Converting odt to ePub

[Jane Eyre]

Hi!
I've been trying to convert to epub an odt document (LibreOffice 6.1.3.2), but it gives me the following error.

How could I fix? Thanks!!

[DaleDe]

moved this thread to a more appropriate place.

[patrik]

FWIW I gave up odt -> epub after I tried the docx-plugin for Sigil.

So, I just save from LibreOffice in docx, and open it with the plugin in Sigil. Works very nicely.

[DaleDe]

I did try the ODT to ePub and I find the programmer made a lot of assumptions and does not follow the actual source well. I consistently get better results using Atlantis Word Processor to convert to ePub.

Dale

[BetterRed]

@Jane Eyre - if you save it as DOCX you can either use Sigil's DOCXImport plugin which offers the possibility of mapping the Writer Styles to ePub CSS styles, or you can use calibre conversion (or editor) to convert DOCX to ePub, which will preserve your Writer styles the ePub's CSS, but it won't retain the style names, and it will flatten any hierarchical structure.

BR

[Tex2002ans]

Originally Posted by Jane Eyre

I've been trying to convert to epub an odt document (LibreOffice 6.1.3.2), but it gives me the following error.

Since LibreOffice 6.0, you're able to convert directly to EPUB:

File > Export As > Export As EPUB

I would also recommend downloading the latest LibreOffice for feature/bug fixes (latest as of today is v6.3.0 or v6.2.6).

It still has quite a lot of kinks though, so you may want to try other methods as well.

Originally Posted by BetterRed

if you save it as DOCX you can either use Sigil's DOCXImport plugin which offers the possibility of mapping the Writer Styles to ePub CSS styles, or you can use calibre conversion (or editor) to convert DOCX to ePub, which will preserve your Writer styles the ePub's CSS, but it won't retain the style names, and it will flatten any hierarchical structure.

Yes, this works as well.

Calibre also takes ODT directly.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

Calibre also takes ODT directly.

Calibre's DOCX conversion is usually yields better results. The DOCX Input module is actively maintained by Kovid - afaik the ODT input module is on life support. IMO the only reasons for using calibre's ODT conversions is because you're using an ancient version of Writer or political/religious/cultural bias.

BR

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

It still has quite a lot of kinks though, so you may want to try other methods as well.

IMHO, the LibreOffice epub filter isn't production-ready. I've re-tested the epub export filter with LibreOffice 6.3.0.4 and Kovid Goyal's demo.docx test file.

The filter still doesn't support lists in epub2/epub3 files and generates invalid epub2/epub3 books.

HTML files in Epub2 books still contain duplicate <title/> tags and stand-alone <br/> tags.

HTML files in Epub3 books still contain no <title></title> tags and style sheets contain direction: ltr; declarations, which are not allowed in epub3 books.

Also, the LibreOffice epub export filter generates CSS declarations with in and pt values.

[Gregg Bell]

What's wrong with saving the .odt as an .html in LibreOffice and then opening the .html in Sigil, where it can be saved as an .epub?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

What's wrong with saving the .odt as an .html in LibreOffice and then opening the .html in Sigil, where it can be saved as an .epub?

For me, the docx export and then import to Sigil or calibre produces cleaner code (i.e. I have less cleanup and tweaking to do). LibreOffice's html export leaves too much cruft.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For me, the docx export and then import to Sigil or calibre produces cleaner code (i.e. I have less cleanup and tweaking to do). LibreOffice's html export leaves too much cruft.

Thanks David. I feel like I don't have a lot of cruft because they're my files and I used the LO styles making them, but anyway, I'd need a Sigil plugin to try your way (which I will). What's the name of the plugin I would need or have a link?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Thanks David. I feel like I don't have a lot of cruft because they're my files and I used the LO styles making them, but anyway, I'd need a Sigil plugin to try your way (which I will). What's the name of the plugin I would need or have a link?

From the Sigil plugin index, check [Plugin] DOCXImport for the plugin. Read diapdealer's first message in the thread. The only issue I've found the couple of times I've used it is it does import the docx as a single file so I'm forced to the manual effort of splitting it. Quel horreur!

As for the cruft, most of the odt files I've dealt with were created by would-be authors who have no idea of how to use styles. The type of user who says "You mean I don't have to hit enter at the end of each line of text?".

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For me, the docx export and then import to Sigil or calibre produces cleaner code (i.e. I have less cleanup and tweaking to do). LibreOffice's html export leaves too much cruft.

Yes, I've used MSWord, LibreOffice (up to 6.2x), HTML etc and the best results are edit / save in ODT in LibreOffice Writer with Save As DOCX for Sigil or Calibre.
I find Calibre very simple as I don't need to edit the eBook. Sigil is a more flexible approach when you need something the Wordprocessor can't do. I'm just converting wordprocessor novels, or webpages pasted & edited in WP, some novels with the odd illustration. Calibre is producing epub, then dual mobi & AZW from the epub, that look the same as the WP WYSIWG view changed to a 6" x 8.5" page with small margins with no headers or footers.

So docx -> epub2
Then epub2 -> Dual Mobi & AZW/KF8

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by DNSB

From the Sigil plugin index, check [Plugin] DOCXImport for the plugin. Read diapdealer's first message in the thread. The only issue I've found the couple of times I've used it is it does import the docx as a single file so I'm forced to the manual effort of splitting it. Quel horreur!

As for the cruft, most of the odt files I've dealt with were created by would-be authors who have no idea of how to use styles. The type of user who says "You mean I don't have to hit enter at the end of each line of text?".

Well, it's thanks to you guys that I'm using Styles. And thanks for the link. I bookmarked it. I'll give it a shot.

[BetterRed]

If you have MS Word 2007 or later you can use Toxaris's eBook add-in for Word to create ePub 2 files with nothing in between.

Calibre always flattens the CSS, including those from WP styles in DOCXes.

The Mammoth tool (the Sigil plugin is a Mammoth wrapper) requires mapping of DOCX styles to CSS entries, which means inheritance (cascade), and style names can be preserved. If you don't provide the mapping you'll lose most of the styling - which can be useful at times.

BR