Question about converting epub to .docx or PDF

[andi1235]

Hi all,

I have an epub file that contains references to original print page numbers in the format <span epub:type="pagebreak" role="doc-pagebreak" id="page591" aria-label="591" title="591" class="calibre"></span> (591 being the example page number from this book). I would like a page break added before each original page, when converting to either .docx or PDF.

I tried to set up an Xpath expression to add a page break before each of these span tags. However, my resulting file doesn't end up with any page breaks inserted. The XPath code I used is //h:span[@epub:type="pagebreak"]

I'm not sure if this is a result of an error I'm making in my XPath code, or if this is not how the pagebreak insertion feature is supposed to work, or if there's another problem I'm not aware of. Please help!

I'll attach a couple pages from the epub I've been working with. Thanks in advance!

[kovidgoyal]

XPath doesn't know about epub namespace. Use the role instead

[andi1235]

Thank you! I'll try that.

[andi1235]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

XPath doesn't know about epub namespace. Use the role instead

So, I tried using the role, but that didn't work either. No errors or anything, it just didn't add pagebreaks. I just used the Xpath "generator" thing to create the expression; does //h:span[@role="doc-pagebreak"] look like it should work? Or am I misunderstanding something?

Thanks again for your help!

[andi1235]

Just as a sort of "base" test, I just tried running a conversion and telling it to add a pagebreak before EVERY span tag (my Xpath code was //h:span). No page breaks were added in my .docx or PDF output files.

[kovidgoyal]

where are you adding this option, see https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/con...for-conversion

[andi1235]

In the "Structure Detection" section, "Insert page breaks Before (XPath Expression)". Is that the wrong place?

[andi1235]

Oh, and I'm adding it every time I try to convert an epub -- I haven't tried with bulk conversion or setting it beforehand yet.

[andi1235]

Here's my conversion log from the last time I tried this, just trying to add a pagebreak before each span tag. I was converting epub to .docx that time.

[kovidgoyal]

Do an epub to epub conversion that will split up the html files at your page breaks and then they should work converting to pdf and docx as well. Although css based page breaks *should* be working with direct conversions as well, have to look into that.

[andi1235]

I'll give that a try, thank you!

[andi1235]

I seem to have having mixed results. It appeared to work the first time I tried it but subsequent times, although I am successfully getting the split xhtml files in the epub, using the same detection method to create page breaks in the .docx file (or PDF) doesn't seem to be working. Is there a different way to tell the program to break up the document at every new xhtml?

[andi1235]

I think the first time I tried it I accidentally used a different xpath command that searched for the word "pagebreak" instead of looking at the role. I'm not sure, though. Would that make a difference?

[kovidgoyal]

you convert to epun ONCE then you delete the original_epub file and use the new epub to convert to other formats.

[andi1235]

Thank you! The conversion is working now. I appreciate all your help!