Epub and Semantics

[crutledge]

I have been tyrying to read up in an effort to understand the defining concepts of Eubs. I hope to find a single "Epub for Dummys."

I'm still fuzzy on the purpose of the Semantics menu.

If I tag the cover and Title Page sections, they will show up in the mobi CONTENTS menu. In fact, the Title Page will show up there twice, as Title Page and as First Page.

I have used the others experimentally and have seen no effect on anything other than the OPF file.

So! What is the purpose of Semantics and how should they show up in the RS?

Another dumb question from Charlie.

Thanks

[Valloric]

Originally Posted by crutledge

So! What is the purpose of Semantics and how should they show up in the RS?

This post on the Sigil dev blog should clear some things up.

Basically the Semantics menu adds the <guide> element info. How an RS uses that info is up to the RS. It's allowed to completely ignore it if it wants to.

[crutledge]

Originally Posted by Valloric

This post on the Sigil dev blog should clear some things up.

Basically the Semantics menu adds the <guide> element info. How an RS uses that info is up to the RS. It's allowed to completely ignore it if it wants to.

It's about time you got back.

Thanks

BTW: Is there one book/publication (Epub for Dummys) that explains all of this without all the mumbo-jumbo? I've searched the WEB and only found bits and pieces.

[Valloric]

Originally Posted by crutledge

Is there one book/publication (Epub for Dummys) that explains all of this without all the mumbo-jumbo? I've searched the WEB and only found bits and pieces.

AFAIK no. The bits and pieces are all there is (plus the standards).

[crutledge]

Originally Posted by Valloric

AFAIK no. The bits and pieces are all there is (plus the standards).

Whatever AFAIK means. I have the standards but there is a lot of knowledge assumed in any spec. I guess this keeps out the great unwashed. I guess I'll just have to trust you young folks and keep asking dumb questions.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by crutledge

Whatever AFAIK means.

As Far As I Know

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by crutledge

Whatever AFAIK means. I have the standards but there is a lot of knowledge assumed in any spec. I guess this keeps out the great unwashed. I guess I'll just have to trust you young folks and keep asking dumb questions.

You're not the only one around here that's older than dirt, sport.

Hitch

[crutledge]

Originally Posted by Hitch

You're not the only one around here that's older than dirt, sport.

Hitch

WOW!

[nyrath]

Originally Posted by Hitch

You're not the only one around here that's older than dirt, sport.

Agreed. I was born when Sputnik was launched.

I rely upon this site to explain all the crazy acronyms that pop up.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Hitch

You're not the only one around here that's older than dirt, sport.

Hitch

I was serving my second hitch in the Navy when Man first walked on the moon.
The announcer was speaking Japanese (with English in the background).

[crutledge]

Just remember

Old age and treachery will always triumph over youth and enthusiam

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by nyrath

Agreed. I was born when Sputnik was launched.

I rely upon this site to explain all the crazy acronyms that pop up.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/

I'll see your Sputnik and raise you the invention of Velcro.

Hitch

[Tychocaine]

Originally Posted by Valloric

This post on the Sigil dev blog should clear some things up.

Basically the Semantics menu adds the <guide> element info. How an RS uses that info is up to the RS. It's allowed to completely ignore it if it wants to.

Hello Valloric,

I'm not sure if this is worth a feature request (and am happy to make one if it's appropriate), but is it possible to consider adding the "start" item to the semantics menu so you can select a beginning page for an ePub file?

I'm not sure if the ePub format uses this item for anything, but when they are converted to MOBI it determines what page the book opens at on a kindle (and I assume other MOBI ereaders). Would be a useful (and I imagine easy to implement) addition to the semantics list.

EDIT: Just noticed the "start" item isn't listed in the OPF spec so I guess it's not an official tag. I guess I could use the "text" tag, but I want to force a book to open at a graphic and using the "text" tag seems like misuse. Is there any way to add a "custom" semantic field in Sigil?

[Valloric]

Originally Posted by Tychocaine

I'm not sure if this is worth a feature request (and am happy to make one if it's appropriate), but is it possible to consider adding the "start" item to the semantics menu so you can select a beginning page for an ePub file?

Such a tag doesn't exist for epub. Try "cover page".

Originally Posted by Tychocaine

EDIT: Just noticed the "start" item isn't listed in the OPF spec so I guess it's not an official tag. I guess I could use the "text" tag, but I want to force a book to open at a graphic and using the "text" tag seems like misuse. Is there any way to add a "custom" semantic field in Sigil?

No, there's no way to add a custom semantic. The ones offered are all the <guide> types that the epub spec allows.

[st_albert]

Originally Posted by Tychocaine

Hello Valloric,

I'm not sure if this is worth a feature request (and am happy to make one if it's appropriate), but is it possible to consider adding the "start" item to the semantics menu so you can select a beginning page for an ePub file?

I'm not sure if the ePub format uses this item for anything, but when they are converted to MOBI it determines what page the book opens at on a kindle (and I assume other MOBI ereaders). Would be a useful (and I imagine easy to implement) addition to the semantics list.

EDIT: Just noticed the "start" item isn't listed in the OPF spec so I guess it's not an official tag. I guess I could use the "text" tag, but I want to force a book to open at a graphic and using the "text" tag seems like misuse. Is there any way to add a "custom" semantic field in Sigil?

What I do is tag it as "text" and then, outside sigil, I unzip the epub and edit the content.opf, go to the <guide> and change "text" to "start-reading" per crutlidge's suggestion.

If you convert to mobi via calibre, however, it will strip out non-standard guide elements. To keep it, you need to convert with kindlegen.