EPUB to AZW3 problem

[Phssthpok]

When converting EPUBs that have <h1> and <h2> on the same page, the AZW3 output moves the <h2> to a separate page (the <h1> and <h2> are in the same HTML file before conversion, but in two separate files after).

I have set the "Insert page break before" option (Preferences > Conversion > Common Options > Structure Detection) to "/" but it makes no difference.

The EPUB has the following style settings:

h1 {
  font-size: 1.5em;
  text-align: center;
  page-break-before: always;
  margin: 5em 2em 1em 2em;
}
h2 {
  font-size: 1.2em;
  text-align: center;
  margin: 2em;
}

Can anyone suggest a solution to this please?

[eschwartz]

Why are you using multiple headers on a single page? I mean, I get that you can use all kinds of weird settings to force through nonstandard results, but why not just build the book properly to begin with?

Whyever you are doing it, I am sure there must be a better way.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by Phssthpok

When converting EPUBs that have <h1> and <h2> on the same page, the AZW3 output moves the <h2> to a separate page ... I have set the "Insert page break before" option (Preferences > Conversion > Common Options > Structure Detection) to "/" but it makes no difference.

For "Insert page break before" option, try: //*[name()='h1']

That works for me to limit page breaks to only <h1> and keeps any <h2> subheads on the same page.

@eschwartz: I have a few books that use <h1> for chapter heads and <h2> for subheads. With the above "insert page break before" option it works fine. Why is this improper?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by odamizu

For "Insert page break before" option, try: //*[name()='h1']

That works for me to limit page breaks to only <h1> and keeps any <h2> subheads on the same page.

@eschwartz: I have a few books that use <h1> for chapter heads and <h2> for subheads. With the above "insert page break before" option it works fine. Why is this improper?

Unnecessary
You are using HTML2 methods to style

Style a 'p.subhead' style if you want that appearance

font-size: 1.5em;
font-weight: bold;
text-align: center;

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by theducks

Unnecessary
You are using HTML2 methods to style

Style a 'p.subhead' style if you want that appearance

LOL! But, I am oldschool, baby!

Seriously, I only have a couple books that use <h1> <h2> for chapter and subhead, so I was looking for a quick fix to block pagebreaks and still have the subheads included in the TOC.

But in the interest of bringing me into the current century, if I changed <h2> to <p class="subhead"> would the appropriate TOC expressions be: Level 1 //h:h1 and Level 2 //h: p[@subhead] ? (with no space between h: and p, but I had to do that otherwise it gave me this emoticon: )

[Phssthpok]

Originally Posted by odamizu

For "Insert page break before" option, try: //*[name()='h1']

That works for me to limit page breaks to only <h1> and keeps any <h2> subheads on the same page.

@eschwartz: I have a few books that use <h1> for chapter heads and <h2> for subheads. With the above "insert page break before" option it works fine. Why is this improper?

Thanks, I'll give it a try. Meanwhile some other books (with different CSS) don't exhibit this problem, so I'm confused.

I agree with you about heads & subheads. Structurally, the H2s are headings, not just paras with a special appearance. They should be denoted as such in the HTML. However, I then want to use CSS to control the appearance of that structure, and not have the appearance undermined by the conversion tool. Eschwartz's position seems to be that I should destroy the structure to give the correct appearance... in which case I could use nothing but <div> or <span> with CSS to give the appearance of headings, quotations and other structural elements.

[eschwartz]

The appropriate way is I believe to use a

<h1>Header<br/><span class="subhead">Subhead</span></h1>

This has the effect of semantically keeping a subhead part of the structural header, as well as avoiding all those inappropriate breaks, and, @theducks, with an added benefit of not confusing paragraph-specific formatting to be overridden!
The CSS for .subhead can be used to modify the subhead relative to the original header class.

@odamizu -- use the [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE] tags. Cleverly, I have used them recursively, in order to stop the [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE] tags from being parsed and disappearing (like this: ).

[theducks]

use the eschwartz method.
I play also with Lineheight for the Span

[odamizu]

Ummm ... okay ... aside from the fact that the <br/> and <span> within an <h1> makes for some pretty ugly code I think we're talking about different kinds of subheads.

This is my HTML/CSS:

Spoiler:

<h1>Chapter 1</h1>

<h2 class="subch">Subhead AAA</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h2 class="subch1">Subhead BBB</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h2 class="subch1">Subhead CCC</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h1>Chapter 2</h1>

<h2 class="subch">Subhead DDD</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h2 class="subch1">Subhead EEE</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h2 class="subch1">Subhead FFF</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

h1 { font-size: 150%; margin-top: 20%; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center; }
h2.subch { font-size: 120%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center; }
h2.subch1 { font-size: 120%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center; }

Then I run it through Calibre with the following settings:

• Structure Detection > Insert page breaks before: //*[name()='h1']
• Table of Contents > Level 1 TOC //h:h1 Level 2 TOC //h:h2

With the above, Calibre inserts a pagebreak before each chapter but not before subheads and it creates a TOC structured like so:

Chapter 1

• Subhead AAA
• Subhead BBB
• Subhead CCC

Chapter 2

• Subhead DDD
• Subhead EEE
• Subhead FFF

I think it will take a lot more (ugly ) code to make the eschwartz method accomplish the same

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

@odamizu -- use the [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE] tags. Cleverly, I have used them recursively, in order to stop the [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE] tags from being parsed and disappearing (like this: ).

Yeah, okay, you totally lost me here Where do I use NOPARSE and what will it do for me?

[PeterT]

The NOPARSE tags are used HERE in the forums. By wrapping stuff in [NOPARSE]stuff goes here[/NOPARSE] tags you prevent the forum from interpreting stuff goes here as valid BBCode tags.

See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/misc.php?do=bbcode for all valid BBCode tags.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by odamizu

Ummm ... okay ... aside from the fact that the <br/> and <span> within an <h1> makes for some pretty ugly code I think we're talking about different kinds of subheads.

This is my HTML/CSS:

Spoiler:

<h1>Chapter 1</h1>

<h2 class="subch">Subhead AAA</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h2 class="subch1">Subhead BBB</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h2 class="subch1">Subhead CCC</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h1>Chapter 2</h1>

<h2 class="subch">Subhead DDD</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h2 class="subch1">Subhead EEE</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

<h2 class="subch1">Subhead FFF</h2>
<p>text text text</p>
<p>text text text</p>

h1 { font-size: 150%; margin-top: 20%; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center; }
h2.subch { font-size: 120%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center; }
h2.subch1 { font-size: 120%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center; }

Then I run it through Calibre with the following settings:

• Structure Detection > Insert page breaks before: //*[name()='h1']
• Table of Contents > Level 1 TOC //h:h1 Level 2 TOC //h:h2

With the above, Calibre inserts a pagebreak before each chapter but not before subheads and it creates a TOC structured like so:

Chapter 1

• Subhead AAA
• Subhead BBB
• Subhead CCC

Chapter 2

• Subhead DDD
• Subhead EEE
• Subhead FFF

I think it will take a lot more (ugly ) code to make the eschwartz method accomplish the same

You're right, that is totally different. For that, yours is the correct way.

[odamizu]

@PeterT: Ohhhhhhhh. COOL! Thanks!

@eschwartz:

But the real question is, did we help the OP?

[theducks]

Preferences :common options: delete the H2 reference
(or the similar section in the individual Book conversion form)

OR

Use H2 and H3 as h3 does not get a forced pagebreak

[rashkae]

Since most of my e-book conversions are e-book to e-book format, I disable the "insert page break" entirely by default. Since most properly formatted books will already have the page breaks, (or file splits) at the right places, automatically adding more can only be bad.

In your conversion options, under "Structure Detection". Change "Chapter Mark" to None, and change "Insert Page Breaks Before" to '/' (No quotes, just the slash.)

Edit: Since you've already changed the "inert Page Breaks', the only option that would be adding unwanted page breaks is the Chapter mark at automatic Chapter detection. Changing that to none should correct the problem.