New text formatting tools

korben · 07-05-2014, 05:42 AM

Hello all,

I know the editor Calibre is constantly evolving, which is very nice when used regularly.

I find it lacks buttons to correctly gauge the text: center, justify, left and right.

These are the most important functions it currently lacks to reach the level of Sigil, in my opinion.

Perhaps this application evolution is it already planned?

Have a nice day

BobC · 07-05-2014, 06:24 AM

This sort of formatting is better done using CSS styles.

BobC

mrmikel · 07-05-2014, 11:48 AM

To do so, it would have to make assumptions about what you want to do. Do you want to center the entire paragraph, just a line or are you centering a paragraph which other formatting is telling it to be off center.

That is why there is a preview window, rather than a book view editing window.

If you want something like what you see is what you get, then try Atlantis Word Processor or Jutoh.

theducks · 07-05-2014, 02:16 PM

IMHO A family of WYSIWYG buttons in a 'code editor' g3ets you output like you get from Word. A

mess.

<b>,<i> are clean because they are basic.
Learn how to Link and use a CSS. It really is easy once you unlearn all the bad habits learned using HTML2 or WYSIWYG editors like Word.

Take a few and reverse engineer a few similar books that use CSS.
IMHO Sigil's 'Goto Link or style excels here. Right-click on the class=: Select: Goto Link or style: Presto, you are at that selector in the proper CSS (A complex book can have many CSS files, you are only concerned with the ones linked to the current page)

The mythical; One Size Fits All CSS only applies to content YOU CREATE from Scratch.

arspr · 07-06-2014, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Take a few and reverse engineer a few similar books that use CSS.
IMHO Sigil's 'Goto Link or style excels here. Right-click on the class=: Select: Goto Link or style: Presto, you are at that selector in the proper CSS (A complex book can have many CSS files, you are only concerned with the ones linked to the current page)

Possible idea for improvement, Kovid.

A lot of people is asking for the Sigil's Goto Style feature which is quite less robust, but more direct, than your Live CSS panel with all its associated links.

Would it be possible to merge both ways? I mean a right-click menu entry called "Goto Style" which would open a nested drop-down list with all the links/styles you've actually detected and identified in the Live CSS panel.

Yes, maybe not so much gain from the current behaviour, but (just wild guessing) possibly nearly most of the coding effort would be already made and you'll make it "easier" for the guys in the transition from Sigil (no more asking about a Sigilish Goto Style feature...)

kovidgoyal · 07-06-2014, 11:10 PM

@arspr: Patches are welcome. I dont think the effort involved justifies the use case.

@korben: As others have pointed out, the text justify tools in Sigil are not a very good idea, in that they just stick a style attribute onto the closest paragraph or div tag, whereas the "proper" way to do it would be to add some styles into the documents stylesheet. However, there may be some value in implementing the buttons for people that do not have the time/desire to learn CSS. I will look into it when I have some spare time.

mrmikel · 07-07-2014, 06:34 AM

Since you can only work in code view in the editor, the effects should be more predictable.

If you decide to implement it, will you be using align and center or add css to any stylehseet? It would be nice to allow editing of the wrapping tags in preferences, so css hounds can put their existing css in it.

kovidgoyal · 07-07-2014, 06:37 AM

It will add style="text-align:whatever" to the closest surrounding block tag. IIRC, that is how Sigil's button work in code view as well.

mrmikel · 07-07-2014, 09:05 AM

Sounds good to me. If someone feels the need to do it otherwise, it will be easy to search and replace.

korben · 07-11-2014, 04:25 PM

Hello,

I just download the latest version of Calibre and these changes are now incorporated into the editor. Very convenient.
This is exactly what I need.

It adds style="text-align: justify;" by example in the selected tag. Perfect

@kovidgoyal : indeed, this is perhaps not the most appropriate way to apply formatting to text, but it can be useful when you want to just change small pieces of text.

As time passes, the more I like Calibre.

Congratulations Kovid, very very very nice work.

07-05-2014, 05:42 AM	#1
korben Enthusiast Posts: 36 Karma: 378 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: France Device: pocketbook touch 2	New text formatting tools Hello all, I know the editor Calibre is constantly evolving, which is very nice when used regularly. I find it lacks buttons to correctly gauge the text: center, justify, left and right. These are the most important functions it currently lacks to reach the level of Sigil, in my opinion. Perhaps this application evolution is it already planned? Have a nice day

07-07-2014, 06:37 AM	#8
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,221 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	It will add style="text-align:whatever" to the closest surrounding block tag. IIRC, that is how Sigil's button work in code view as well. Last edited by kovidgoyal; 07-07-2014 at 09:36 AM.

07-11-2014, 04:25 PM	#10
korben Enthusiast Posts: 36 Karma: 378 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: France Device: pocketbook touch 2	Hello, I just download the latest version of Calibre and these changes are now incorporated into the editor. Very convenient. This is exactly what I need. It adds style="text-align: justify;" by example in the selected tag. Perfect @kovidgoyal : indeed, this is perhaps not the most appropriate way to apply formatting to text, but it can be useful when you want to just change small pieces of text. As time passes, the more I like Calibre. Congratulations Kovid, very very very nice work. Last edited by korben; 07-11-2014 at 04:45 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Text formatting issues when creating IDs/hyperlinking text	rnuss	Sigil	2	09-28-2013 06:49 AM
pdf to text tools?	mastermesh	Amazon Kindle	1	04-15-2011 01:07 PM
Text formatting	jerrywojo	Ectaco jetBook	4	01-19-2010 03:37 PM
text file formatting	hobbyman	Calibre	5	10-05-2008 05:18 PM
Text tool for formatting Gutenberg text files	bob_ninja	Workshop	5	11-13-2007 12:28 PM

07-05-2014, 06:24 AM	#2
BobC Guru Posts: 691 Karma: 3026110 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Lancashire, U.K. Device: BeBook 1, BeBook Pure, Kobo Glo, (and HD),Energy Sistem EReader Pro +	This sort of formatting is better done using CSS styles. BobC

07-05-2014, 11:48 AM	#3
mrmikel Color me gone Posts: 2,089 Karma: 1445295 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Oregon Coast Device: PRS-300	To do so, it would have to make assumptions about what you want to do. Do you want to center the entire paragraph, just a line or are you centering a paragraph which other formatting is telling it to be off center. That is why there is a preview window, rather than a book view editing window. If you want something like what you see is what you get, then try Atlantis Word Processor or Jutoh.

07-05-2014, 02:16 PM	#4
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,914 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	IMHO A family of WYSIWYG buttons in a 'code editor' g3ets you output like you get from Word. A mess. <b>,<i> are clean because they are basic. Learn how to Link and use a CSS. It really is easy once you unlearn all the bad habits learned using HTML2 or WYSIWYG editors like Word. Take a few and reverse engineer a few similar books that use CSS. IMHO Sigil's 'Goto Link or style excels here. Right-click on the class=: Select: Goto Link or style: Presto, you are at that selector in the proper CSS (A complex book can have many CSS files, you are only concerned with the ones linked to the current page) The mythical; One Size Fits All CSS only applies to content YOU CREATE from Scratch.

07-06-2014, 11:10 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,221 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	@arspr: Patches are welcome. I dont think the effort involved justifies the use case. @korben: As others have pointed out, the text justify tools in Sigil are not a very good idea, in that they just stick a style attribute onto the closest paragraph or div tag, whereas the "proper" way to do it would be to add some styles into the documents stylesheet. However, there may be some value in implementing the buttons for people that do not have the time/desire to learn CSS. I will look into it when I have some spare time.

07-07-2014, 06:34 AM	#7
mrmikel Color me gone Posts: 2,089 Karma: 1445295 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Oregon Coast Device: PRS-300	Since you can only work in code view in the editor, the effects should be more predictable. If you decide to implement it, will you be using align and center or add css to any stylehseet? It would be nice to allow editing of the wrapping tags in preferences, so css hounds can put their existing css in it.

07-07-2014, 09:05 AM	#9
mrmikel Color me gone Posts: 2,089 Karma: 1445295 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Oregon Coast Device: PRS-300	Sounds good to me. If someone feels the need to do it otherwise, it will be easy to search and replace.