Calibre Editor mishandles display of otf files

[roger64]

Hi

To illustrate what I consider to be a calibre Editor bug, I used a book that I published on MR last year. But I found the same defect for the same kind of files on another book.

The EPUB file included below has been converted by writer2xhtml from the odt file (also included). I have been using writer2xhtml for the last three years. Please pay attention that the EPUB file below has never been saved and is coming straight from the converter. It's a kind of virgin on this regard. There is still some homework to do to finish this EPUB.

a) I need the following three-step process to get a clean EPUB with the calibre editor:

1. - opening the EPUB with Sigil 0.6.2 and saving it (just to rescue 611 nbsp from imminent slaughter). It includes also 1971 nnbsp (such is French language)
2. - opening the EPUB with Sigil 0.7.4 and doing some homework
3. - opening with calibre Editor and finishing the homework
Doing it this way, I can get out of any problem but of course it's a tedious and unintuitive process...

b) Why not open it directly with the calibre Editor? I did try it and it triggers a big problem with the display of each of the two embedded otf fonts:
On top of some small defects, the Editor reports the two following mistakes that I was unable to repair:
- le fichier n'est pas référencé (non referenced file)
- la ressource liée n'existe pas (linked resource does not exist).
I maybe wrong but I think these two above mistakes are self-inflicted by the calibre Editor: when I open directly the EPUB with the calibre Editor, it writes a book.opf file (Sigil does the same but names it content.opf). Opening this book.opf file, I can see in the manifest that the items representing the otf fonts are wrongly written.

I can read: <item href="styles/LinLibertine etc. instead of <item href="Fonts/LinLibertine etc.

I let you compare by yourself the differences obtained when
- first saving with old Sigil version (6.2)
- first saving with calibre Editor.

[kovidgoyal]

Here's the output of running epubcheck on your epub file:

Epubcheck Version 3.0.1

Validating against EPUB version 2.0
ERROR: /t/saint-arnaud 2/Lettres de Saint-Arnaud - 1.epub/OEBPS/styles/styles.css(10,2): 'OEBPS/Fonts/LinLibertine_R.otf': referenced resource missing in the package.
ERROR: /t/saint-arnaud 2/Lettres de Saint-Arnaud - 1.epub/OEBPS/styles/styles.css(17,2): 'OEBPS/Fonts/LinLibertine_RI.otf': referenced resource missing in the package.

Check finished with warnings or errors


As you can see the errors are not self inflicted by the editor.

[roger64]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

As you can see the errors are not self inflicted by the editor.

I can't deny but how do you explain this?
- Open with Sigil 0.6.2. and save (nothing else). Flightcrew reports no mistake.
- then open with Sigil 0.7.4 and save (nothing else). Epubcheck 3.0.1. validating as Epub2 reports no mistake.

Looks like Sigil puts something straight that calibre does not. Remember please that the EPUB has never been saved previously.

[kovidgoyal]

calibre does not make any changes to the epub file, simply by opening it, unlike sigil. That EPUB file is broken it just happens to be broken in a way that sigil's automatic file renaming fixes. If you want to fix it in calibre, rename the font files referenced in the error message from OEBPS/styles/LinLibertine_R.otf to OEBPS/Fonts/LinLibertine_R.otf

And report the bug to the developer of writer2xhtml.

[roger64]

Thank you for looking at it and for your advice.

[roger64]

So the reality is that Sigil corrects automatically the existing structural defects of my EPUB and that the calibre Editor does not do it.

If I wish to correct manually my broken EPUB (the one unsaved) with the calibre Editor, it looks like a fairly simple task: I know the good final structure to respect (a Fonts folder, manifest with the right path, @font-face).

I tried several times to correct manually the manifest using the calibre Editor, but I failed like if my manual changes were not taken into account. If a direct manual change in the manifest is not possible, what is the recommended way to modify the manifest?

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by roger64

So the reality is that Sigil corrects automatically the existing structural defects of my EPUB and that the calibre Editor does not do it...

Have you tried in Editor menu Tools>Arrange into folders?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Have you tried in Editor menu Tools>Arrange into folders?

Which is the same as doing it manually, only faster. But I think @roger64 was merely wondering what Sigil was doing in the first place that fixed the broken link. Now he knows, he can fix it the usual way(s).

[roger64]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Which is the same as doing it manually, only faster. But I think @roger64 was merely wondering what Sigil was doing in the first place that fixed the broken link. Now he knows, he can fix it the usual way(s).

Indeed I was very surprised to learn that Sigil checks and corrects the structure just on opening a file. I thought it only did it when saving...

The Tool "arrange into folders" (thanks AnotherCat) does not help on this regard. I am afraid also that the "usual way" I knew with Sigil to modify files does not work identically here.

Take the manifest: I modify the path of the item, setting Fonts instead of styles. The change takes place. But if I verify, the Editor still reports a mistake.

I would be keen to learn how to make do with the manual edits of the Editor. If somebody knows how to fix this broken EPUB with the Editor, I am keen to learn.

[kovidgoyal]

All you have to do is right click on the font file in question and choose rename, then replace the "styles" part of the file name with "Fonts". You do not need to touch the manifest or anything else.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by roger64

Indeed I was very surprised to learn that Sigil checks and corrects the structure just on opening a file. I thought it only did it when saving...

The Tool "arrange into folders" (thanks AnotherCat) does not help on this regard. I am afraid also that the "usual way" I knew with Sigil to modify files does not work identically here.

Take the manifest: I modify the path of the item, setting Fonts instead of styles. The change takes place. But if I verify, the Editor still reports a mistake.

I would be keen to learn how to make do with the manual edits of the Editor. If somebody knows how to fix this broken EPUB with the Editor, I am keen to learn.

By "the usual way" I meant renaming the file. Since the reference doesn't match up until you do, it won't mess up the manifest and other references. But once renamed, it will snap into sync with the references, just like in Sigil, which also merely renamed the path of the font.

[roger64]

@eschwartz

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

All you have to do is right click on the font file in question and choose rename, then replace the "styles" part of the file name with "Fonts". You do not need to touch the manifest or anything else.

Solved.

I wish I could change the mistaken title of this thread. I really learnt a couple of useful things. What seems obvious is not always true (I speak for me )

What mistook me - among other things, was the fact that my fonts did appear in the Fonts folder of the calibre Editor. Seeing this, I thought that the mistake was coming from elsewhere, maybe from the manifest.