Sigil bugs

[odedta]

Hello,

I didn't find a better place to post these bugs so i'll post them here.

I am currently using Sigil 0.6.2 on a PC Windows 8.

Bugs:

1. Bug 1: In later versions than the one I am using when I work on epubs, switching from code view to book view the program crashes "Sigil has stopped working". It happens in many books on many systems I have tried. The only version that does not crash is 0.6.2 (this fix has been suggested on other forums I have encountered)
2. Bug 2:When adding any file to the ePub package the .opf file gets scrambled. I have a lot of metadata and html <!--> notes, all the notes go up, all the metadata goes down (between the metadata tags) and some gets deprecated for some reason. So fix this I simply copy all the opf text before I add any file to the package.
3. Bug 3: When adding aside tags for footnotes you have to use epub:type="footnote" and epub:type="noteref", then Sigil will give you an error about namespace "xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops". Please make it so that when ever aside tags are used that namespace is added automatically.
4. Bug 4: I am writing Hebrew ePubs (right-to-left) and there is no way to move the heading of the footnote in aside to the right side, is there?
   that being said, any CSS applied to the aside tag in the CSS file is not applied in the ebook readers. You have to put them in the HTML markup.
5. Bug 5: version="3.0" is never accpeted with the validator.
6. Bug 6: YouTube video embedding never worked no matter what.

I realize some of these bugs are not a Sigil bug, nevertheless, these are bugs that I was hoping someone might have found a workaround and perhaps a future bug fixes will be available.

Thanks,
Oded

[mrmikel]

The latest version of Sigil is 7.4. You might try that version and see how many of these bugs go away.

Sigil is an epub2 editor, it does not use epub3 constructs and in the old version you are running, it actually removes some, including video embedding, because that is not an epub2 function. In the 7.4 version, at least you can put it in by hand and the program won't remove it, but it is not intended to display it.

There are not going to be further bug fixes for Sigil as development as stopped on it due to lack of people to keep it up, it being written in a version of C, which is a good professional programming language, but not very common among casual programmers.

Calibre's developer is adding an editor to his program, but it is currently at a basic stage. He is adding features very fast, but it took years to get Sigil where it is, so it will take at least months or maybe a year to get it to where Sigil is now. Being written in Python, it will have more developers available and it will not be tied to epub2.

[odedta]

Originally Posted by mrmikel

The latest version of Sigil is 7.4. You might try that version and see how many of these bugs go away.

Sigil is an epub2 editor, it does not use epub3 constructs and in the old version you are running, it actually removes some, including video embedding, because that is not an epub2 function. In the 7.4 version, at least you can put it in by hand and the program won't remove it, but it is not intended to display it.

There are not going to be further bug fixes for Sigil as development as stopped on it due to lack of people to keep it up, it being written in a version of C, which is a good professional programming language, but not very common among casual programmers.

Calibre's developer is adding an editor to his program, but it is currently at a basic stage. He is adding features very fast, but it took years to get Sigil where it is, so it will take at least months or maybe a year to get it to where Sigil is now. Being written in Python, it will have more developers available and it will not be tied to epub2.

I see, thanks for your reply.

As I stated earlier I cannot use any other version than 0.6.2 since the program crashes when I go to book view.

[DiapDealer]

I think this is the first I've ever heard anyone mention a crash when switching between codeview/bookview in any version of Sigil on any OS. I'm not saying it's not a bug you're running up against, but if it is, it's gotta be a fairly complex set of events that triggers it. Otherwise, I would have expected to hear a lot more screaming about it--here and everywhere.

You mentioned trying the later Sigil versions on "a lot of systems" with the same results. Can you be more specific about what Sigil versions and what OSes (and versions) you've tried and got the identical crash when switching from codeview to bookview?

Numbers 3 - 6 aren't bugs. Those are things that you simply can't do within the scope of the ePub2 specifications (which is what Sigil limits itself to by design).

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by odedta

[*]Bug 1: In later versions than the one I am using when I work on epubs, switching from code view to book view the program crashes "Sigil has stopped working". It happens in many books on many systems I have tried. The only version that does not crash is 0.6.2 (this fix has been suggested on other forums I have encountered)

On my Windows 8.1 machine Sigil 0.7.4 runs just fine even when I edit very large file with it. In the past, I very rarely experienced crashes when switching from Code View to Book View. It sometimes happened when I did a global search and replace that lead to invalid HTML code that was too much for Sigil's autofix code.

Did you get a not well formed XML message and did you click the Fix Automatically button before the crash?

Can you attach a single page ePub sample file that'll always crash Sigil versions higher than 0.6.2 when you switch to Book View mode?

As other already pointed out, aside and epub:type are ePub3 only features that Sigil is not designed to handle and that you don't have to use unless you design ePub3 for iDevices.

[odedta]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

On my Windows 8.1 machine Sigil 0.7.4 runs just fine even when I edit very large file with it. In the past, I very rarely experienced crashes when switching from Code View to Book View. It sometimes happened when I did a global search and replace that lead to invalid HTML code that was too much for Sigil's autofix code.

Did you get a not well formed XML message and did you click the Fix Automatically button before the crash?

Can you attach a single page ePub sample file that'll always crash Sigil versions higher than 0.6.2 when you switch to Book View mode?

As other already pointed out, aside and epub:type are ePub3 only features that Sigil is not designed to handle and that you don't have to use unless you design ePub3 for iDevices.

Yes I will, thanks for your reply, I have just installed 0.7.4 on a Windows 7 machine and when it happens I will attach screenshots and upload the file here.

[odedta]

Well, Sigil kept crashing on several pages on books when I switch the book view.

Anyhow, I quit using Sigil as Calibre offers the same features.

Thanks

[Toxaris]

You could have just deleted the Sigil.ini. That would probably have worked too.

At the moment Calibre has not the same features, but I agree that Kovid is working hard.

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

You could have just deleted the Sigil.ini. That would probably have worked too.

It's more likely that odedta's epubs were either malformed and/or contained too many ePub3 elements, since his/her other post in the ePub forum shows, that s/he has insufficient knowledge to create backwards compatible ePub3 files.

However, since odedta didn't provide any samples, we'll never find out.

[odedta]

Doitsu, I am a he

Yes, I im learning how to create ePub3 validated books because in my opinion and others that I work with is the way to go. It might not be working properly now on certain eBooks readers but eventually I believe they will pick up the pace and conform to the standard.

Since I checked the new version of Calibre I can do pretty much what ever I need to edit epubs and it is convenient for me as Sigil, that being said, Sigil is not being maintained any longer so what's the point in trying to fix bugs?

In addition, it is probably my files only because when I checked the epub samles on:
https://code.google.com/p/epub-samples/downloads/list
I never got an error so it must have something to do with the conversion process when I used Calibre.

Thanks anyway.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by odedta

Yes, I im learning how to create ePub3 validated books because in my opinion and others that I work with is the way to go. It might not be working properly now on certain eBooks readers but eventually I believe they will pick up the pace and conform to the standard.

Future ePub3 readers will always be able to read ePub2 documents infinitely better than the millions of ePub2 devices (that aren't going to be thrown away) will be able to read ePub3 documents. Just saying.

I understand wanting to stay ahead of the curve, I really do. But this is one area of technological advancement where--unless something in your publication absolutely cannot do without a feature of ePub3--you're better off waiting until "the curve" is in full swing before worrying about implementing it. Especially if you want your publication to be readable by the largest audience possible.

At this point in the game, an IDPF-compliant ePub3 traditional novel (even one with footnotes) gains you very little (unless you count excluding a huge chunk of your potential audience).

By all means, learn how to make them. If anything, Kindlegen will convert them very nicely to KF8. Just don't try to build one with tools that were never designed to handle ePub3 and/or HTML5/CSS3.

[Toxaris]

I said the same thing in another thread DiapDealer. If you do not need the functions of ePUB3 for the book, don't use it.

[odedta]

I see, I will discuss this further with the people I work with, I understand your point and it is a hassle to get ePub3 to validate.

Thanks again

[exaltedwombat]

Originally Posted by odedta

Doitsu, I am a he

Yes, I im learning how to create ePub3 validated books because in my opinion and others that I work with is the way to go. It might not be working properly now on certain eBooks readers but eventually I believe they will pick up the pace and conform to the standard.

It may be the way to go. But few reader devices HAVE gone that way. You're creating eBooks for a market that doesn't yet exist!

Some would say that epub is best kept simple, considering the wide range of screen sizes your text may get poured into. I read ebooks on a 7" tablet. I am grateful when an author doesn't attempt clever design, in particular when illustrations use the full screen width. Readability trumps design any day!

If you KNOW your book will be read on a device with a screen size approximating that of a real book, fixed layout becomes an option.

[mrmikel]

This device size variation is something which has not been addressed by designers or committees.

If it is displayed on a 5" screen like my PRS-300, then pull quotes, large pictures, inset paragraphs are a gigantic annoyance. If you design for my PRS-300, then you miss out of regular publishing features which can be used on a 10" tablet. There is no way to bridge the gap, except to create two separate documents to meet the needs of both devices. But this is much more work and keeping two different documents in sync is not trivial.

If you have a captive audience where a school loans/gives everyone a specific device then the issue is simplified....for that particular situation.