Tags introducing extra spaces to text?

[DrewBoyd]

Hi,

I have recently started using Sigil to build my ebooks and find it to be a brilliant program! Even without a lot of training I'm able to figure things out and just get on with it -- which is my idea of a first class program!

That said, I am having a problem and I hope this is the correct place to ask for help. I've searched this site and the net at large and can't find the answer. I feel like it's just something silly that I'm doing but I can't figure it out and it's frustrating.

When I used a tag such as: Bill yelled <i>help</i> loudly. I got extra spaces in the book view (and after I uploaded the ebook to Amazon) so that it came out looking like this:
Bill yelled xxhelpxx loudly.

It's like the space occupied by the tag is intruding into the text.

So I tried taking out the proper spaces that should be there and that helped a little but the space is still too big. For example: Bill yelled<i>help</i>loudly. So I ended up with:
Bill yelled xhelpx loudly.

Then I read a lot and thought maybe I should use "span" and css instead, but that didn't work either since the <span> leaves a big gap in the text as well.

I'd appreciate any help pointing me in the right direction. Thanks!

[theducks]

how are you adding the <i> tag?
I ask because I have not seen space issues (in that direction. Italic usually appears to run into the next word)

is there a CSS entry for i THAT MIGHT ADD PADDING?

[KevinH]

And what vetsion of Sigil are you using? On what platform? Did you add those italic codes in CodeView or BookView?
KevinH

[DrewBoyd]

So far I've tried just adding <i> and </i> around the word in the code view but that didn't work so I deleted the word, retyped it, selected it in book view, and used Sigil's little button to make it italic but that did the same thing.

Here's a screen grab of what it looks like:

[DrewBoyd]

Sorry, the version of Sigil is 0.9.3 and it's running on the PC side of the machine so that would be Windows 8.1 (running through Parallels)

Thanks!

ETA: Obviously it's doing the same thing for bold as for italics.

[DiapDealer]

If you don't resize that image to comply with Mobileread's size limit fairly soon (no larger than 600x600 pixels) a moderator less tolerant than I will simply delete it.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/faq...ing_guidelines

[DrewBoyd]

Sorry, I missed that one. It's fixed now -- thanks for the heads-up.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DrewBoyd

Sorry, I missed that one. It's fixed now -- thanks for the heads-up.

Thanks for taking care of it.

That said: I simply can't recreate your issue on my various Windows systems with v0.9.3 (or in Windows Virtualbox guests on Linux). When adding the i or b tags manually to Code View, or when highlighting in Book View and using the Italic or Bold button ... everything looks/works as I expect it to.

[theducks]

I see the Line is justified.

This may be a quirk of the viewer.
Try a (ADE) device

What happens if there is Left justification

[KevinH]

I am confused. Are you seeing this in Sigil's BookView or in Sigil's Preview? Or are you only seeing this in some other e-reading device? If the latter it could be very poor justification as theducks said. Or it could be a bad font whose metrics are bad? Have you tried changing the font used to see if that impacts the issue?

Also you mentioned parallels? Are you running on a Mac or Linux with a Windows VM? And if so, why may I ask since native Mac and Linux versions of Sigil are available.
KevinH

[Toxaris]

Can you post your stylesheet?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by KevinH

I am confused. Are you seeing this in Sigil's BookView or in Sigil's Preview? Or are you only seeing this in some other e-reading device? If the latter it could be very poor justification as theducks said. Or it could be a bad font whose metrics are bad? Have you tried changing the font used to see if that impacts the issue?

I've never seen this. Not in any version of Sigil (on PC or Mac). Doesn't mean it's never happened, obviously, but...all in, we've done a LOT of books...?

Hitch

[DrewBoyd]

I tried it in Times New Roman, Arial, and Georgia but it happened with all three fonts. Then I tried it with alignment set to left instead of justify and removed the spaces between the text and the tags and that was actually a little better -- good enough that I can live with it until I can find a proper solution anyway.

I'm uploading it to Amazon right now to see what it looks like on their previewer.

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Can you post your stylesheet?

I'd be happy to, but I'm embarrassed to say I'm not sure how.

Do you mean a screen shot or the actual file?

Also you mentioned parallels? Are you running on a Mac or Linux with a Windows VM? And if so, why may I ask since native Mac and Linux versions of Sigil are available.

Actually, I need to download and install the Mac version. I had used the PC version a couple of times before so when I was setting up this new computer I didn't really explore my options. I think I'll download the Mac version and switch to it.


Thanks so much for all your ideas! I appreciate it.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I've never seen this. Not in any version of Sigil (on PC or Mac). Doesn't mean it's never happened, obviously, but...all in, we've done a LOT of books...?

But have you ever run Sigil for Windows on an OSX Mac under Parallels?

I can't postulate why that should matter, but it should be easy enough to factor that specific obscurity out of the equation.

Would also be interesting to see the Preferences->Appearance->Book View/Preview settings. It looks like Times New Roman... but is it? Also might be worthwhile trying another font.

BR

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

But have you ever run Sigil for Windows on an OSX Mac under Parallels?

I would have said, had we done so. It's just...bizarre, don't you think?

I can't postulate why that should matter, but it should be easy enough to factor that specific obscurity out of the equation.

I'm sure that Kevin or Diap will track it down. It could, indeed, be something unique to that environment. I certainly can't think of any reason for it to exist, given that had you hit the space bar 5x in a row, you wouldn't get a render like that. My only thought is that somehow, it's interpreting the italics, bold, etc., as nbsps, yes?

In fact...@Drew, are you saying that empty spans leave these gaps as well? Can you answer the previous question--WHAT is the screen gab OF? What reader are you viewing that in? ADE? Nook, or is that the Sigil bookview, or the Sigil Preview?

Would also be interesting to see the Preferences->Appearance->Book View/Preview settings. It looks like Times New Roman... but is it? Also might be worthwhile trying another font.

BR

He said he'd tried at least 3 fonts, but again, I don't know where he took that screengrab. Sigil Previewer, ADE, Sigil book view, or..?

Hitch