smashwords ordered list start attribute

pathwork · 10-23-2013, 12:06 PM

Converting from word document to epub on smashwords creates errors in the epub validation process. The main problem I am having is that my documents (dozens of volumes) all contain the "ol start="some_number" " attribute in the table of contents which allows an ordered list to start from a number other than one. This is not accepted, and now all of my documents have been rejected. I don't want to manually go through and add these numbers. Converting from html to epub creates more problems than it solves so that is out of the question.
What I need is a work around. Any help is appreciated.

DiapDealer · 10-23-2013, 12:24 PM

If you want to submit Word documents to Smashwords and you don't want your ordered lists to start at 1 ... then I simply don't see any other recourse but to manually number your ToCs.

Even if you could get the epub created with an ol that started at something other than "one", it wouldn't display consistently across the range of devices/apps out there reading it. It's always been an issue that most people have solved by just not using ordered lists at all.

Hitch · 10-24-2013, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

If you want to submit Word documents to Smashwords and you don't want your ordered lists to start at 1 ... then I simply don't see any other recourse but to manually number your ToCs.

Even if you could get the epub created with an ol that started at something other than "one", it wouldn't display consistently across the range of devices/apps out there reading it. It's always been an issue that most people have solved by just not using ordered lists at all.

Doesn't work for bupkus on any ADE-based readers. Trust me, I've tried it; if you have to restart a list, and try the ol start number = X bit, while you can get it to work for MOBI, it won't work on most ePUB readers today. So, even if you did get it to work at SW, you'd be very unhappy with the reports you'd get back from buyers on devices like the Nook, for example.

(Secondly, should'nt this be in the ePUB forum, not here? I'm not sure I understand why a Word-->Smashwords question is here in the Sigil forum. Mods, you may wish to move this to ePUB, where s/he is likely to get more answers, as folks in that sub-forum may have experience with this.)

Thirdly: why are your TOC entries numbered? Are they in sections or parts, or a technical/academic book that requires an outline-formatted layout? if you'll explain further, someone might be able to help you; maybe something like using AHK with regex to do some of the numbering for you manually. OR, if you give up on using Word-->SW, and you use Sigil, you might find that using headers could get you at least partway there. Just a thought. As I said, the folks in the ePUB forum are more likely to have experience with this than here in the Sigil forum.

Hitch

pathwork · 10-24-2013, 08:12 AM

Thanks for the help. I'm moving over to the epub forum.

theducks · 10-24-2013, 08:46 AM

Hitch did bring out a Sigil (actually a Flightcrew) Question: Wasn't there a Validation error shown for these?

At_Libitum · 10-24-2013, 07:26 PM

there is in Sigil and likely then also in standalone Flightcrew.
It will complain that start is not allowed in OL

And I did not try this yet, only just popped into my mind, but could you trick it by just inserting X number of empty li's before the first actual one and set these to display:none? or would that cause it to still start at 1 again on the first visible li?
granted, it would be a kludge...if it actually works, no idea about that

10-23-2013, 12:06 PM	#1
pathwork Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: ipad	smashwords ordered list start attribute Converting from word document to epub on smashwords creates errors in the epub validation process. The main problem I am having is that my documents (dozens of volumes) all contain the "ol start="some_number" " attribute in the table of contents which allows an ordered list to start from a number other than one. This is not accepted, and now all of my documents have been rejected. I don't want to manually go through and add these numbers. Converting from html to epub creates more problems than it solves so that is out of the question. What I need is a work around. Any help is appreciated.

10-24-2013, 07:26 PM	#6
At_Libitum Addict Posts: 265 Karma: 724240 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: KyBook	there is in Sigil and likely then also in standalone Flightcrew. It will complain that start is not allowed in OL And I did not try this yet, only just popped into my mind, but could you trick it by just inserting X number of empty li's before the first actual one and set these to display:none? or would that cause it to still start at 1 again on the first visible li? granted, it would be a kludge...if it actually works, no idea about that Last edited by At_Libitum; 10-24-2013 at 07:31 PM.

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10-23-2013, 12:24 PM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,358 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	If you want to submit Word documents to Smashwords and you don't want your ordered lists to start at 1 ... then I simply don't see any other recourse but to manually number your ToCs. Even if you could get the epub created with an ol that started at something other than "one", it wouldn't display consistently across the range of devices/apps out there reading it. It's always been an issue that most people have solved by just not using ordered lists at all.

10-24-2013, 08:12 AM	#4
pathwork Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: ipad	Thanks for the help. I'm moving over to the epub forum.

10-24-2013, 08:46 AM	#5
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,905 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Hitch did bring out a Sigil (actually a Flightcrew) Question: Wasn't there a Validation error shown for these?