Double spaced text LIT to mobi

HarpingOn · 08-31-2011, 06:49 AM

Trying to convert some LIT books for my new Kindle 3.

When the .mobi is viewed on the kindle, all the text is double spaced and the lines don't wrap correctly.

Running in debug mode, I see that the html in the input directory has each line wrapped in paragraph tags, so I guess what I'm seeing is a paragraph break after each line.

If I view the html from the input directory using IE or Firefox, it looks correct. No double spacing.

It's unreadable on Kindle as it is. What can I do to fix up the output?

The top of the HTML looks like this:

Code:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head>
<meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"/><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"/><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"/><style>
p
        {text-indent:0px;text-align:left}

<!--
 /* Font Definitions */
 @font-face
        {panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}

 /* Style Definitions */
 p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
        {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:small;}

Thank you for any help!

HarryT · 08-31-2011, 06:51 AM

Can you post a few lines of the HTML of the actual text of the book?

HarpingOn · 08-31-2011, 07:06 AM

Sure. It's a bit of a mess. The body of the book converts as one HUGE line so I stuck the html file through 'strings' to break it up, then I end up with this:

Code:

<p class="MsoPlainText"><span>
 </span>Words<span>
 </span>It</p><p class="MsoPlainText">more words<span>
 </span>farmland.</p><p class="MsoPlainText">yet more words<span>
 </span>word<span>
 </span>cat<span>
 </span>dog<span>
 </span>farm<span>
 </span>lotus<span>
 </span>flower</p><p class="MsoPlainText">lilly pond<span>
 </span>front</p><p class="MsoPlainText">maple tree<span>
 </span>please<span>
 </span>hedge</p><p class="MsoPlainText">eye.</p><p class="MsoPlainText"><span>
 </span>Leaning tower<span>
 </span>Calamity</p><p class="MsoPlainText">wild west<span>
 </span>fin</p>

HarryT · 08-31-2011, 07:11 AM

That's truly horrible. You know what they say - "garbage in, garbage out". I honestly don't think there's much you can do to clean that up.

My honest advice would be to buy a legitimate eBook copy of "Hitchhiker's Guide" - it's not expensive.

HarpingOn · 08-31-2011, 07:24 AM

It's £5.50 on amazon for the four volumes together in paperback, and the Kindle price is nearly £20 for same. At least, that's how it appears to me. And I already have the paperbacks

As you say though, not worth persevering with a duff conversion. When next I want to re-read these, I'll go with my paperbacks still. They make a nice pattern too, when placed together.

itimpi · 08-31-2011, 08:38 AM

Have you tried enabling the heuristics options. Not sure if they can fix something as badly broken as the HTML you gave a sample, but it is definitely worth trying.

user_none · 08-31-2011, 08:44 AM

Use a search and replace to remove the extra span tags. Then enable heuristics and be sure the unwrap line heuristic is enabled.

JSWolf · 08-31-2011, 08:54 AM

Please don't give help to fix an illegally downloaded eBook. Sure I could give a possible solution to this problem. But since it's an illegal eBook, I won't be helping.

08-31-2011, 06:49 AM	#1
HarpingOn Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Double spaced text LIT to mobi Trying to convert some LIT books for my new Kindle 3. When the .mobi is viewed on the kindle, all the text is double spaced and the lines don't wrap correctly. Running in debug mode, I see that the html in the input directory has each line wrapped in paragraph tags, so I guess what I'm seeing is a paragraph break after each line. If I view the html from the input directory using IE or Firefox, it looks correct. No double spacing. It's unreadable on Kindle as it is. What can I do to fix up the output? The top of the HTML looks like this: Code: <?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"/><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"/><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"/><style> p {text-indent:0px;text-align:left} <!-- /* Font Definitions / @font-face {panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;} / Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:small;} Thank you for any help!

08-31-2011, 07:24 AM	#5
HarpingOn Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: Kindle 3	It's £5.50 on amazon for the four volumes together in paperback, and the Kindle price is nearly £20 for same. At least, that's how it appears to me. And I already have the paperbacks As you say though, not worth persevering with a duff conversion. When next I want to re-read these, I'll go with my paperbacks still. They make a nice pattern too, when placed together. Last edited by HarpingOn; 08-31-2011 at 07:36 AM.

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08-31-2011, 06:51 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Can you post a few lines of the HTML of the actual text of the book?

08-31-2011, 07:11 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	That's truly horrible. You know what they say - "garbage in, garbage out". I honestly don't think there's much you can do to clean that up. My honest advice would be to buy a legitimate eBook copy of "Hitchhiker's Guide" - it's not expensive.

08-31-2011, 08:38 AM	#6
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	Have you tried enabling the heuristics options. Not sure if they can fix something as badly broken as the HTML you gave a sample, but it is definitely worth trying.

08-31-2011, 08:44 AM	#7
user_none Sigil & calibre developer Posts: 2,487 Karma: 1063785 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida, USA Device: Nook STR	Use a search and replace to remove the extra span tags. Then enable heuristics and be sure the unwrap line heuristic is enabled.

08-31-2011, 08:54 AM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,023 Karma: 144284074 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Please don't give help to fix an illegally downloaded eBook. Sure I could give a possible solution to this problem. But since it's an illegal eBook, I won't be helping.