Html tranform

jjk · 10-26-2025, 07:42 PM

Hi all
Have you any samples of using Html Transform tool ?
I have some messy epubs build by Adobe Indesign containing bad html code. I want to clean them as much as possible. Any ideas ?
TIA

Karellen · 10-26-2025, 08:45 PM

I've never used the Transform HTML tool but a quick look at it makes me believe that samples wouldn't work for you as each book will have its own unique coding/class names/ID's/attributes etc.

You would be better off just recoding the book rather than trying to fiddle with tools for each individual bit of code.

How bad is the book? Scramble the book and post it here and describe what it is that you want fixed.

JSWolf · 10-27-2025, 08:19 AM

I've edited lots of eBook made with InDesign and it's not difficult to do.

jjk · 10-27-2025, 07:53 PM

Thank you both. I have no time now to explain precisely my needs. Perhaps today, sorry. But I wondered if someone uses Html Transform, and in what cases ? For example, I want to replace bla bla by bla bla.
I know regex to do that, but sometimes tags are and have too complicated configurations so regexp is difficult to write.
But, once more, why has Kovid worked hard to create Html-Transform if it is few used or at least not used as far as it would be.
Sorry for my bad english.

thiago.eec · 10-27-2025, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjk

Thank you both. I have no time now to explain precisely my needs. Perhaps today, sorry. But I wondered if someone uses Html Transform, and in what cases ? For example, I want to replace bla bla by bla bla.
I know regex to do that, but sometimes tags are and have too complicated configurations so regexp is difficult to write.
But, once more, why has Kovid worked hard to create Html-Transform if it is few used or at least not used as far as it would be.
Sorry for my bad english.

I would recomend the Editor Plugin Diap's Editing Toolbag. See the image below:

thiago.eec · 10-27-2025, 09:02 PM

Sorry. You want to use calibre built-in tool. Then, that's how:

P.S.: The second action is needed if you want to remove the 'ital' class.

jjk · 10-28-2025, 11:44 AM

Thanks thiago.eec. I will see that. Particularly Xpath selector.

JSWolf · 10-28-2025, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thiago.eec

Sorry. You want to use calibre built-in tool. Then, that's how:

P.S.: The second action is needed if you want to remove the 'ital' class.

That will only sometimes work. I've seen more class names for a span for italics.

JSWolf · 10-28-2025, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjk

Thanks thiago.eec. I will see that. Particularly Xpath selector.

Diap's Editing Toolbag is a much better choice and easier to use.

thiago.eec · 10-28-2025, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That will only sometimes work. I've seen more class names for a span for italics.

Sure. This was tailored for the given example.

JSWolf · 10-28-2025, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thiago.eec

Sure. This was tailored for the given example.

What you could do to give it more chances to work is to use "ital(.*)"|"Ital(.*)" Then you'd catch ital, Ital, italic, italics, Italic, or Italics.

10-26-2025, 07:42 PM	#1
jjk Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Paris (France) Device: Kobo Kindle Vivlio-Inkpad3	Html tranform Hi all Have you any samples of using Html Transform tool ? I have some messy epubs build by Adobe Indesign containing bad html code. I want to clean them as much as possible. Any ideas ? TIA

10-27-2025, 07:53 PM	#4
jjk Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Paris (France) Device: Kobo Kindle Vivlio-Inkpad3	Thank you both. I have no time now to explain precisely my needs. Perhaps today, sorry. But I wondered if someone uses Html Transform, and in what cases ? For example, I want to replace <span class="ital">bla bla</span> by <i>bla bla</i>. I know regex to do that, but sometimes tags are and have too complicated configurations so regexp is difficult to write. But, once more, why has Kovid worked hard to create Html-Transform if it is few used or at least not used as far as it would be. Sorry for my bad english. Last edited by jjk; 10-27-2025 at 07:57 PM.

10-27-2025, 09:02 PM	#6
thiago.eec Wizard Posts: 1,292 Karma: 1428263 Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Goiânia - Brazil Device: iPad, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis	Sorry. You want to use calibre built-in tool. Then, that's how: P.S.: The second action is needed if you want to remove the 'ital' class. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by thiago.eec; 10-27-2025 at 09:31 PM. Reason: typo

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10-26-2025, 08:45 PM	#2
Karellen Wizard Posts: 1,688 Karma: 9500498 Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2	I've never used the Transform HTML tool but a quick look at it makes me believe that samples wouldn't work for you as each book will have its own unique coding/class names/ID's/attributes etc. You would be better off just recoding the book rather than trying to fiddle with tools for each individual bit of code. How bad is the book? Scramble the book and post it here and describe what it is that you want fixed.

10-27-2025, 08:19 AM	#3
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,782 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I've edited lots of eBook made with InDesign and it's not difficult to do.

10-28-2025, 11:44 AM	#7
jjk Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Paris (France) Device: Kobo Kindle Vivlio-Inkpad3	Thanks thiago.eec. I will see that. Particularly Xpath selector.