[GUI Plugin] Modify ePub

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

And actually, no I didn't do a name collision check. In theory, it would be nice, but seriously, if your epub has chap01.htm and chap01.xhtml in the same dir in the same epub, you have bigger problems.

That’s a wonderful theory for primary content, but it can fail rather horribly when considering frontmatter, backmatter, and auto-generated content. (Example: An EPUB 3 toc.xhtml navigation document can happily coexist with a frontmatter toc.html table of contents. Similar content, different purposes, one visible to the user and one not, and overwriting one with the other will break the EPUB. This is not at all rare.) Plus, have you seen ebooks? Many of them do have big problems, and at the very least, our duty is to not make those worse.

A name collision check should be regarded as mission-critical, especially given the possibility of data loss and how trivial it is to fix. If a collision is found, just set up a counter and keep testing (name)_(counter).(extension) until you find an available name. Boom, done.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

And actually, no I didn't do a name collision check. In theory, it would be nice, but seriously, if your epub has chap01.htm and chap01.xhtml in the same dir in the same epub, you have bigger problems.

I've downloaded several books from one indie author that has the cover in titlepage.xhtml and the title page in titlepage.html. When I asked about this, her response was to blame calibre since she was using calibre to convert docx to epub and then modify epub to add the cover.

[JimmXinu]

Actually, I take it back--I did implement a collision detection, but all it does is raise an exception and crash out of changing that book. Then I promptly forgot about it apparently...

Given the complexities of finding and changing all the possible embedded URLs I, for one, am not interested trying to implement a increment-number-name version.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

Given the complexities of finding and changing all the possible embedded URLs I, for one, am not interested trying to implement a increment-number-name version.

You mean the very same complexities that already exist with the extension change?

If you’re not already dealing with those, you shouldn’t be tinkering with the plugin at all; you’re half-assing it and breaking the plugin. If you are, adding an “okay, is THIS one taken?” loop/check is an insanely simple fix.

Do it right, or don’t do it at all.

[jackie_w]

I'm not sure whether this helps or hinders ...

Good news: calibre has its own utility (rename_files in calibre.ebooks.oeb.polish.replace) for changing filenames inside an epub. This is the help info:

Rename files in the container, automatically updating all links to them.
:param file_map: A mapping of old canonical name to new canonical name, for
    example: :code:`{'text/chapter1.html': 'chapter1.html'}`.

Bad news: All calibre's own epub manipulation relies on using its standard EpubContainer class. Unfortunately kiwidude's Modify Epub plugin pre-dates EpubContainer so it has its own earlier version of a Container class.

I don't know how much work would be involved in getting the ME Container to use calibre.ebooks.oeb.polish.replace.rename_files.

Ideally ME needs a complete overhaul to use pure calibre container functionality for everything ... but that's not a trivial exercise.

[JimmXinu]

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

Do it right, or don’t do it at all.

Okay.

[phossler]

I have a children's book series (55+ books).

The good news is that each has an identical style sheet, different name in each

The bad news is that the original style sheet doesn't look good (i.e. the way I'd like it), so I modified it.

I thought maybe the Conversion process might have some options, but didn't see any

Q: is there a way to do a mass replace of the style sheet? I've been editing one book at a time, but it's tedious, and if I fall into a routine I just know I'll miss something.

There are also 4 fonts in the books but I'm removing them (since I removed references to them in the CSS) and just using the reader choices

[Brett Merkey]

Here is one idea that I have not tried: The Modify ePub plug-in will work on multiple files at the same time. Among its configuration options, right next to "Remove Embedded Fonts" is an option for "Append Extra CSS."

If the plug-in appends your changed styles, the rules should separately override the previous rules. Worth a try?

[phossler]

Anything is worth trying -- thanks for the idea

I tried the PI, but the checkbox for Append Extra CSS wants the file in my Calibre Defaults Directory. I tried putting my new CSS file into the one that the Preference "Open calibre configuration directory" gave me, but it didn't seem to take

Any idea what "calibre Defaults" meant?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by phossler

Anything is worth trying -- thanks for the idea

I tried the PI, but the checkbox for Append Extra CSS wants the file in my Calibre Defaults Directory. I tried putting my new CSS file into the one that the Preference "Open calibre configuration directory" gave me, but it didn't seem to take

Any idea what "calibre Defaults" meant?

AFAIK the Modify ePub->Append Extra CSS option will use whatever you have in Preferences->Conversion->Common options->Look and Feel->Styles->Extra CSS

BR

[Brett Merkey]

tried the PI, but the checkbox for Append Extra CSS wants the file in my Calibre Defaults Directory

I did my own test and absolutely nothing happened. The checkbox had no effect either way. In fact, the help page for the plug-in does not mention that option. Appears to be seriously broken feature...

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Brett Merkey

I did my own test and absolutely nothing happened. The checkbox had no effect either way. In fact, the help page for the plug-in does not mention that option. Appears to be seriously broken feature...

See ==>> https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=490

Took me all of 10 secs to find that with a thread search for Extra CSS.

BR

[BetterRed]

And in the first post for the plugin there's this:

Version 1.3.9 - 01 Sep 2013
Fix for users who do not have any Extra CSS in their defaults trying to use the Append Extra CSS option.

Version 1.3.8 - 30 Aug 2013
Add a "Append extra CSS" option to allow appending any css style information from Preferences->Common Options->Look & Feel->Extra CSS to each .css file in the ePub.

BR

[Brett Merkey]

Add a "Append extra CSS" option to allow appending any css style information from Preferences->Common Options->Look & Feel->Extra CSS to each .css file in the ePub.

Excellent and critical information. Perhaps it may eventually be added to the Help page of the plug-in. I have v. 1.3.13

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Brett Merkey

Excellent and critical information. Perhaps it may eventually be added to the Help page of the plug-in. I have v. 1.3.13

I had forgotten there was a help page

Append extra CSS is not the only option not documented there, which is odd, because that update was done by Kiwidude. In its 'defence' it does have this at then end of the page

Further Help

For any problems, issues or obtaining the latest version of this plugin, please refer to the MobileRead forums for calibre plugins.

There are some updates to the PI in progress, I'll ask JX and Rev.Bob if they want to update the Help doco.

Can you confirm the option works - i.e. it will use the extra CSS in Preferences.

BR