. I believe that the original file (probably an epub) was worked on by him and probably others.

I just decided to start with a clean slate instead of trying to un-do or correct things

I decided that using TXT was as barebones as I could get

[JSWolf]

What I'm really asking is did your friend buy this eBook?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What I'm really asking is did your friend buy this eBook?

There is no need to answer this question, consdering its entire purpose is to stir up trouble without having any right to have an opinion.

Your needless suspicion is irritating.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

There is no need to answer this question, consdering its entire purpose is to stir up trouble without having any right to have an opinion.

Your needless suspicion is irritating.

This sounds dodgy is why I ask.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

This sounds dodgy is why I ask.

Everything sounds dodgy to you, that's the problem.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

This sounds dodgy is why I ask.

What it sounds like is: reconverting a converted file mess.
IIRC you frequently recommend avoiding that. (I agree. I also archive the Gold -original so I can work with the true original.)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by theducks

What it sounds like is: reconverting a converted file mess.
IIRC you frequently recommend avoiding that. (I agree. I also archive the Gold -original so I can work with the true original.)

I would not have been suspicious if it was said that this eBook came from his friend. But it was said to have come from the friend and others. So that to me sounds like not paid for.

If I am wrong, then my advice is to go back to the original file and work from that. It will be a lot easier to work from the original eBook file.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Everything sounds dodgy to you, that's the problem.

That's because I read what's actually being said and if it sounds dodgy, I'll ask just in case.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's because I read what's actually being said and if it sounds dodgy, I'll ask just in case.

Like I said, you are overly concerned where you need not and should not be.

The OP has every right to say " I don't care about your question" and you will have zero grounds for accusation.

The potential for a case to be a case of piracy is not valid grounds for concern.

Thus you are prying.

You are assigning extra dodginess to a case that of itself has both legal and illegal explanations, with no way of knowing which one it is, and your MO in such cases is that people are assumed guilty until proven innocent.

Let it rest.