Editing epub html in Springy?

NewDay · 09-29-2010, 08:27 PM

I'm using Springy to edit epub documents that need to have the identifier changed in the toc.ncx and the package.opf to reflect the correct (just for epub) ISBN (these are heritage files that were outsourced for epub conversion without a separate epub ISBN having been assigned). I've been successful at this part of the job. However, now I need to be sure that the copyright page, as viewed on an ebook reader such as iPad, has the correct (e.g., for epub) ISBN. To do this I need to edit the copyright page in the html file.

Forgive this novice, but just how do I do this?

Jellby · 09-30-2010, 05:19 AM

What is Springy? A file compressor/archiver? Then you have to locate the (X)HTML file that contains the copyright page and edit it...

NewDay · 09-30-2010, 10:27 AM

Springy will let you edit a zip file without unzipping it. And that has worked for the metadata portions of this job (toc.ncx and package.opf). But now I want to change the xhtml on the copyright page as viewed on screen (to reflect the correct ISBN, discrete to the epub and separate from the print version, which the corrected metadata now carries). I know exactly where it IS, and I can view it (on the web browser that pops up when I double-click), but I can't CHANGE it. I need to know how to CHANGE it.

Anyone?

pholy · 09-30-2010, 12:25 PM

I've never used Springy, but try this: Instead of double-clicking on the html file, right-click to get a menu that (one hopes) includes [Open With], then select an ordinary text editor like Notepad or WordPad (or Gvim or Gedit on Linux) -- not Word! Then you should be able to edit the file. Probably BBEdit for Mac, I'm not sure.

NewDay · 09-30-2010, 02:21 PM

Didn't work, Pholy. Anyway, I'm using a MacBook Pro: no right-click. I'm using Springy because it was recommended by Elizabeth Castro in her very recent EPUB Straight to the Point,

dynabook · 09-30-2010, 02:55 PM

You can right-click on the Mac using Shift+Click. Or better yet use Sigil for editing.

NewDay · 09-30-2010, 02:58 PM

Thanks, dynabook. I'm gonna try Sigil.

NewDay · 09-30-2010, 03:13 PM

Installed Sigil, tried to open an epub created by Macmillan from a pdf file, got an error message indicating "permission denied". Stumped.

NewDay · 09-30-2010, 09:05 PM

Pholy and dynabook, I got it. Pholy, you were pointing me to the right track, but I didn't know how to interpret it. Here's what worked: in Springy, visualizing the .html file as an icon, I did a Control-Click (the right-click intuition was pretty darn close) then changed the default to TextEdit. I also needed to change the Preferences for Text Edit under Open and Save, to ignore Rich Text commands when opening html files. So I now have an .html copyright page file that reflects the epub ISBN instead of the older print ISBN.
Thanks to Dave Taylor for these instructions!

Valloric · 10-02-2010, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewDay

Installed Sigil, tried to open an epub created by Macmillan from a pdf file, got an error message indicating "permission denied". Stumped.

This is fixed in Sigil trunk, and the fix will be in the next release of Sigil. It's caused by weird people removing read access (the filesystem kind, not the encryption kind) from their content files before zipping them up into an epub. The only reason why these files open at all in other applications is because those apps don't follow the ZIP specification.

I've made the unzipping component of Sigil "dumber" so that such files can be opened (and afterwards, saved with proper read access).

NewDay · 10-02-2010, 10:40 AM

Well, those files were zipped by an outsourced subsidiary of Macmillan charging 25 cents a page. I guess you get what you pay for, eh?

barncat · 03-09-2012, 10:16 AM

This was a very educational thread. I thank you all for it, nearly two years later. The fixes may not work exactly on my problem, but I'm loosened up to find workarounds of my own based on these things.

09-29-2010, 08:27 PM	#1
NewDay Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Northern California, in the redwoods by the ocean Device: iPad	Editing epub html in Springy? I'm using Springy to edit epub documents that need to have the identifier changed in the toc.ncx and the package.opf to reflect the correct (just for epub) ISBN (these are heritage files that were outsourced for epub conversion without a separate epub ISBN having been assigned). I've been successful at this part of the job. However, now I need to be sure that the copyright page, as viewed on an ebook reader such as iPad, has the correct (e.g., for epub) ISBN. To do this I need to edit the copyright page in the html file. Forgive this novice, but just how do I do this?

09-30-2010, 02:55 PM	#6
dynabook Techno-geek Posts: 225 Karma: 1116651 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: PRS-T1 (Black), PRS-T3S (Black), Kobo Aura ONE	You can right-click on the Mac using Shift+Click. Or better yet use Sigil for editing. Last edited by dynabook; 09-30-2010 at 02:56 PM. Reason: Clarity

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09-30-2010, 05:19 AM	#2
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,543 Karma: 19001583 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	What is Springy? A file compressor/archiver? Then you have to locate the (X)HTML file that contains the copyright page and edit it...

09-30-2010, 10:27 AM	#3
NewDay Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Northern California, in the redwoods by the ocean Device: iPad	Springy will let you edit a zip file without unzipping it. And that has worked for the metadata portions of this job (toc.ncx and package.opf). But now I want to change the xhtml on the copyright page as viewed on screen (to reflect the correct ISBN, discrete to the epub and separate from the print version, which the corrected metadata now carries). I know exactly where it IS, and I can view it (on the web browser that pops up when I double-click), but I can't CHANGE it. I need to know how to CHANGE it. Anyone?

09-30-2010, 12:25 PM	#4
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	I've never used Springy, but try this: Instead of double-clicking on the html file, right-click to get a menu that (one hopes) includes [Open With], then select an ordinary text editor like Notepad or WordPad (or Gvim or Gedit on Linux) -- not Word! Then you should be able to edit the file. Probably BBEdit for Mac, I'm not sure.

09-30-2010, 02:21 PM	#5
NewDay Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Northern California, in the redwoods by the ocean Device: iPad	Didn't work, Pholy. Anyway, I'm using a MacBook Pro: no right-click. I'm using Springy because it was recommended by Elizabeth Castro in her very recent EPUB Straight to the Point,

09-30-2010, 02:58 PM	#7
NewDay Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Northern California, in the redwoods by the ocean Device: iPad	Thanks, dynabook. I'm gonna try Sigil.

09-30-2010, 03:13 PM	#8
NewDay Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Northern California, in the redwoods by the ocean Device: iPad	Installed Sigil, tried to open an epub created by Macmillan from a pdf file, got an error message indicating "permission denied". Stumped.

09-30-2010, 09:05 PM	#9
NewDay Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Northern California, in the redwoods by the ocean Device: iPad	Pholy and dynabook, I got it. Pholy, you were pointing me to the right track, but I didn't know how to interpret it. Here's what worked: in Springy, visualizing the .html file as an icon, I did a Control-Click (the right-click intuition was pretty darn close) then changed the default to TextEdit. I also needed to change the Preferences for Text Edit under Open and Save, to ignore Rich Text commands when opening html files. So I now have an .html copyright page file that reflects the epub ISBN instead of the older print ISBN. Thanks to Dave Taylor for these instructions!

10-02-2010, 10:40 AM	#11
NewDay Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Northern California, in the redwoods by the ocean Device: iPad	Well, those files were zipped by an outsourced subsidiary of Macmillan charging 25 cents a page. I guess you get what you pay for, eh?

03-09-2012, 10:16 AM	#12
barncat Member Posts: 18 Karma: 20 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: Kindle Fire	This was a very educational thread. I thank you all for it, nearly two years later. The fixes may not work exactly on my problem, but I'm loosened up to find workarounds of my own based on these things.

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