Managing PDF files that are split into chapters

grep · 10-09-2011, 02:09 PM

What is the best approach to using Calibre to manage PDFs that have been split into PDF chapters in order to avoid the PDF file being too large?

Some ideas:

1) Ghostscript concatenate the chapers into one huge PDF file, adding appropriate PDF marks for chapters.

Much work to manually specify a PDF bookmark for starting page number of each chapter. Huge PDF files are not fun to open - maybe ok for small books.

2) Regex to parse the book title and chapter number as the "series" and "series_index" and the chapter title as "title", producing a separate row in Calibre for each chapter.

Chapter-split books dominate normal books in the listing. May work to create a separate library for "chapterised" books.

3) Import a ZIP file containing the PDF chapters.

Well, ok, provided its quick to open chapters from the archive without loading the whole thing into memory.

Any better ideas?

grep · 10-10-2011, 01:39 PM

For example, is there a "directory" format of any sort, meaning the "book" is a whole directory, analogous to a zip file?

Starson17 · 10-10-2011, 04:13 PM

No, other than zip and rar, there's no "directory" format. However, you can store any zip or rar file you want, including one with directories in it. It won't be seen as a readable ebook.

You could make a series-like custom column, put the book name in the series field and the chapter number in the associated index.

grep · 11-08-2011, 07:02 AM

I've ended up creating zip files out of the books that come as PDF-per-chapter.

Since they don't compress I've used the "store" compression level.

10-09-2011, 02:09 PM	#1
grep Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: Kindle PaperWhite	Managing PDF files that are split into chapters What is the best approach to using Calibre to manage PDFs that have been split into PDF chapters in order to avoid the PDF file being too large? Some ideas: 1) Ghostscript concatenate the chapers into one huge PDF file, adding appropriate PDF marks for chapters. Much work to manually specify a PDF bookmark for starting page number of each chapter. Huge PDF files are not fun to open - maybe ok for small books. 2) Regex to parse the book title and chapter number as the "series" and "series_index" and the chapter title as "title", producing a separate row in Calibre for each chapter. Chapter-split books dominate normal books in the listing. May work to create a separate library for "chapterised" books. 3) Import a ZIP file containing the PDF chapters. Well, ok, provided its quick to open chapters from the archive without loading the whole thing into memory. Any better ideas? Last edited by grep; 10-09-2011 at 02:11 PM. Reason: Cleanup

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10-10-2011, 01:39 PM	#2
grep Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: Kindle PaperWhite	For example, is there a "directory" format of any sort, meaning the "book" is a whole directory, analogous to a zip file?

10-10-2011, 04:13 PM	#3
Starson17 Wizard Posts: 4,004 Karma: 177841 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: WinMo: IPAQ; Android: HTC HD2, Archos 7o; Java:Gravity T	No, other than zip and rar, there's no "directory" format. However, you can store any zip or rar file you want, including one with directories in it. It won't be seen as a readable ebook. You could make a series-like custom column, put the book name in the series field and the chapter number in the associated index.

11-08-2011, 07:02 AM	#4
grep Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: Kindle PaperWhite	I've ended up creating zip files out of the books that come as PDF-per-chapter. Since they don't compress I've used the "store" compression level.

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