New program: EPub Metadata Editor

[n0ir]

Hi!

Just started using this software! I didn't get Calibre to work properly for me when I just wanted to edit metadata, this software is much better!

However, I would like to change the "Title" and "File as" fields to the epubs filename (preferably in batch). Is this possible?

It seems to be more popular to do the opposite, change the filename to the title, but I have a lot of magazines I need to change the title on.

Is this possible?

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by n0ir

Hi!

Just started using this software! I didn't get Calibre to work properly for me when I just wanted to edit metadata, this software is much better!

However, I would like to change the "Title" and "File as" fields to the epubs filename (preferably in batch). Is this possible?

It seems to be more popular to do the opposite, change the filename to the title, but I have a lot of magazines I need to change the title on.

Is this possible?

Hi n0ir,

No, it is not currently possible to go from filename to tags. It may be possible to add that feature, but I am not sure when I will have the time to work on it. This would actually be quite a significant addition.

Sincerely,
Ben.

[BenChen]

Latest Update: The current version is 1.5.1
Recent Changes:

• Added SHIFT action to "View EPUB" button allowing the user to open the original file in the external viewer. (In this mode, the external viewer can stay open, so the user can return to the EPUB Metadata Editor window and can even quit. Note that problems may result if the external viewer is still open when changes are saved to the original file, depending on whether opening the file in the external viewer causes the original file to become read-only. In the default mode, because the EPUB that is opened is a temporary version of the EPUB file including any unsaved changes, the user cannot return to EPUB Metadata Editor until they close the external viewer.)

[BenChen]

Latest Update: The current version is 1.5.2
Recent Changes:

• Better handle Calibre meta tags in EPUB3 files.
• Fixed bug where creator was not being updated correctly in EPUB3 files when creator had a specified id.

[autoklus]

Might it be the case that your program doesn't do jpeg compression on pasted cover images?

The altered epub file didn't show up in my venerable FBReader any more and was bloated from originally 7 MB to ~10 MB. Calibre did read it and displayed the new cover.
I extracted the contents and indeed, the cover file was a PNG with .jpg extension.

epubs also disappear from FBReader when I only edit metadata, like date > edit date's event type (to publication) > (change content). Too bad ;-(
Too be clear, I always restart the reader after making changes and the books vanish from FBreader's library view.

(platform: Win7 x64)

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by autoklus

Might it be the case that your program doesn't do jpeg compression on pasted cover images?

The altered epub file didn't show up in my venerable FBReader any more and was bloated from originally 7 MB to ~10 MB. Calibre did read it and displayed the new cover.
I extracted the contents and indeed, the cover file was a PNG with .jpg extension.

epubs also disappear from FBReader when I only edit metadata, like date > edit date's event type (to publication) > (change content). Too bad ;-(
Too be clear, I always restart the reader after making changes and the books vanish from FBreader's library view.

(platform: Win7 x64)

Hi autoklus,

No, the program does nothing to pasted image files. If you give it a PNG with a JPEG extension, that's what it will use. It does no compression or conversion.

As to the files disappearing from FBReader, that sounds like a problem with FBReader!

Sincerely,
Ben.

[JSWolf]

FBReader is full of problems. Not worth bothering with.

[BenChen]

Actually, I have discovered that my program was not correctly handling new PNG covers if the previous cover had been a JPG. (You ended up with a PNG image with a JPG extension.) So the upcoming version 1.6.0 will convert the new cover image to whatever format the previous cover was (to save having to edit lots of different files!)

[autoklus]

Originally Posted by BenChen

...the upcoming version 1.6.0 will convert the new cover image to whatever format the previous cover was (to save having to edit lots of different files!)

Great!

As to the second problem, whatever your program does when it recompresses the file makes FBReader not recognize it as an EPUB afterwards (assuming it does the metadata changes right and there are no conflicts). FBReader for Windows is outdated (no longer developed), but it has no problem with Calibre-processed files. We should take Calibre as our benchmark for clean output.

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by autoklus

Great!

As to the second problem, whatever your program does when it recompresses the file makes FBReader not recognize it as an EPUB afterwards (assuming it does the metadata changes right and there are no conflicts). FBReader for Windows is outdated (no longer developed), but it has no problem with Calibre-processed files. We should take Calibre as our benchmark for clean output.

I would agree with you. Problem is, I don't know which zip library Calibre uses. The one my program uses is a standard library (https://dotnetzip.codeplex.com/), which for some weird reason does not work well with FBReader. I have no plans to change my zip library, so unfortunately you won't be able to use my program and FBReader.

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by BenChen

I would agree with you. Problem is, I don't know which zip library Calibre uses. The one my program uses is a standard library (https://dotnetzip.codeplex.com/), which for some weird reason does not work well with FBReader. I have no plans to change my zip library, so unfortunately you won't be able to use my program and FBReader.

I have my own zip library in use for my own projects which is based on some source I found online. It works fine on all readers as far as I know. It is .Net based of course. It can be integrated in your source, the code is around 40Kb. Much smaller than DotNetZip. If you want, you can use it. Migrating your code to use this library should probably around 10-15 minutes work I guess.

[BenChen]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

I have my own zip library in use for my own projects which is based on some source I found online. It works fine on all readers as far as I know. It is .Net based of course. It can be integrated in your source, the code is around 40Kb. Much smaller than DotNetZip. If you want, you can use it. Migrating your code to use this library should probably around 10-15 minutes work I guess.

I'm interested in having a look. The main issue, though, is EPUBs require that the first item put into the ZIP file is the mimetype file with no compression (the rest is added as a folder with compression). Does your ZIP library allow that?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by BenChen

I would agree with you. Problem is, I don't know which zip library Calibre uses. The one my program uses is a standard library (https://dotnetzip.codeplex.com/), which for some weird reason does not work well with FBReader. I have no plans to change my zip library, so unfortunately you won't be able to use my program and FBReader.

Calibre appears to use 2 compression libraries, zlib and bzip2, not sure why, you'd need to ask Kovid.

Here's a calibre's current dependency list ==>> build-calibre/sources.json at master · kovidgoyal/build-calibre

There's a link to that file on the calibre download page for Linux.

BR

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by BenChen

I'm interested in having a look. The main issue, though, is EPUBs require that the first item put into the ZIP file is the mimetype file with no compression (the rest is added as a folder with compression). Does your ZIP library allow that?

Of course! I use it in my own programs to create ePUB. Please sent me a PM, then I can sent you the source and some examples. Please also indicate the .Net language you would prefer.

[BenChen]

Hi everyone,

Latest Update: The current version is 1.6.0
Recent Changes:

• Migrated to Visual Studio 2008.
• Migrated from DotNetZip to ZipStorer (EPUBS should now appear correctly in FBReader).
• Correctly handle PNG files when adding/replacing covers.
• Fixed bug where batch operation "Auto-generate Creator 'File as'" was not doing anything.

I've done some testing, but there's always a chance I've missed something. So if you notice a problem, please let me know.

Thanks to Toxaris for the ZipStorer code!

Sincerely,
Ben.