Visual Cue in Add Semantics dialogue box?

[BKh]

I've wondered this for a long time... When you open the Add Semantics dialogue box after a semantic has been assigned, is there supposed to be a visual cue indicating the current assignment? Over several years on several different systems, I have never seen any indication of what is assigned.

The only way to tell I can find is manually looking in the content.opf file.

Am I missing something? Obviously I've been making do all this time, but it is especially tricky because selecting a semantic that is already assigned (although there is no indication as such) will actually remove it.

As always, much gratitude to all the devs and volunteers.

[DiapDealer]

Semantics also show up in the tooltip when hovering the mouse over files in the Book Browser (semantic in parens after the filename). We've talked about adding a File Details widget that would list various properties (including semantics assigned), but haven't gotten around to it.

But the answer to your question is, no. There is no visual indicator in the semantic toggle dialog. The mouse-over tooltip and the OPF file (and/or NAV document in an EPUB3) are the only current visual indications.

[BKh]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Semantics also show up in the tooltip when hovering the mouse over files in the Book Browser (semantic in parens after the filename).

Oh wow! I should have asked years ago.

Isn't this a situation where radio buttons would work since there can only be one per each files?

Any way, thank you so much and thank you for all your work.

[Tex2002ans]

Originally Posted by BKh

I've wondered this for a long time... When you open the Add Semantics dialogue box after a semantic has been assigned, is there supposed to be a visual cue indicating the current assignment?

You could also find the Semantics under the Tools > Reports > All Files under the Semantics column.

In Sigil 0.8.6, there used to be a little helpful checkmark if you right-clicked a file in the Book Browser.

A lot of the reasoning why it's currently the way it is was discussed in this topic:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...96#post3406896

Originally Posted by BKh

Isn't this a situation where radio buttons would work since there can only be one per each files?

I believe in EPUB3 this changed. A single file can be assigned multiple Semantics... hence the rewrite of the Add Semantics menu.

The topic above has all the in-depth discussion on it.

[BKh]

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

A lot of the reasoning why it's currently the way it is was discussed in this topic:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...96#post3406896

Oh, sorry I didn't find that thread when I searched! And thank you.

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

In Sigil 0.8.6, there used to be a little helpful checkmark if you right-clicked a file in the Book Browser.

Yes, and I've been missing it! Good to know it was taken away for a reason.

[Tex2002ans]

Originally Posted by BKh

Oh, sorry I didn't find that thread when I searched! And thank you.

No problem.

It was a side discussion that popped up a few years ago. Probably hard to find unless you knew where to look.

Originally Posted by Notjohn

Yes, and I've been missing it! Good to know it was taken away for a reason.

Yeah... I still stand by it being a regression in usability. (Same with the Metadata Editor... but that'll be a post for another time. Perhaps my new blog!)

[BKh]

I wonder if there couldn't be some text at the bottom of the add semantics dialogue box explaining the multiple ways you can find what files have been assigned. And that selecting a semantic designation that is already assigned will un-assign it.

Just a thought.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by BKh

I wonder if there couldn't be some text at the bottom of the add semantics dialogue box explaining the multiple ways you can find what files have been assigned. And that selecting a semantic designation that is already assigned will un-assign it.

Just a thought.

Open the OPF. The Guide section (except for the image) for the flagged files

[BKh]

Originally Posted by theducks

Open the OPF. The Guide section (except for the image) for the flagged files

Yes, yes. I know. This is what I was suggesting...



Sorry it's so big. Not sure how to change that.

[DiapDealer]

But none of those messages will really help while the semantic dialog is open.

[BKh]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

But none of those messages will really help while the semantic dialog is open.

Oh, yes, absolutely. However, It helps with the hour long quest to figure out what the heck is going on.

Because here is what happens....

"OK, I want to make sure I set all the semantics... One final check. Oh, looks like I didn't. I'll just select it again to make sure."
But actually I had set it already! But by doing it again I have now just undone the semantic.

Honestly I think a major (but by no means the only) problem is that the Kindle (and possibly others) don't always recognize the "text" semantic as the start of the book, and in fact just plop you down in a random spot. So at that point you go back to check to see what is set as the semantic text... and then you are stuck in this loop of clicking and testing, clicking and testing.

So, to be clear, I am making this suggestion on behalf of all the stupid, ignorant, and uninformed people that you have empowered to make epubs. Clearly you have almost, but not quite, made the software foolproof.

And just to prove how dense I am, I actually read the manual and didn't catch the hover technique. I just thought that having an explanation in the dialogue box would not require any coding changes and might be helpful to us ignorant folk.

[Tex2002ans]

Originally Posted by BKh

Honestly I think a major (but by no means the only) problem is that the Kindle (and possibly others) don't always recognize the "text" semantic as the start of the book, and in fact just plop you down in a random spot.

Now don't quote me on this, but I believe the "Text" semantic for the Kindle's Start Reading Location (SRL) is old info, a few years out of date.

I believe Amazon currently uses some sort of heuristics to detect SRL (probably first page right after TOC?).

Originally Posted by BKh

I just thought that having an explanation in the dialogue box would not require any coding changes and might be helpful to us ignorant folk.

(I think Solution 3 below is the best one so far!)

Solution 1

Maybe within the Add Semantics dialogue box, it could have a checkmark/checkbox column.

So if you opened the TOC.xhtml, you might see this:



(Amazing image editing skills, I know! 100% how the finished product should look. )

Solution 2

Or the Add Semantics menu could show you what's currently applied:

Table of Contents (Applied)

Or maybe the Book Browser can add the Semantics in parenthesis next to the filename (doesn't Calibre do something similar?):

cover.xhtml (Cover)
titlepage.xhtml (Title Page)
Chap01.xhtml (Text)
Chap02.xhtml

Solution 3

OR, better yet, the Add Semantics menu could list all the files with semantics, similar to Tools > Table of Contents > Edit Table of Contents:



Maybe in this form:

  Filename          |     Semantics
____________________|______________________
- cover.xhtml       |     Cover
- TOC.xhtml         |     Table of Contents
- copyright.xhtml   |     Copyright Page
- Chap01.xhtml      |     Text,Semantics2,Semantics3
- Chap02.xhtml      |

Now, I think THAT would be the best solution!

You could easily see+set all the semantics in one location, and easily do the entire book without leaving that menu.

[JustinThought]

My final check is to run the reports, make sure I don't have any orphan classes. But I also always open the "All Files" tab, and I check my semantics there. Everything's nicely collected in one place.

[BeckyEbook]

I know, I know ... an old thread, discussed many times, and also linked to an even older one.
It worried me a few years (!), but I think I have an idea that should appeal to both programmers and users.

I know exactly how to check the semantics (guide in opf, landmarks in nav, hover or report), but I want to SEE immediately those files that have set semantics.

And ... I succeeded.

I have the "X" icon assigned to .xhtml files by default (other people usually have a browser icon there). An icon with a checkmark means a file with semantics. I suggest the default icon "document-validate_16px.png" for testing

Now, when checkmark (or something else) I know straight away that there is semantics in this file and then I can easily look at the tooltip. When an ebook has 100 chapters - it makes a difference!

The change requires only two lines of code.
File: \src\MainUI\OPFModel.cpp

        if (semantic_type_all.contains(path)) {
            tooltip += " (" + semantic_type_all[path] + ")";
            item->setIcon(QIcon(QString::fromUtf8(":/main/document-validate_16px.png")));
        }
        if (manifest_properties_all.contains(path)) {
            tooltip += " [" + manifest_properties_all[path] + "]";
            item->setIcon(QIcon(QString::fromUtf8(":/main/document-validate_16px.png")));
        }

Only two things are worrying me:
1. It rather works in Windows, but since Sigil is a multi-system program, the solution should work everywhere, including Linux and Mac. Can anyone build a version in these systems and check it out?

2.

Originally Posted by KevinH

Again, I do not like feature bloat for no good reason.

Is this idea just an unnecessary bloat or a useful change?

Proof of concept – animated gif.