Two Suggestions for Calibre

Red Wolf · 12-23-2016, 07:30 AM

This is my first post and I have two suggestions for Calibre:

1. In the search panel I cannot search smart or curly apostrophes, which I use in my publications. Thus, if I try to search the name O’Connor I cannot find it even if present because it would only recognize O'Connor (with the straight up-and-down apostrophe). Since I also use the smart or curly apostrophes in contractions, I similarly cannot search any contractions using the search panel.

SUGGESTION: For search purposes only, make the smart or curly apostrophe equivalent to the straight up-and-down apostrophe. A search for a straight apostrophe would also recognize the smart or curly apostrophe.

2. My books are rich in tables and graphics and lose a lot of fidelity and resolution when printing them to a PDF. I fully realize that just sending EPUB documents to a standard printer from Calibre is not perfect, but it is nevertheless useful for certain situations such as proofreading, checking tables and graphic content, etc. Sigil does allow EPUB files to be printed on a standard printer and I have found that feature to be very useful on occasion. (But with Sigil, you print one HTML file at a time, not the entire book.)

SUGGESTION: Please consider adding a print option so an EPUB can be printed to a standard printer, either the entire EPUB (or by chapters). This would be similar to what the Sigil program can do now for individual HTML files. If you do not want this option to be highly visible to casual Calibre user, put this additional printer feature under the Preferences tab (or with its own icon). Or, alternatively, encourage development of a plugin that allows Sigil-like printing of the entire EPUB or chapters therein.

Thank you for listening.

kovidgoyal · 12-23-2016, 11:39 AM

There's nothing preventing you from searching for curly apostrophes, just type a curly apostrophe into the search box

And if you want to print file, either convert them to PDF or use the Print button in the calibre viewer.

Red Wolf · 12-23-2016, 02:54 PM

I don't have a curly apostrophe on my keyboard that I know of, just the straight one. I'd have to copy a curly one from another location or create one in another program such as Word and copy it to the search window. Since I am the author, I know all the apostrophes are curly in my EPUB. But, the user will likely not know this. The user will search with a straight apostrophe and not find what he/she is looking for. A curly apostrophe and a straight apostrophe are still apostrophes so it would make sense to create an equivalency in the search logic to avoid the need to do this additional step of copying a curly apostrophe from another location.

Regarding the PDF, as I mentioned in my original post I realize that can be done. The problem is the significant loss of detail and fidelity when a PDF is created from some pages that have many intricate tables and small graphics that do not convert well to PDF. The ability to print to a conventional printer is not meant to replace the current capability, but just add another option that would be very useful and welcome in certain situations.

theducks · 12-23-2016, 03:07 PM

RW
Windows (at leas, since W3) has always has a Character Map tool found under Accessories fo use when the keyboard is not enough

AnemicOak · 12-23-2016, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Wolf

I don't have a curly apostrophe on my keyboard that I know of, just the straight one.

In Windows...

ALT 0145 Single left curly --- ‘

ALT 1046 Single right curly --- ’

ALT 0147 Double left curly --- “

ALT 0148 Double right curly --- ”

BetterRed · 12-23-2016, 04:19 PM

I didn't realise Sigil even had a print option, it only 'works' when you're in Book View.

Possible workaround for printing multiple files (chapters) from an epub in Sigil

Open the epub
Select all the relevant files in the Book Browser
Use the Merge option in the Book Browser context menu option to create a single file
Print the single file
Quit without saving the changes (Discard)

IMO the request to have viewer searches treat straight and curly quotes as equivalents has merit. Depending on the font, it's not always obvious as to which ones are being used.

FWIW I keep the different quotes, apostrophes, guillemets etc in a global snippets library which is hotkeyed to Alt+Win+A.

BR

kovidgoyal · 12-23-2016, 10:37 PM

Printing directly to a printer or to PDF has no difference in terms of quality -- excatly the same code is used in either case.

As for making searches in the viewer more sophisticated, it has to wait for the find text API to be implemented in browsers: https://www.w3.org/TR/findtext/

Red Wolf · 12-24-2016, 01:23 AM

I would not have raised this point if the quality were the same.

In addition, as a separate problem with a PDF created with Calibre, the PDF does not read the CSS file from the EPUB and thus does not display any style properties from the CSS that DO display properly in the Calibre viewer.

kovidgoyal · 12-24-2016, 02:07 AM

I cannot replicate that. See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=186697

Red Wolf · 12-30-2016, 06:29 AM

I found the problem with the PDF not reading the CSS; there was a problem with an invalid CSS entry. The EPUB would display properly in Calibre, but not in PDF. Once the CSS entry was corrected it displayed properly in PDF.

The problem with the resolution and rendering of small images and complicated tables etc. in PDF remains, however, and I would still very much appreciate the capability to simply print to a color printer. (This could just be a tool or option added to the Edit screen.)

12-23-2016, 07:30 AM	#1
Red Wolf Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2016 Device: none	Two Suggestions for Calibre This is my first post and I have two suggestions for Calibre: 1. In the search panel I cannot search smart or curly apostrophes, which I use in my publications. Thus, if I try to search the name O’Connor I cannot find it even if present because it would only recognize O'Connor (with the straight up-and-down apostrophe). Since I also use the smart or curly apostrophes in contractions, I similarly cannot search any contractions using the search panel. SUGGESTION: For search purposes only, make the smart or curly apostrophe equivalent to the straight up-and-down apostrophe. A search for a straight apostrophe would also recognize the smart or curly apostrophe. 2. My books are rich in tables and graphics and lose a lot of fidelity and resolution when printing them to a PDF. I fully realize that just sending EPUB documents to a standard printer from Calibre is not perfect, but it is nevertheless useful for certain situations such as proofreading, checking tables and graphic content, etc. Sigil does allow EPUB files to be printed on a standard printer and I have found that feature to be very useful on occasion. (But with Sigil, you print one HTML file at a time, not the entire book.) SUGGESTION: Please consider adding a print option so an EPUB can be printed to a standard printer, either the entire EPUB (or by chapters). This would be similar to what the Sigil program can do now for individual HTML files. If you do not want this option to be highly visible to casual Calibre user, put this additional printer feature under the Preferences tab (or with its own icon). Or, alternatively, encourage development of a plugin that allows Sigil-like printing of the entire EPUB or chapters therein. Thank you for listening.

12-23-2016, 04:19 PM	#6
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,725 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	I didn't realise Sigil even had a print option, it only 'works' when you're in Book View. Possible workaround for printing multiple files (chapters) from an epub in Sigil Open the epub Select all the relevant files in the Book Browser Use the Merge option in the Book Browser context menu option to create a single file Print the single file Quit without saving the changes (Discard) IMO the request to have viewer searches treat straight and curly quotes as equivalents has merit. Depending on the font, it's not always obvious as to which ones are being used. FWIW I keep the different quotes, apostrophes, guillemets etc in a global snippets library which is hotkeyed to Alt+Win+A. BR

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12-23-2016, 11:39 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,351 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	There's nothing preventing you from searching for curly apostrophes, just type a curly apostrophe into the search box And if you want to print file, either convert them to PDF or use the Print button in the calibre viewer.

12-23-2016, 02:54 PM	#3
Red Wolf Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2016 Device: none	I don't have a curly apostrophe on my keyboard that I know of, just the straight one. I'd have to copy a curly one from another location or create one in another program such as Word and copy it to the search window. Since I am the author, I know all the apostrophes are curly in my EPUB. But, the user will likely not know this. The user will search with a straight apostrophe and not find what he/she is looking for. A curly apostrophe and a straight apostrophe are still apostrophes so it would make sense to create an equivalency in the search logic to avoid the need to do this additional step of copying a curly apostrophe from another location. Regarding the PDF, as I mentioned in my original post I realize that can be done. The problem is the significant loss of detail and fidelity when a PDF is created from some pages that have many intricate tables and small graphics that do not convert well to PDF. The ability to print to a conventional printer is not meant to replace the current capability, but just add another option that would be very useful and welcome in certain situations.

12-23-2016, 03:07 PM	#4
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,057 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	RW Windows (at leas, since W3) has always has a Character Map tool found under Accessories fo use when the keyboard is not enough

12-23-2016, 10:37 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,351 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Printing directly to a printer or to PDF has no difference in terms of quality -- excatly the same code is used in either case. As for making searches in the viewer more sophisticated, it has to wait for the find text API to be implemented in browsers: https://www.w3.org/TR/findtext/

12-24-2016, 01:23 AM	#8
Red Wolf Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2016 Device: none	I would not have raised this point if the quality were the same. In addition, as a separate problem with a PDF created with Calibre, the PDF does not read the CSS file from the EPUB and thus does not display any style properties from the CSS that DO display properly in the Calibre viewer.

12-24-2016, 02:07 AM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,351 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I cannot replicate that. See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=186697

12-30-2016, 06:29 AM	#10
Red Wolf Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2016 Device: none	I found the problem with the PDF not reading the CSS; there was a problem with an invalid CSS entry. The EPUB would display properly in Calibre, but not in PDF. Once the CSS entry was corrected it displayed properly in PDF. The problem with the resolution and rendering of small images and complicated tables etc. in PDF remains, however, and I would still very much appreciate the capability to simply print to a color printer. (This could just be a tool or option added to the Edit screen.)

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