How to fix page numbers and book progress after re-arranging book chapters

[DizzyIzzy]

Hi, everyone! I’m using Calibre for the first time since I found out I can merge 2 epubs in 1 and re-arrange the chapters using the app.

I’m planning to do a tandem read on 2 books and some chapters overlap between them thus the need to rearrange the chapters.

I succeeded in merging the two ebooks and re-arranging the chapters, however, I noticed that the page numbers are wrong (they retain the original page numbers when they merged, not when the TOC was arranged). The book progress also follows the original flow that’s why it came out wrong.

Can I fix it? Here’s the picture for your reference.

Sorry for the noob question. I just want to enhance my reading experience so I don’t need to switch the books every now and then. Thanks in advance for your help! 🙏🏼

[Karellen]

What app is that screenshot from?
That table of contents looks like neither the nav.xhtml or toc.ncx and is probably just a compiled xhtml page, similar to the chapter pages.
And it seems to be referencing "real" page numbers from a pbook? Is that correct?

[DizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by Karellen

What app is that screenshot from?
That table of contents looks like neither the nav.xhtml or toc.ncx and is probably just a compiled xhtml page, similar to the chapter pages.
And it seems to be referencing "real" page numbers from a pbook? Is that correct?

This is from iBooks. I converted the epub from Calibre and I’m reading the book using iBooks. Yes, these are the real page numbers when I merged the 2 books. That’s why the book progress comes out wrong too (for ex: since Book 2, Chapter 2 is page 1000, it shows 50% progress but the reality is I’m just 25% done since I moved the chapter earlier.) I hope you understood my explanation.

I want the page numbers to follow the sequence of the TOC. Is this possible? I didn’t edit the htmls yet, just the order of the TOC to avoid making a mistake.

[fogice]

Originally Posted by DizzyIzzy

I want the page numbers to follow the sequence of the TOC. Is this possible? I didn’t edit the htmls yet, just the order of the TOC to avoid making a mistake.

If I read this correctly, you used 'Edit TOC' and moved the entries up and down? That doesn't actually change the reading order of the chapters, unless you return to the TOC between every chapter. If you moved CH03 between CH01 and CH02, and you read through the end of CH01, CH02 will open next.

You need to go to 'Edit Book' and drag the chapters up and down in the File Browser in the lower-left part of the window. After you get them in order, you can 'Edit TOC', delete all the entries, and then auto-generate new entries from Files.

Of course, this isn't as easy as it sounds, because the chapters will probably have nonsensical names. So, you may have to open every chapter, then rename the file to match the chapter, then sort them. This will probably be a slog.

[theducks]

The TOC does not care what the file names are, just that the entry points to one that exists.

Sensible names are for Humans (most who normally do not see those)
The order of files (echoed in the NCX) governs the reading order. I frequently move files I consider 'fluff', but want to keep, to the end. I never touche the TOC (FWIW If you delete a file, in the EDITOR, it removes the TOC entry, no need to fix that )

[DizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by fogice

If I read this correctly, you used 'Edit TOC' and moved the entries up and down? That doesn't actually change the reading order of the chapters, unless you return to the TOC between every chapter. If you moved CH03 between CH01 and CH02, and you read through the end of CH01, CH02 will open next.

You need to go to 'Edit Book' and drag the chapters up and down in the File Browser in the lower-left part of the window. After you get them in order, you can 'Edit TOC', delete all the entries, and then auto-generate new entries from Files.

Of course, this isn't as easy as it sounds, because the chapters will probably have nonsensical names. So, you may have to open every chapter, then rename the file to match the chapter, then sort them. This will probably be a slog.

Thank you, fogice and theducks! Noted on the TOC. I learned it the hard way that the reading order was not changed. But used all your tips and they worked! Good thing the chapters in the Browser were recognizable so I rearranged everything easily. Now it matches the new TOC, the page numbers are in order, and the book progress is now accurate.

Thank you for the help, everyone! Cheers!

[fogice]

Excellent! And a cool project as well.