mobi catalog = periodical, ePub catalog = book

[trekchick]

I have Calibre make catalogs regularly so that I have offline access to the book descriptions and series order for everything on my device (it helps me figure out what to read next).

When the Calibre output is a mobi file, Kindle displays it as a periodical with enhanced navigation (browsing the catalog is quick and easy). When the Calibre output is an ePub file, I don't get Sony's special periodical magic.

Calibre can create ePub files with the extra stuff Sony needs for periodicals (it does so with news feeds), but after spelunking through preferences and plugins, I cannot see how to do it for ePub catalogs.

So, my questions are:
Can Calibre be configured to create ePub catalogs as Sony periodicals?
If not, can Calibre convert an existing file to Sony periodical format?

[GRiker]

I'm not a Sony user, so I'm not familiar with how Sony periodicals are configured. I think Kovid needs to answer this.

G

[kovidgoyal]

You have to set your output profile to Kindle to generate mobi periodicals and to SONY to generate SONY periodicals. Either switch your profile before each download or use two calibre installs.

[trekchick]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You have to set your output profile to Kindle to generate mobi periodicals and to SONY to generate SONY periodicals. Either switch your profile before each download or use two calibre installs.

Thanks for responding. My preferred output profile is Sony Reader 900, but I just tried the Sony Reader and the Sony Reader 300 profiles as well.

As expected, all of the Sony profiles create ePub periodicals from news feeds. They also make mobi catalogs as periodicals, but ePub catalogs still come out as regular books.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by trekchick

As expected, all of the Sony profiles create ePub periodicals from news feeds. They also make mobi catalogs as periodicals, but ePub catalogs still come out as regular books.

For Sony what is the advantage of the periodical format for catalogs over a standard book format with a well done Table of Contents?

[kovidgoyal]

You get a next/previous article/section button and a Table of Contents button, rather like on the Kindle.

EPUB catalogs are not made into periodicals, GRiker, the developer of the Catalog code will have to tell you why.

[GRiker]

The reason that EPUB catalogs use native TOC navigation is simply because it is usually superior to adding navbar controls inside the generated EPUB. The catalog is extensively hyperlinked, and the TOC is complete.

As dwanthny suggests, what exactly are you missing with the catalog's EPUB structure as currently implemented?

G

[trekchick]

Originally Posted by GRiker

The reason that EPUB catalogs use native TOC navigation is simply because it is usually superior to adding navbar controls inside the generated EPUB. The catalog is extensively hyperlinked, and the TOC is complete.

As dwanthny suggests, what exactly are you missing with the catalog's EPUB structure as currently implemented?

G

Thanks for your responses. The hyperlinked ePub Catalogs are very nice; they're exponentially superior to the simple, flat lists I used before moving to Calibre.

I only brought it up because I grew accustomed to using mobi catalogs on Kindle and I find that navigating multi-level tables of contents requires more key clicks and screen taps than jumping articles and sections. That's truly not a complaint; it's just an admission of my laziness.