[Old Thread] What's an OPF file?

Anarel · 06-01-2010, 04:28 PM

When I convert some of my books, or just edit the metadata of them, in the folder I get an OPF file, along with the cover image. What is the opf file for? I've been deleting them...

Stinger · 06-01-2010, 05:46 PM

Its the metadata for that book. I believe it's created so if you want to import those epubs into a different program, you can do so with all your nice metadata intact.

You can disable this behaviour if you want. Under Prefererences-->Add/Save-->(TAB)Saving Books. There is a checkbox for "Save Metadata in OPF file".

EDIT: At least for epubs, I believe the metadata is also stored within the actual epub, so FOR EPUBS this OPF file might be redundant. But not all ebook formats support saving extensive metadata inline (think TXT, RTF, HTML, etc). I could be wrong about this though, so someone else pipe in.

Starson17 · 06-01-2010, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stinger

Its the metadata for that book. I believe it's created so if you want to import those epubs into a different program, you can do so with all your nice metadata intact.

It's also used when adding the book to Calibre. If that file exists when you try to import into Calibre, it will override any other metadata in the file or in the filename. If you want to give a book to a friend who's also using Calibre, give them the opf file too.

Quote:

At least for epubs, I believe the metadata is also stored within the actual epub

Yes, it's in the content.opf file inside the EPUB.

speakingtohe · 06-01-2010, 08:17 PM

.opf is open packaging format. It is a cross platform specification to try and maintain some consistency between different publishers etc. I think
http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf/OPF_2.0_final_spec.html

thepict · 11-21-2011, 04:23 AM

I always wondered what it was, thanks for the info.

chaley · 11-21-2011, 09:32 AM

Calibre stores an opf file with every book in its library, changing it every time the metadata for the book is changed. The files are used by the restore database function to recreate calibre's database (metadata.db) in the case that the db has become corrupted.

You cannot turn off this behavior. You can, of course, delete the files, but by doing so you are potentially shooting yourself in the foot by depriving yourself of a way to recover your library if something goes wrong with the db.

JCSullivan · 08-14-2012, 08:23 AM

I know it's an old thread.

Thanks for the question and the answers - it also helped with with another question.

hnoor0055 · 03-28-2016, 03:26 PM

thinks for everything

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BetterRed · 03-28-2016, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hnoor0055

thinks for everything

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06-01-2010, 04:28 PM	#1
Anarel Evangelist Posts: 424 Karma: 61399 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: K1, GKDX, K3	[Old Thread] What's an OPF file? When I convert some of my books, or just edit the metadata of them, in the folder I get an OPF file, along with the cover image. What is the opf file for? I've been deleting them...

06-01-2010, 05:46 PM	#2
Stinger Asha'man Posts: 335 Karma: 844 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo	Its the metadata for that book. I believe it's created so if you want to import those epubs into a different program, you can do so with all your nice metadata intact. You can disable this behaviour if you want. Under Prefererences-->Add/Save-->(TAB)Saving Books. There is a checkbox for "Save Metadata in OPF file". EDIT: At least for epubs, I believe the metadata is also stored within the actual epub, so FOR EPUBS this OPF file might be redundant. But not all ebook formats support saving extensive metadata inline (think TXT, RTF, HTML, etc). I could be wrong about this though, so someone else pipe in. Last edited by Stinger; 06-01-2010 at 05:48 PM.

03-28-2016, 03:26 PM	#8
hnoor0055 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2016 Device: none	thinks for everything _________________- === Solitaire === Last edited by hnoor0055; 04-05-2016 at 05:53 AM.

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06-01-2010, 08:17 PM	#4
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	.opf is open packaging format. It is a cross platform specification to try and maintain some consistency between different publishers etc. I think http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf/OPF_2.0_final_spec.html

11-21-2011, 04:23 AM	#5
thepict Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 592 Join Date: May 2010 Device: iphone	I always wondered what it was, thanks for the info.

11-21-2011, 09:32 AM	#6
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,734 Karma: 6690881 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	Calibre stores an opf file with every book in its library, changing it every time the metadata for the book is changed. The files are used by the restore database function to recreate calibre's database (metadata.db) in the case that the db has become corrupted. You cannot turn off this behavior. You can, of course, delete the files, but by doing so you are potentially shooting yourself in the foot by depriving yourself of a way to recover your library if something goes wrong with the db.

08-14-2012, 08:23 AM	#7
JCSullivan Chief Inspector Gamache Posts: 123 Karma: 12 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canada eh! Device: Viewsonic	I know it's an old thread. Thanks for the question and the answers - it also helped with with another question.