converting to any format from epub always uses epub_original if present?

[BetterRed]

The .ORIGINAL_EPUB is not created if you edit the EPUB, or annotate it, or use the Embed metadata tool on it etc. It is only created by like-for-like conversions, Polish and Modify EPUB (I think) and they are the only tools that use .ORIGINAL_EPUB format, if it exists.

If I have an .EPUB and I edit and save it with the calibre book editor I don't get an .ORIGINAL_EPUB format file. And if I have both an .EPUB and an .ORIGINAL_EPUB the editor wont even 'see' the latter.

On the rare occasion I do an EPUB->EPUB conversion, providing the conversion produces a satisfactory result I remove the .ORIGINAL_EPUB. And, because my usage of Polish or Modify is formulaic, I don't have them create .ORIGINAL_EPUBs.

I used to keep downloaded originals in a separate set of folders, I now keep them in the calibre library book data folders - with their original file names, and any DRM artefacts etc.

BR

[arpeggioaccele]

Yeah I basically just wanted to simplify the process of dealing with original files.

I can see that my method of converting epub to epub is probably not the best, I am only using it as a workaround to avoid having to deal with separate folders in calibre or externally.

The tweak to disable the creation of .ORIGINAL_EPUB is tangential to that issue. I assume there's an intended reason for .ORIGINAL_EPUB to exist in the first place and therefore I would like to retain the file.

I was thinking that, when .ORIGINAL_EPUB exists, it doesn't seem that it should be deleted. Since it is retained, I thought it was intended to be used as an archive. But as you have used it, it is more like a temporary file that enables you to "undo" a file modification.

In any case, it should be more clear that when more than one epub to epub file modification conversion is done, the .ORIGINAL_EPUB will be used. The unclear gui prompt in the Conversion menu says EPUB -> EPUB, which mentions nothing about .ORIGINAL_EPUB.

But, I don't know if that warrants any changes, since it's a niche problem with an unclear solution. Idk how archiving before conversion is meant to be done, but maybe it's not intended to be using .ORIGINAL_EPUB. I'd be happy with any way to save copy of original files whenever I do conversions.

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I haven't really looked into what epub to epub conversion is doing to the file, or that polish or modify existed. I'll definitely look into that!

[BetterRed]

My perception of ORIGINAL_XXXX is consistent with the description of this tweak:



BR

[JSWolf]

What I would rather have happen is that the original_epub is created and not used at all. I can restore it if I want it used.

[fogice]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What I would rather have happen is that the original_epub is created and not used at all. I can restore it if I want it used.

I agree. If original_epub does not exist, create it first, then make changes to epub. If original_epub exists, make changes to epub, and do not touch original_epub.

[arpeggioaccele]

That makes sense. It does seem useful when I want to test out various different conversion options, as the EPUB file is overwritten each time. Maybe the problem is that it is unclear from anywhere but tweaks that original_EPUB will be used as the conversion source.

I think my specific issue was that original_EPUB is also used when going from one source to a different source too, which is not described in the Tweaks description. When going from EPUB to PDF, if original_EPUB is present then it will be used.

Even if I were to use original_EPUB only temporarily only for testing conversions, I would have to keep replicating the same settings twice to get the EPUB and PDF outputs.

Right now, I am doing the original to EPUB conversion, using the editor on the EPUB file (which does not recognize the original_EPUB file) to replace the publisher's CSS, then EPUB to PDF for inverted colors. It was simpler to input all the settings once, not twice.

Perhaps there is a simpler workflow I am unaware of though.