Importing xhtml metadata when creating epub

msttat · 02-24-2025, 12:18 PM

Hello,

When I use the calibre editor to convert an xhtml file into a epub, the editor seems to properly interpret some metadata, but not others:

Here is the <head> block of my xhtml file:
<head>
<title>The title of the book</title>
<meta name="author" content="The author of the book" />
<meta name="category" content="category1, category2" />
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="mybooks.css"/>
</head>

The editor properly sets the author and the booktitle in the epub 'content.opf' file, imports the 'mybooks.css'.

But I have not figured out how to specify categories that will be interpreted and imported in the epub content.opf as DublinCore (<dc:subject>category1, category2</dc:suject>), allowing me to find them when I import the epub in the main calibre program.

I hope I am not polluting the forum with a question alerady solved, which I was unable to find.

Thank you all for any advice (or telling me such feature is not available in the editor!)

BetterRed · 02-24-2025, 06:53 PM

Try changing the <meta name="category" to <meta name="subject"

With luck they'll turn up as Tags when you add the EPUB to the library manager.

kovidgoyal · 02-24-2025, 09:56 PM

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...44&postcount=9

msttat · 02-26-2025, 08:42 AM

Thank you for your answers, useful and not:

- USEFUL: I did not know about Sigil. I've trid it and it does the job, importing my <meta.. /> in the epub manifest properly. Thanks, that's great.

- And not: I used to work with Calibre (7.26), creating my epub by opening my xhtml file with the Edit-ebook program which is part of the Calibre suite. I have tried the different specs of the <meta /> line without success:
Neither <meta name="Subject" content="keyword"/> or <meta name="DC.subject content ="keyword"/> or <meta name="DCTERMS.subject" content="keyword"/> are recognized on input.

I will probably move to Sigil.

DNSB · 02-26-2025, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msttat

I will probably move to Sigil.

Personally, I use both Sigil and calibre's ebook-editor. They both have features that are not in the other so having both in your toolbox can be useful.

kovidgoyal · 02-26-2025, 10:28 PM

Add your HTML file to *calibre* first, it will read all your metadata and create the book record directly.

kovidgoyal · 02-26-2025, 10:37 PM

Actually, I just tried at and it works directly with the editor too.

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
        <title>metadata title</title>
        <meta name="Author" content="NAME" />
        <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/>
        <meta name="tags" content="categort1, category2" />
    </head>
    <body>

    </body>
</html>

msttat · 02-27-2025, 07:53 AM

Thank you again, especially for the last Kovid Goyal answer.

<meta name="tags" content="some,thing"/>

(where "tags" for calibre editor stands for "Subject" for Sigil).

This closes the thread for me at least.

02-24-2025, 12:18 PM	#1
msttat Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2025 Device: android	Importing xhtml metadata when creating epub Hello, When I use the calibre editor to convert an xhtml file into a epub, the editor seems to properly interpret some metadata, but not others: Here is the <head> block of my xhtml file: <head> <title>The title of the book</title> <meta name="author" content="The author of the book" /> <meta name="category" content="category1, category2" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="mybooks.css"/> </head> The editor properly sets the author and the booktitle in the epub 'content.opf' file, imports the 'mybooks.css'. But I have not figured out how to specify categories that will be interpreted and imported in the epub content.opf as DublinCore (<dc:subject>category1, category2</dc:suject>), allowing me to find them when I import the epub in the main calibre program. I hope I am not polluting the forum with a question alerady solved, which I was unable to find. Thank you all for any advice (or telling me such feature is not available in the editor!)

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02-24-2025, 06:53 PM	#2
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,722 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Try changing the <meta name="category" to <meta name="subject" With luck they'll turn up as Tags when you add the EPUB to the library manager.

02-24-2025, 09:56 PM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,345 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...44&postcount=9

02-26-2025, 08:42 AM	#4
msttat Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2025 Device: android	Thank you for your answers, useful and not: - USEFUL: I did not know about Sigil. I've trid it and it does the job, importing my <meta.. /> in the epub manifest properly. Thanks, that's great. - And not: I used to work with Calibre (7.26), creating my epub by opening my xhtml file with the Edit-ebook program which is part of the Calibre suite. I have tried the different specs of the <meta /> line without success: Neither <meta name="Subject" content="keyword"/> or <meta name="DC.subject content ="keyword"/> or <meta name="DCTERMS.subject" content="keyword"/> are recognized on input. I will probably move to Sigil.

02-26-2025, 10:28 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,345 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Add your HTML file to calibre first, it will read all your metadata and create the book record directly.

02-27-2025, 07:53 AM	#8
msttat Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2025 Device: android	Thank you again, especially for the last Kovid Goyal answer. <meta name="tags" content="some,thing"/> (where "tags" for calibre editor stands for "Subject" for Sigil). This closes the thread for me at least.