Endnotes problems (ePub exported from InDesign CS5)

[mtrahan]

Dear ePub gurus,

I have another question. I'm working the ePub version a book — an essay with footnotes — designed for print in InDesign CS5. In the InDesign file, every chapter is a new section so the footnotes start at 1) every chapter. My problem is that when I export the ePub version, the footnotes are a real mess.

All the footnotes are now numbered 1 to 125 throughout the book, and all the foonotes have been placed at the end of the last chapter, which of course isn't a problem in itself—the problem is that the links are all wrong except notes in the last chapter.

This means that I have to re-do the links for ALL the notes, and also redo the numbering...

My question is simple: any suggestion? Is there something I can do in the InDesign file, before exporting, that will make the footnotes be exported a bit more cleanly? Is there a quick way to fix the ePub? I guess not, but thought I would ask just in case before spending time on this.

Thanks again for your help.

[BryanK]

I haven't heard of a fix (except manual) for CS5. Supposedly, CS5.5 fixes it, but I haven't tried it out.

[Toxaris]

I don't know if it is a problem with ID. However, you can solve it with some careful RegEx. The reason that the links don't work anymore, is probably that the id-names are not unique anymore. All id's in the anchors must be unique.
You have to check each chapter to solve it. I personally would recommend something like: id<chapnr>_<note number>. So, the second note in chapter 3 would be id3_2. That would make it unique. For the backlink you could use idref instead of id.

[mtrahan]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

I don't know if it is a problem with ID. However, you can solve it with some careful RegEx. The reason that the links don't work anymore, is probably that the id-names are not unique anymore. All id's in the anchors must be unique.
You have to check each chapter to solve it. I personally would recommend something like: id<chapnr>_<note number>. So, the second note in chapter 3 would be id3_2. That would make it unique. For the backlink you could use idref instead of id.

Actually, no, that is not the problem with the links—I should have given more details. The problem is that the links generated act as if the footnotes were in the same file as the text where the notes are called (I don't know, in english, what's the name of the "numbers" that calls the note).The notes, in the text, are like this:

<a class="footnote-link" href="#footnote-182197-110" id="footnote-182197-110-backlink">[110]</a>

There is no file-name in the link, just the id (right? or am I using the wrong word?). And keep in mind that all the notes are now at the end of the last chapter. That's why the notes are working in this chapter, but not in the other ones.

The very good thing is, while replying to this message, I got an idea that did the trick: I merged all the chapters in Sigil and then re-split them! Thanks to Sigil, the links now work correctly!

One problem solved. For the numbering, I guess I'll have to do it manually.

And BryanK, glad to hear that the situation is (probably) better with CS5.5. Unfortunately, I can't upgrade now. Will keep it in mind though.

[mmat1]

Originally Posted by mtrahan

One problem solved. For the numbering, I guess I'll have to do it manually.

I tried to decribe a solution a the "renumbering" problem here