ToC editing questions...

Wiebenor · 03-19-2022, 08:24 PM

So I have a book that I just finished combining from multiple epubs into a single EPUB, and it seems to work just fine, but I have this weird issue, where if I open the book The nav.xhtml file shows my new changes, whereas the sidebar, which I don't mind having once in a while, doesn't show any of my new chapters. I have figured out the problem is, I have both a "nav.xhtml" AND a "ToC.ncx" file, but that the "toc.ncx" file is what, at least in my case, what populates the bookmark sidebar... The question is, do I have to manually enter everything that's already in the "nav.xhtml" file or is there some kind of automated way to copy the missing entries into the "toc.ncx" file in the editor, and do we even need the toc file to use the bookmark sidebar in most viewers? Would it just take the inline toc from nav.xhtml and use that for the bookmark/jump list sidebar with the toc.ncx file removed??

lomkiri · 03-20-2022, 04:59 PM

Assuming your epub is an epub3, since you have a nav.xhtml:
— Erase toc.ncx
— menu tool/ Table of contents to open the ToC interface
— Close it with "OK"

A new ncx should have been generated from the nav.xhtml.
(If not, try to modifiy something in the toc, using this interface, and save the ToC)

Check that everything is OK, and make a book-check (F7) before to save the epub.

Wiebenor · 03-21-2022, 01:44 AM

Ah, thank you... I'll try that, and for your information, I have no idea which epub version it is, and what I do know is that it was created using an online ff.net book downloader website, so I assume it's whatever is the newest version, but honestly, who knows. I wouldn't even know where to start trying to figure out what version of epub it is

lomkiri · 03-21-2022, 06:16 AM

The ToC in an epub2 is an *.ncx file (often named toc.ncx)
The ToC in an epub3 is an *.xhtml file (often named nav.xhtml). For this reason your epub is certainly an epub3.

The *.ncx is not mandattory in an epub3, it's there only for retrocompatibility purrpose, for old devices, and can be deleted without problem.
The ToC editor of calibre recreates it automatically. As your eReader seems to be using the ncx ToC, it's wise ti recreate it, but maybe it's not even necessary (will your device use the nav.xhtml if there is no toc.ncx?)

For information, you can see the version of your epub in the *.opf file (in the same section than nav.xhtml), in the second line :
<package xmlns="http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf" unique-identifier="BookID" version="3.0">

Also for information (not needed here), the editor of calibre has a tool to convert epub2 to epub3 (in the menu "tools")

Wiebenor · 03-21-2022, 02:43 PM

That's part of what I was wondering about, and that answered that part more directly than others have, although I still needed the other information as well. For your information, the "e-reader" in question was Calibre, so I'm pretty sure it supports everything that the editor does, but I'll probably upload them to Google books too, so, I'll bet that information will help me out there too.

03-19-2022, 08:24 PM	#1
Wiebenor Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2022 Device: PC or phone	ToC editing questions... So I have a book that I just finished combining from multiple epubs into a single EPUB, and it seems to work just fine, but I have this weird issue, where if I open the book The nav.xhtml file shows my new changes, whereas the sidebar, which I don't mind having once in a while, doesn't show any of my new chapters. I have figured out the problem is, I have both a "nav.xhtml" AND a "ToC.ncx" file, but that the "toc.ncx" file is what, at least in my case, what populates the bookmark sidebar... The question is, do I have to manually enter everything that's already in the "nav.xhtml" file or is there some kind of automated way to copy the missing entries into the "toc.ncx" file in the editor, and do we even need the toc file to use the bookmark sidebar in most viewers? Would it just take the inline toc from nav.xhtml and use that for the bookmark/jump list sidebar with the toc.ncx file removed??

03-20-2022, 04:59 PM	#2
lomkiri Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 1000102 Join Date: Jul 2021 Device: N/A	Assuming your epub is an epub3, since you have a nav.xhtml: — Erase toc.ncx — menu tool/ Table of contents to open the ToC interface — Close it with "OK" A new ncx should have been generated from the nav.xhtml. (If not, try to modifiy something in the toc, using this interface, and save the ToC) Check that everything is OK, and make a book-check (F7) before to save the epub. Last edited by lomkiri; 03-20-2022 at 05:05 PM.

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03-21-2022, 01:44 AM	#3
Wiebenor Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2022 Device: PC or phone	Ah, thank you... I'll try that, and for your information, I have no idea which epub version it is, and what I do know is that it was created using an online ff.net book downloader website, so I assume it's whatever is the newest version, but honestly, who knows. I wouldn't even know where to start trying to figure out what version of epub it is

03-21-2022, 06:16 AM	#4
lomkiri Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 1000102 Join Date: Jul 2021 Device: N/A	The ToC in an epub2 is an .ncx file (often named toc.ncx) The ToC in an epub3 is an .xhtml file (often named nav.xhtml). For this reason your epub is certainly an epub3. The .ncx is not mandattory in an epub3, it's there only for retrocompatibility purrpose, for old devices, and can be deleted without problem. The ToC editor of calibre recreates it automatically. As your eReader seems to be using the ncx ToC, it's wise ti recreate it, but maybe it's not even necessary (will your device use the nav.xhtml if there is no toc.ncx?) For information, you can see the version of your epub in the .opf file (in the same section than nav.xhtml), in the second line : <package xmlns="http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf" unique-identifier="BookID" version="3.0"> Also for information (not needed here), the editor of calibre has a tool to convert epub2 to epub3 (in the menu "tools")

03-21-2022, 02:43 PM	#5
Wiebenor Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2022 Device: PC or phone	That's part of what I was wondering about, and that answered that part more directly than others have, although I still needed the other information as well. For your information, the "e-reader" in question was Calibre, so I'm pretty sure it supports everything that the editor does, but I'll probably upload them to Google books too, so, I'll bet that information will help me out there too.