Why Kobo Clara BW dictionaries don't work in htm, txt files?

souhil · 06-08-2024, 12:39 PM

Hello everyone,
Greetings from Algeria,

I have recently purchased a new Kobo Clara BW. It looks impressive; I am reading books in epub format using the built-in software reader. The dictionaries work fine with the epub books, but when I make text files, or htm files on my pc and download them to my kobo, the dictionary window doesn't appear no matter how long I touch the words I keep pressing them!!

is this happening because the Kobo software treats the htm and txt files like image files? i.e. having no capability of OCR recognition? or is it because the Kobo signed a limited contract with the dictionary developers to allow those dictionaries to work only with officially bought books? What do you think? has this happened with you? and If you suggest any alternative for using third party dictionaries (in case they work with txt, and htm texts), I will be very grateful to you...(because I really need the dictionaries to learn language, and I use a htm and txt format a lot)

thank you in advance,

Quoth · 06-08-2024, 03:23 PM

Install Calibre (Free, mac, Windows or Linux) and make epub files to copy to the Kobo. The source can LO Writer (edit in odt but Save As an extra docx for Calibre), MS Word, plain text, HTML etc. I clean up txt and htm in LO Writer (free on mac, Windows or Linux) and add headings, paragraph styles and contents so the extra docx works better when converted to epub by Calibre.

souhil · 06-08-2024, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

Install Calibre (Free, mac, Windows or Linux) and make epub files to copy to the Kobo. The source can LO Writer (edit in odt but Save As an extra docx for Calibre), MS Word, plain text, HTML etc. I clean up txt and htm in LO Writer (free on mac, Windows or Linux) and add headings, paragraph styles and contents so the extra docx works better when converted to epub by Calibre.

I converted the txt htm files to epub format using calibre on windows. but, still the same issue. the problem is, I can't even select words to add annotations or highlight them.. the problem is not only with the translating words in txt or htm files. as I said, I press, and long press on words, but they do not even highlight... I feel as if my Kobo device is treating the htm text files and the txt ext files as images, not texts. this is why it doen't allow even highlighting words... anyway, thank you for passing on this post...

Quoth · 06-09-2024, 03:42 AM

Make sure the Calibre driver isn't converting the files to kepub.

Once it's an epub it's not txt or HTML. Make sure the language you set in Calibre for the conversion (and original LO Writer) is a language your dictionaries (or working epubs) use.

My txt and htm pasted in to LO Writer and extra docx saved work just the same as bought epub when converted by Calibre.

Direct conversion of txt and htm via Calibre should work too if the language is set, but there may be no system TOC or nice formatting.

06-08-2024, 12:39 PM	#1
souhil Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2024 Device: Kobo Clara BW	Why Kobo Clara BW dictionaries don't work in htm, txt files? Hello everyone, Greetings from Algeria, I have recently purchased a new Kobo Clara BW. It looks impressive; I am reading books in epub format using the built-in software reader. The dictionaries work fine with the epub books, but when I make text files, or htm files on my pc and download them to my kobo, the dictionary window doesn't appear no matter how long I touch the words I keep pressing them!! is this happening because the Kobo software treats the htm and txt files like image files? i.e. having no capability of OCR recognition? or is it because the Kobo signed a limited contract with the dictionary developers to allow those dictionaries to work only with officially bought books? What do you think? has this happened with you? and If you suggest any alternative for using third party dictionaries (in case they work with txt, and htm texts), I will be very grateful to you...(because I really need the dictionaries to learn language, and I use a htm and txt format a lot) thank you in advance,

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06-08-2024, 03:23 PM	#2
Quoth Still reading Posts: 13,948 Karma: 103895653 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Install Calibre (Free, mac, Windows or Linux) and make epub files to copy to the Kobo. The source can LO Writer (edit in odt but Save As an extra docx for Calibre), MS Word, plain text, HTML etc. I clean up txt and htm in LO Writer (free on mac, Windows or Linux) and add headings, paragraph styles and contents so the extra docx works better when converted to epub by Calibre.

06-09-2024, 03:42 AM	#4
Quoth Still reading Posts: 13,948 Karma: 103895653 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Make sure the Calibre driver isn't converting the files to kepub. Once it's an epub it's not txt or HTML. Make sure the language you set in Calibre for the conversion (and original LO Writer) is a language your dictionaries (or working epubs) use. My txt and htm pasted in to LO Writer and extra docx saved work just the same as bought epub when converted by Calibre. Direct conversion of txt and htm via Calibre should work too if the language is set, but there may be no system TOC or nice formatting.

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