EPUB3 Series Metadata

[KecajN]

Pocketbook Inkpad X supports EPUB3 data however it does not always display series information included in metadata. Vendor support is not helpful at all so I am investigating the issue myself.

Series metadata are rarely included in original EPUB3 files so I add them using Calibre. And I have found the following scenarios (no Calibre conversion, only metadata are added):

1. Series information are embedded in the following form:
<meta property="belongs-to-collection" id="id-2">O'Reilly Practical</meta>
<meta refines="#id-2" property="collection-type">series</meta>
<meta refines="#id-2" property="group-position">1</meta>
Pocketbook seems to recognize this type of series metadata. However I have validated it only on a single case because Calibre mostly generates data in a way described in the next point.

2. Series informatio are embedded in the following form:
<opf:meta property="belongs-to-collection" id="id-3">Rizzoli/Isles</opf:meta>
<opf:meta refines="#id-3" property="collection-type">series</opf:meta>
<opf:meta refines="#id-3" property="group-position">12</opf:meta>
Pocketbook is not able to retrieve this kind of metadata - tested on a multiple cases.

I believe that metada in scenario 1 are fully compliant with EPUB3 standard, not sure about item 2.

I have the following questions:

- Is "opf:meta" metadata style valid as EPUB3 metadata?

- Is it possible to force Calibre to create metadata using method no. 1?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by KecajN

Is "opf:meta" metadata style valid as EPUB3 metadata?

In "opf:meta" the "opf" is the XML namespace. It is valid as long as it is declared properly in the file.

For example: xmlns:opf="http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf"

[KecajN]

There are following statements in the package.opf file:<package xmlns="http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf" prefix="ibooks: http://vocabulary.itunes.apple.com/r...xtensions-1.0/ calibre: https://calibre-ebook.com" version="3.0" unique-identifier="bookid">
<metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:dcterms="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" xmlnspf="http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

I have modifed manually the EPUB3 file described in scenario 2 by replacing opf metadata with the ones corresponding to the scenario 1. And Pocketbook recognized series information this time!

[kovidgoyal]

Yeah that's a bug in the pocketbook firmware it doesnt support XML namespaces, report it to them.

[KecajN]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Yeah that's a bug in the pocketbook firmware it doesnt support XML namespaces, report it to them.

They are very reluctant to accept any bugs report at all.

Is there any way to force Calibre to store series metadata in EPUB3 without an opf name space (scenario 1 in my original post)?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by KecajN

They are very reluctant to accept any bugs report at all.

Is there any way to force Calibre to store series metadata in EPUB3 without an opf name space (scenario 1 in my original post)?

Looking at the epub 3.2 spec and it's samples, they do not use the opf name space.

OTOH, if the opf name space is properly declared, it should be accepted.

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by KecajN

They are very reluctant to accept any bugs report at all.

Is there any way to force Calibre to store series metadata in EPUB3 without an opf name space (scenario 1 in my original post)?

Not that I know of. But patches are most welcome.