Searching for empty paragraph

roger64 · 09-12-2018, 07:46 AM

Hi

I am probably doing something wrong. I am looking for all empty paragraphs left in my book to destroy them. I copy one of them from the code page.

Code:

<p> </p>

I paste it in the search field, it appears this way:

Code:

<p>\ </p>

It finds only one occurrence in the current file (I ask to search for all text files).

If I use Sigil to search for

Code:

<p>&#_160;</p>

I find all the 29 empty paragraphs in the book.

I would like to obtain the same result with the Calibre editor.

davidfor · 09-12-2018, 08:22 AM

Try:

Code:

<p>\s</p>

That should match any type of space.

deback · 09-12-2018, 09:18 AM

Run the Beautify Files function within Calibre before doing searches. This will fix the problem you're having.

roger64 · 09-12-2018, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

Try:

Code:

<p>\s</p>

That should match any type of space.

I had done it before. Got the same result: only item found from the current file.

kovidgoyal · 09-12-2018, 11:47 AM

That's a non-breaking space. Search for

<p>\xa0</p>

roger64 · 09-12-2018, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

That's a non-breaking space. Search for

<p>\xa0</p>

I obtain the same result. Only one item in the current file. There seems to be something wrong with my search.

theducks · 09-12-2018, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roger64

I obtain the same result. Only one item in the current file. There seems to be something wrong with my search.

How about using the repetition modifier?

Code:

<p>\s*</p>

Zero or more occurrences
That would also pick up combinations of multiple types of spaces

roger64 · 09-12-2018, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

How about using the repetition modifier?

Code:

<p>\s*</p>

Zero or more occurrences
That would also pick up combinations of multiple types of spaces

Same results. And searching this same ePub yields 29 items with Sigil...

BetterRed · 09-12-2018, 07:10 PM

@roger64 - did you try the suggestion in post #3

BR

theducks · 09-12-2018, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@roger64 - did you try the suggestion in post #3

BR

Beautify tends to fix many hit or miss search fails.

kovidgoyal · 09-12-2018, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roger64

I obtain the same result. Only one item in the current file. There seems to be something wrong with my search.

Well if you provide us with a sample epub demonstrating the issue we can tell you more, otherwise it is just guesswork

roger64 · 09-13-2018, 02:41 AM

Yes, I shall prepare one asap.

deback · 09-13-2018, 09:18 AM

I'm in the habit of hitting the Beautify Files icon before I search for anything, because if I don't do that, most of the time the search function will not find what I'm looking for. Have you tried my suggestion yet?

roger64 · 09-13-2018, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deback

I'm in the habit of hitting the Beautify Files icon before I search for anything, because if I don't do that, most of the time the search function will not find what I'm looking for. Have you tried my suggestion yet?

No, I did not try it because it seemed unrelated to my problem which concerns randomly some ePubs of mine (but not all). However, I tried it now and, much to my surprise, this time the search found out all the items. I was unable to point exactly what part of the Beautify process solved this.

Thank you for a practical solution.

I also had seen that if I "scrambled" the ePub, the scrambled version did not suffer anymore from this defect. But the resulting ePub was of course unusable.

Good to know anyway, again thanks.

Note: I sent the "guilty" ePub to Kovid Goyal but could not publish it here. Maybe he will be able to tell us what disturb the Calibre editor for this particular search.

deback · 09-13-2018, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roger64

No, I did not try it because it seemed unrelated to my problem which concerns randomly some ePubs of mine (but not all). However, I tried it now and, much to my surprise, this time the search found out all the items. I was unable to point exactly what part of the Beautify process solved this.

Thank you for a practical solution.

Note: I sent the "guilty" ePub to Kovid Goyal but could not publish it here. Maybe he will be able to tell us what disturb the Calibre editor for this particular search.

Glad it worked for you. I knew it would, because I always have to run the Beautify Files before I search for anything. If I don't do that, the search function will almost always NOT work correctly. I don't know if this is a bug in the Search function or not, but running the Beautify Files is definitely a necessity when you want to search for something.

This solution should be added to the instructions for the Search function.

09-12-2018, 07:46 AM	#1
roger64 Wizard Posts: 2,625 Karma: 3120635 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle PW3 (wifi)	Searching for empty paragraph Hi I am probably doing something wrong. I am looking for all empty paragraphs left in my book to destroy them. I copy one of them from the code page. Code: <p> </p> I paste it in the search field, it appears this way: Code: <p>\ </p> It finds only one occurrence in the current file (I ask to search for all text files). If I use Sigil to search for Code: <p>&#_160;</p> I find all the 29 empty paragraphs in the book. I would like to obtain the same result with the Calibre editor.

09-12-2018, 08:22 AM	#2
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303824 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	Try: Code: <p>\s</p> That should match any type of space.

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09-12-2018, 09:18 AM	#3
deback Book E d i t o r Posts: 432 Karma: 288184 Join Date: May 2015 Device: Laptop	Run the Beautify Files function within Calibre before doing searches. This will fix the problem you're having.

09-12-2018, 11:47 AM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,609 Karma: 28549044 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	That's a non-breaking space. Search for <p>\xa0</p>

09-12-2018, 07:10 PM	#9
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 22,018 Karma: 30277294 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@roger64 - did you try the suggestion in post #3 BR

09-13-2018, 02:41 AM	#12
roger64 Wizard Posts: 2,625 Karma: 3120635 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle PW3 (wifi)	Yes, I shall prepare one asap.

09-13-2018, 09:18 AM	#13
deback Book E d i t o r Posts: 432 Karma: 288184 Join Date: May 2015 Device: Laptop	I'm in the habit of hitting the Beautify Files icon before I search for anything, because if I don't do that, most of the time the search function will not find what I'm looking for. Have you tried my suggestion yet?