breaking apart the HTML files

[xmlgirl]

Are there any guidelines concerning when and how you should break the HTML document up? I find it easier to edit as one document. The one I am working on now is only about 60 pages.
Are there some readers that don't like larger HTML files?
I don't see in the epub spec that it has to be broken apart.
Just wondering if it is worth the extra effort.
Thanks.

[Jellby]

Some readers have a limit of about 300 kB. Others would probably have some other limit, as memory is never infinite.

Anyway, splitting the document in chapters usually makes the final ebook faster, and more so if there are lots of hyperlinks (since it's faster to process a small file than a large one).

I normally edit the text as a single file, and then split it at the end, once most changes and styling have been done.

[Doitsu]

ADE will complain if any of the .html files in the ePub is 304 KB (=311296 bytes) or larger. But you'll only see the warning message if you choose Item Info... from the Reading menu.

BTW, you can have Sigil split large .html files for you. Simply insert <hr class="sigilChapterBreak" /> before the split points and then select Split at Chapter Markers from the Edit menu. (You'll have to re-generate the toc afterwards.)

[dwig]

Originally Posted by xmlgirl

Are there any guidelines concerning when and how you should break the HTML document up? ... Just wondering if it is worth the extra effort.
Thanks.

Strictly speaking, there is no need to break up the HTML file(s) in an ePub during the editing phase. As others have already said though, there are practical concerns to consider when you produce the final version for distribution.

There can be advantages to having a single file while you are editing. At the same time you may find breaking the book into multiple files also has some advantages while editing. In particular, if you are using Sigil as an ePub editor you will find that it can be a bit sluggish when rendering in the preview mode when the HTML file is very large. In Sigil, the Search&Replace function will work across multiple HTML files eliminating one of the main issues with editing multiple files.

On the other hand, if you are editing the HTML with other tools, you may well find that having a single file is advantageous. Just be sure that the final published version is split as necessary to avoid issues with ADE, the dominant reader engine.