php format

[anacreon]

Today is the second time in as many days I encountered a php format (the n°18 in GeorgeH's Harvard classics series today). It seems to be a new "thing". Does Calibre plan to add it to its recognised formats? If not does anybody know how to convert it to epub before feeding it into Calibre?

I've googled it but am a bit lost in the mountain of references.

Thanks in advance.

[aleyx]

Can you point towards a 'php' ebook file? Because for me, PHP is a script language, not an ebook format...

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by anacreon

Today is the second time in as many days I encountered a php format (the n°18 in GeorgeH's Harvard classics series today). It seems to be a new "thing". Does Calibre plan to add it to its recognised formats? If not does anybody know how to convert it to epub before feeding it into Calibre?

If you are referring to this book in the Library here at MobileRead then it is an epub. There is no such thing as a php format for ebooks. What you experienced is a problem saving (downloading) the book where your browser named it with a php extension. I have run into this in the past. What browser are you using?

I suspect if you rename it the name it should have (Harvard Classics Volume 18 - Dryden, Sheridan, Goldsmith, Shelley, Browning, Byron.epub) then it will be just fine.

[anacreon]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

If you are referring to this book in the Library here at MobileRead then it is an epub. There is no such thing as a php format for ebooks. What you experienced is a problem saving (downloading) the book where your browser named it with a php extension. I have run into this in the past. What browser are you using?

I suspect if you rename it the name it should have (Harvard Classics Volume 18 - Dryden, Sheridan, Goldsmith, Shelley, Browning, Byron.epub) then it will be just fine.

It was the book I meant, and your solution works perfectly. I don't understand though why Internet explorer 11 should do that, and why only with a few books (I load several every day, and had the problem only with two).

EDIT: I just realised I download with Mozilla Firefox whenever there are captchas, I'll have to check whether it might be systematic with Internet. Also I forgot to mention that whatever the book, its name is attachment.php

EDIT2: A Gutenberg book just downloaded normally with Internet. I'll have to mention it to GeorgeH.

[AnotherCat]

I have also noticed this when downloading epubs from the MobileRead Library with IE11. Typically when IE cannot securely identify an epub's file type from the server end doc-type and file sniffing it will give the file the safe extension of .zip (epubs being zips, of course) and I don't recall coming across it giving them a .php extention before.

As you say, it also changes the file name to "attachment" so all epub files from MR Library become attachment.php which seems to be extracted from the webpage link; however, if mobileread.com is added to IE11's compatability view list then epubs from there are named and downloaded correctly.

I don't know if this is some issue at the server end that IE11 is tougher on than earlier versions for security reasons, in which case I would have expected it to name epub files as .zips, or is just a glitch in IE11 or a matter at the server of a type that IE11 is designed to be intolerant of. (Chrome, for example, seems to not be affected)

[BetterRed]

Another source of '.php' dowloads its that some sites will a small download.php file if you download using anything but the browser "Save link/target as", i.e. a via some sort of download manager.

Its a tactic that's sometimes used to prevent 'mass downloading'. I think I've got them at MR when I've tried to d/l some attachments using Free Download Manager.

BR

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

On some sites you'll get a small blahblah.php file if you download using anything but the browser "Save link/target as", i.e. a via some sort of download manager. Pretty sure MR is one such site. Its a tactic that's sometimes used to prevent 'mass downloading'.

BR

Hi BR

Not sure if this was understood or not (as it isn't exactly clear from the OP's and my posts) so mentioning it just in case, but the file attachment.php that is downloaded is in fact the epub itself not the "blahblah.php" one. Just renaming it to an epub is all that is required.

However, the matter you raise may be the root of a glitch and is one I had not thought of.

John

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Hi BR

Not sure if this was understood or not (as it isn't exactly clear from the OP's and my posts) so mentioning it just in case, but the file attachment.php that is downloaded is in fact the epub itself not the "blahblah.php" one. Just renaming it to an epub is all that is required.

However, the matter you raise may be the root of a glitch and is one I had not thought of.

John

@AnotherCat, wasn't intending to dispute prior posts. Only wanted to point out that if you use download managers/accelerators, then some sites thwart them by delivering a small chunk of php code (typically < 2k).

I think I can recall getting them here when downloading some of MiniMouse's blank covers - had to get them one at a time

I just remembered that the 'blahblah.php' is quite often (always ?) 'download.php'.

I use external download managers because large downloads - eg iso's from MS - can take a long time, I also like to have the freedom to restart my browser at any time.

I'll tweak my prior post

Cheers BR

[AnotherCat]

Understood BR.

Also adding to my

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

I have also noticed this when downloading epubs from the MobileRead Library with IE11. Typically when IE cannot securely identify an epub's file type...

After a bit of a play I have found that the file misnaming problem applies to all ebook formats (mobi, prc, etc) downloaded from MR Library with IE11 (at least with 64bit on Win8.1) not just epub.

[eschwartz]

The answer is don't use IE, avoid it like the plague.

[GeorgeH]

Originally Posted by anacreon

It was the book I meant, and your solution works perfectly. I don't understand though why Internet explorer 11 should do that, and why only with a few books (I load several every day, and had the problem only with two).

EDIT: I just realised I download with Mozilla Firefox whenever there are captchas, I'll have to check whether it might be systematic with Internet. Also I forgot to mention that whatever the book, its name is attachment.php

EDIT2: A Gutenberg book just downloaded normally with Internet. I'll have to mention it to GeorgeH.

Saw the above post. I wonder if it has to do with the length of the filename (or maybe the spaces in it)? I've never encountered this problem and have, as a test, downloaded several of the books. I also use Chrome, which may not be affected.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by GeorgeH

Saw the above post. I wonder if it has to do with the length of the filename (or maybe the spaces in it)? I've never encountered this problem and have, as a test, downloaded several of the books. I also use Chrome, which may not be affected.

As I said in one of my posts Chrome works; as does, I suspect, all other common browsers including versions of Internet Explorer prior to 11.

It is some matter associated with IE11, but whether it is something to do with its less trusting nature for security reasons (if no doc-type, etc. at the server) or sticking rigidly to standards that the server end does not meet, or something to do with its download management that the server does not like (BR has mentioned difficulties that may be experienced with some download manager applications).

In the end the solution at the user's end is very simple and sticks, one just has to add mobileread.com to IE11's Compatability View list.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

As I said in one of my posts Chrome works; as does, I suspect, all other common browsers including versions of Internet Explorer prior to 11.

It is some matter associated with IE11, but whether it is something to do with its less trusting nature for security reasons (if no doc-type, etc. at the server) or sticking rigidly to standards that the server end does not meet, or something to do with its download management that the server does not like (BR has mentioned difficulties that may be experienced with some download manager applications).

In the end the solution at the user's end is very simple and sticks, one just has to add mobileread.com to IE11's Compatability View list.

I find the idea of IE "sticking rigidly to standards that the server end does not meet" unspeakably funny.