Is it time for proper handling of subtitles?

[sup]

Right now, when Calibre encounters an epub with this in its OPF file:

<dc:title id="maintitle">Great Title</dc:title>
<meta property="title-type" refines="#maintitle">main</meta>
<meta property="display-seq" refines="#maintitle">1</meta>
<dc:title id="subtitle">Usually a Very Long Subtitle</dc:title>
<meta property="title-type" refines="#subtitle">subtitle</meta>
<meta property="display-seq" refines="#subtitle">2</meta>

it parses it into title with the content "Great title: Usually a Very Long Subtitle"

When one converts the EPUB*with Calibre into EPUB, it transforms into:

<dc:title id="id">Great title: Usually a Very Long Subtitle</dc:title>

leading to a loss of information, as it is not longer clear (at least to a machine) what is the main title and what is the subtitle.

Given this notation is now used in e-books in the wild (after the epub v3 specification no longer being a draft), is it not now time for Calibre to use it when writing epub files? The subtitle field would then need to be exposed in the UI too (a new column, a field in the "Edit metadata dialog" and probably elsewhere). I now use a custom column for it, but it is not an ideal solution.

Seems like I am not the only one interested in proper handling of subtitles:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=358483

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=333157

[kovidgoyal]

No, it isnt. calibre is not an EPUB program.

[sup]

Well, it is not so much about EPUB, it would just be nice if Calibre handled subtitles natively. They are fairly standard for non-fiction books.

[kovidgoyal]

Create a custom column named subtitle and put whatever subtitles float your boat in it. They will even be written to the EPUB when exporting the epub from calibre as custom calibre metadata and if you re-import the epub into the same calibre library or another library with the same custom column, the metadata will even be read from the EPUB.

There is going to be no builtin subtitle column however.

[sup]

Yes, that is what I do now. I do not think it is the best solution, but it indeed works.

[Quoth]

Subtitles from a custom column on Calibre work fine on epubs to Kobo. They display on a separate line in the book browsers.

[theducks]

Besides, The way titles are currently being published (tith a sub or a mountain of other garbage ), they need a TON of cleanup.
I simply open the MDE, copy the good stuff and bin the fluff.
A novel is NOT a subtitle
The complete <seriesname> vols 1-3 Gets divvied up to the proper fields.

Other than the initial commissioning of Calibre with your massive archive, the Metadata cleanup just takes ~30 seconds (I also weed the comments of all the other ad hype. I want a synopsis, not a sales pitch)

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by theducks

Besides, The way titles are currently being published (tith a sub or a mountain of other garbage ), they need a TON of cleanup.
I simply open the MDE, copy the good stuff and bin the fluff.
A novel is NOT a subtitle
The complete <seriesname> vols 1-3 Gets divvied up to the proper fields.

Other than the initial commissioning of Calibre with your massive archive, the Metadata cleanup just takes ~30 seconds (I also weed the comments of all the other ad hype. I want a synopsis, not a sales pitch)

Yes to all of that!

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by theducks

(I also weed the comments of all the other ad hype. I want a synopsis, not a sales pitch)

Ditto! I'd swear some of the 'promopsis" thes days are so long that cutting the ads makes a measurable difference to my disk space.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Ditto! I'd swear some of the 'promopsis" thes days are so long that cutting the ads makes a measurable difference to my disk space.

The adds sometimes use hi-res images and can be rather large. Also, Penguin Random House adds a Next Reads advert with a medium size graphic and at least two embedded fonts. This is 100% useless. They could do this without the fonts and a much smaller graphic with the logo.

[Quoth]

15% of book file size or more.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

15% of book file size or more.

I dump all the HTML files no needed in the eBook and all excess images and any embedded fonts I don't want. When I'm done, the eBook is going to be smaller and sometimes a lot smaller.