Feature Request: Option to disable creation of NCX

[ibu]

At the moment I'm developing a minimal EPUB3 testcase for eInk-Reader.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=284033

The Kobo, e.g. doesn't need a NCX, everything works fine with a nav.xhtml.

I would love to see an opt out option in Sigil for NCX.

It would be further nice, when one could choose, wether an entry "nav.xhtml" should appear in the spine or not.

Kobo works fine without.

See the attachement.

I take the chance to thank you Kevin and Doug for your work at Sigil. It's a great tool! Thanks for all the effort and time you spent on it.

[DiapDealer]

It probably won't be a feature of Sigil, but I have a personal output plugin that removes the NCX from an EPUB3. I didn't think it would be of much use to others (since having an NCX in an EPUB3 for backward compatibility with EPUB2 reading systems is still spec-compliant), but I can polish it up a bit and publish it.

Sigil will add the NCX if you ever edit the epub again, so you'd have to remember to save a new copy with the output plugin.

As far as the NAV being in the spine or not ... just create a template epub that includes a "spined" or "spineless" NAV. No need to clutter Sigil's interface with special (and non-vital) options that can be accomplished easily enough with plugins or template epubs.

[ibu]

Thanks for your comments. Please let us know, when you publish the plugin.

Well, of course there are different opinions about code which contains every possible backward compatibility or code which is cleaner and simpler.
I prefer it, when there's a choice.

[DiapDealer]

NCXRemove output plugin

[ibu]

So fast! Thanks.

It seems, the URL is missing.

[DiapDealer]

Whoops! Yeah, that url was never going to work.
Should be fixed now. The plugin can always be found from the Plugin Index, too. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[ibu]

Thanks. The plugin works fine.

Under macOS the "save as" dialog does not appear. The user has to open the "python tool" manually.
I had that effect with the plugin "epub3-itizer" too. The developer change something in the plugin, now the save as dialog opens.

The file content.opf comes without any line breaks.

That's for the first, is all what I tested at a glance. It's late at night.

[DiapDealer]

Yes, the tkinter/Mac pop-under issue is well-known. I'll add Kevin's workaround if I get around to it. The next Sigil version will include PyQt5 which won't have the same problem. The plugin is already ready for this eventuality.

As far as the OPF line-breaks go ... I wouldn't know. The output passes EpubCheck (so long as the input did), and I only ever edit epubs with Sigil--which would reinsert line endings whenever I opened it anyway.

[DiapDealer]

I released a new version of the plugin yesterday that I hope addresses both the issues you mentioned.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ibu

The Kobo, e.g. doesn't need a NCX, everything works fine with a nav.xhtml.

Minor nit: If you create a .kepub.epub, it will use a more-or-less epub3 compliant renderer. If you create a .epub, it will use Adobe's RMSDK which is epub2 with some epub3 features. A correctly created .kepub.epub also included a mass of spans allowing for easier text location when highlighting plus a few other oddments.

If you are using Calibre, you might want to check the output of the Kobo Touch Extended plugin in Calibre to see an example of converting an epub to a kepub.epub.

A sample from one ebook synced from Kobo:

  <p class="chapter"><span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="koboSpan" id="kobo.1.1">CHAPTER THREE</span></p> 
  <p><span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="koboSpan" id="kobo.2.1">*</span></p> 
  <p class="firstpara"><span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="koboSpan" id="kobo.3.1">The dead prisoner had been ordered to open the ship’s airlock but had set off a booby trap. </span><span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="koboSpan" id="kobo.3.2">Stuck at the front of his group of prisoners Jess had seen far more than he wanted of the death. </span><span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="koboSpan" id="kobo.3.3">As the man had manipulated the door controls a blast of electricity had been unleashed, ripping through his body. </span><span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="koboSpan" id="kobo.3.4">At least it had been fast. </span><span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="koboSpan" id="kobo.3.5">Over the past four days Jess had seen many of his fellow prisoners die as they set off traps, most quickly but some lingering in agony until a guard grew tired of the noise and put a bullet in their head.</span></p>

My personal preference is to have the toc.ncx file present to allow for the possibility that someone will open the ebook using an epub2 renderer. It takes a minimal amount of space.