One last question

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by JimLL

You say Calibre isn't the right tool? That isn't an answer. You're so smart, tell me what IS the right tool?

For what you want it to do, an ebook authoring program. Perhaps Sigil? The conversion function is better-suited for format shifting from one ebook format to another (e.g. epub to mobi). Since you want to create ebooks from scratch, then yes, you're gonna need to study a bit. Clicking on the button with the magic wand will help you create XPath expressions but it's very basic and will likely require fine tuning.

Originally Posted by JimLL

When I wrote programs I did my best to make them easy to use. Apparently the folks working on Calibre take great delight in making it hard to use and keeping it that way. Forcing people to struggle. You don't WANT dummies to be able to use it constructively.

It's not that the devs are purposely making it difficult to use. The problem here is you have badly formed sources and you need relatively advanced AI if you want Calibre to be able to deal with all the different ways chapters are presented. Something that I don't see happening any time soon if at all. If you had just posted a sample source here instead of ranting, you would have already received an XPath expression you can paste in the Calibre preferences.

[JimLL]

Originally Posted by avantman42

To my mind, the general basics are adding books, organising them, and sending them to your e-book reader.

The general basics are:

1. First step
2. Second step
3. Third step
4. Fourth step
etc.

Make sure you convert from the HTML files

Does the simple fact that I asked for help converting them not tell you that I am well past being told _TO_ convert them.

That is one of the many steps that SHOULD be in a beginners tutorial, not a rapid fly over sales pitch that says that there's lots of stuff Calibre can do.

In the conversion dialogue, go to the "Structure Detection" page and replace the text in the "Detect chapters at (XPath expression)" box with:

//h:h1

So you ASSUME I haven't been there done that?? I've been there and done that.

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by JimLL

The general basics are:

1. First step
2. Second step
3. Third step
4. Fourth step
etc.

Does the simple fact that I asked for help converting them not tell you that I am well past being told _TO_ convert them.

That is one of the many steps that SHOULD be in a beginners tutorial, not a rapid fly over sales pitch that says that there's lots of stuff Calibre can do.



So you ASSUME I haven't been there done that?? I've been there and done that.

Just out of interest, how much did you pay for the use of Calibre and accompanying support?

Andrew

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JimLL

You say Calibre isn't the right tool? That isn't an answer. You're so smart, tell me what IS the right tool?

Jim,

I'm slightly baffled by your aggressive and hostile reply to me. I said very clearly in my reply that Sigil was the tool that you should be using to edit your files. Why ask me "what is the right tool?" when I've clearly told you in my reply?

People here are trying to be helpful to you. Your agression and hostility don't make it terribly easy to want to help you. You may want to consider being a little friendlier to those who are taking the time to try to help you.

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by JimLL

The general basics are:

1. First step
2. Second step
3. Third step
4. Fourth step
etc.

As I said, "In your original post, you asked for something "that gives you the general basics of using Calibre". I think the video does that." I still think the video does that - it gives you step-by-step instructions for the basic Calibre functions.

Originally Posted by JimLL

Does the simple fact that I asked for help converting them not tell you that I am well past being told _TO_ convert them.

I meant make sure you use the HTML files that you have edited (as you mentioned previously) as the source, rather than the doc or odt files. I said that because I really wasn't sure that my suggestion would work on the doc or odt files.

Originally Posted by JimLL

So you ASSUME I haven't been there done that?? I've been there and done that.

No, I didn't assume that you hadn't been there and done that. I thought that my suggestion would work. I had no idea whether or not you'd already tried it. You didn't specify what you'd tried.

[carpetmojo]

Apologies to the original, but .........

" You can help some of the people some of the time, some ................. " and so on.

[Wyrmbyte]

I don't know about the OP (original poster) but I want to give a big thanks to everyone who replied. I learned a lot. Especially for Sigil (woohoo) and the links. I'm in heaven right now.

Now to the OP: I found Calibre very frustrating in the beginning also but if you take your time, read through the forum and just look around the program itself you'll find that it's not that difficult to use.

And Sigil is a separate program here's the link: http://code.google.com/p/sigil/

[JimLL]

Originally Posted by Wyrmbyte

Now to the OP: I found Calibre very frustrating in the beginning also but if you take your time, read through the forum and just look around the program itself you'll find that it's not that difficult to use.

That's all well and good, but an introduction primer would cut WAY down on that learning curve. Odd that people are fighting against that idea, very odd. Like they really want it to be difficult. Very odd.

[HarryT]

Have you watched the introductory video on Kovid's site? It explains the basics pretty well.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by JimLL

That's all well and good, but an introduction primer would cut WAY down on that learning curve. Odd that people are fighting against that idea, very odd. Like they really want it to be difficult. Very odd.

I think that there is A KISS guide to calibre in the forums. And of course the video demos which I hear are pretty good.

But even with spoonfeeding one must put in a certain amount of effort. Too many features in calibre to make a do it all primer and for the basic stuff, well the current videos, help, tooltips etc. are way more than adequate for the majority. It is a pretty simple prgram to use unless you are wanting to do something unusual.

Helen

[JimLL]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Have you watched the introductory video on Kovid's site? It explains the basics pretty well.

The basics.

To one person, basics means a list of hot/new things you can do. That's what the vid does. Just like a sales brochure. It tells you scores of things you can do once you become an expert.

I'm talking about something that tells you where to start and the steps to take to do something useful on day 1, not day 100.

Genius programmers think about powerful details. Beginners need a simple start without heaps and piles of powerful details. Calibre has no entry level.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by JimLL

The basics.

To one person, basics means a list of hot/new things you can do. That's what the vid does. Just like a sales brochure. It tells you scores of things you can do once you become an expert.

I'm talking about something that tells you where to start and the steps to take to do something useful on day 1, not day 100.

Genius programmers think about powerful details. Beginners need a simple start without heaps and piles of powerful details. Calibre has no entry level.

You are speaking only for yourself I hope and not for the many thousand of happy users.

Helen

[JimLL]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

But even with spoonfeeding one must put in a certain amount of effort.
Helen

1. There is no spoon feeding.

2. Apparently you are assuming anyone who wants a good readable startup has never put out any effort! You certainly have no reason or right to make such an assumption.

I have put intense effort into a lot of things in a lot of places and a lot of ways and over a lot of years. I resent any suggestion otherwise. Such suggestions always seem to come from folks who are opposed to having anything resembling simple tutorials or How-Tos. Why oppose it? Why oppose it?

(There again, the genius types would only think to put together a long, complicated tutorial, which is why I used the term "simple." Superlative isn't necessary or even helpful.)

Now let's see the developers put out some effort in favor of _beginners_.

[PeterT]

@JimLL: I wonder if you have looked at a thread from last year by Unboggling; https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=1796609

[JimLL]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

You are speaking only for yourself I hope and not for the many thousand of happy users.

Helen

What about the thousands who COULD be using it? Or is this elitism?

No I am NOT speaking for only myself. For years I have seen great software used only by smart people because the programmers have refused to write good How-tos for those who would like to use it but just can't hack their way through - and I have fought for these people on BB's, newsgroups, blogs, etc., for decades.

_I_ can use the ____ complicated stuff by spending a lot of UNNECESSARY time fiddling with it. So can a good many other people. But why MUST it be as troublesome as possible?? What's the POINT?

I'm no dummy. I have a high IQ and a lot of experience. But the WHOLE notion that smart people must OPPOSE dummies using good software is so disgusting I want to puke.