Calibre Date Format Hinders My Publishing

[Fabe]

ERROR ... .epub/content.opf(12): date value '2010-06-09 00:00:00-04:00' is not valid, YYYY[-MM[-DD]] expected

I know, I know, the Calibre date is more precise. However, this is stopping me from publishing ePubs to the Apple iBookstore. I opened my ePub files in Sigil and tried to find and alter a line, but to no avail. I'm not a programmer, I'm a writer and publisher.

What can I do to get the correct line of code, that is, the DATE, into epubcheck 1.0.5 desired state?

[AnemicOak]

You can change the .epub extension to .zip and open the zip file to find the content.opf file. You can edit the date line of the content.opf in notepad or another text editor.

If you're using Windows you don't need to unzip. Just open the zip, drag out the content.opf, edit it, drag it back to the zip and when asked if you want to replace say yes. Then change the extension back to .epub

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by Fabe

ERROR ... .epub/content.opf(12): date value '2010-06-09 00:00:00-04:00' is not valid, YYYY[-MM[-DD]] expected

I know, I know, the Calibre date is more precise. However, this is stopping me from publishing ePubs to the Apple iBookstore. I opened my ePub files in Sigil and tried to find and alter a line, but to no avail. I'm not a programmer, I'm a writer and publisher.

What can I do to get the correct line of code, that is, the DATE, into epubcheck 1.0.5 desired state?

And after you manually change it, ask the epubcheck authors why they are invalidating a valid date that complies with EPUB standards. The problem is in epubcheck, not Calibre. It's not that Calibre's date is more precise, it's that Calibre's date format complies with EPUB standards.

[Fabe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

You can edit the date line of the content.opf in notepad or another text editor.

No I can't. I know about opening the ZIP file and then opening the .opf file. However, I cannot find the correct line that contains the date. Is line 12? I looked and looked, nothing appears in a date and time format that I can recognize.

Thanks for your help.

[Fabe]

Originally Posted by Starson17

And after you manually change it, ask the epubcheck authors why they are invalidating a valid date that complies with EPUB standards. The problem is in epubcheck, not Calibre. It's not that Calibre's date is more precise, it's that Calibre's date format complies with EPUB standards.

I believe you. However, this "ERROR" real or not is stopping me from publishing in the Apple iBookstore.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Fabe

No I can't. I know about opening the ZIP file and then opening the .opf file. However, I cannot find the correct line that contains the date. Is line 12? I looked and looked, nothing appears in a date and time format that I can recognize.

Thanks for your help.

The content.opf file I just checked has it on line 10, but I'm not sure if it's always on the same line or not. Here's the full line from the one I checked...

<dc:date>2004-05-10 00:00:00-05:00</dc:date>

EDIT: I checked again and line 7 also has a date in it...

<meta name="calibre:timestamp" content="2010-05-10T18:41:22.708000+00:00"/>

EDIT AGAIN: I ran the epub I'm looking at through epubcheck and it appears it's the dc:date line that causes the error.


Having to get through epubcheck error free must be a real pain for the big publishers. Almost every commercial epub I've purchased from a big publisher fails it.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by Fabe

I believe you. However, this "ERROR" real or not is stopping me from publishing in the Apple iBookstore.

Yes, that's why I suggested you ask the Apple Bookstore why they are doing this. If it's a problem with their EPUB checking software, maybe they can get it fixed. If it's a special non-EPUB requirement they have, then maybe they can provide software to make the changes needed for valid EPUBs to be converted to their requirements.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

EDIT: I checked again and line 7 also has a date in it...

<meta name="calibre:timestamp" content="2010-05-10T18:41:22.708000+00:00"/>

That line is optional Calibre metadata. EPUB checks should ignore it, other than to check that the optional format is in compliance. Be aware that opening an EPUB in Calibre's reader inserts Calibre bookmark info into the file. That's also a valid EPUB option, but some EPUB checking software has complained about it, and you probably don't want your personal bookmarks in a book you sell.

[Fabe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

<dc:date>2004-05-10 00:00:00-05:00</dc:date>

My opf file does not have a <dc:date>...</dc:date> line! Now I'm baffled.
I'm looking in the content.opf file, of the un-zipped ebup file. ???

[AnemicOak]

Very strange since epubcheck is complaining about it it should be there. Can you attach your content.opf from the unzipped ePub to a post here so we can take a peek at it?

[Fabe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Very strange since epubcheck is complaining about it it should be there. Can you attach your content.opf from the unzipped ePub to a post here so we can take a peek at it?

That may not be necessary. I went to a different epub file, unzipped it, and found the <dc:date> line. I am now in the process of modifying it and repackaging. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for sticking with me on this.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Fabe

That may not be necessary. I went to a different epub file, unzipped it, and found the <dc:date> line. I am now in the process of modifying it and repackaging. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for sticking with me on this.

Hope it works for you.

[dnestel]

I'm working on the same issue, where the output content.opf file doesn't contain a date or timestamp tag. I've created a date based on Starsons response, then after submitting it to ePubCheck had to delete the all but the year-month-day.

However, now I'm getting an unfinished element warning at the same location.

I've looked at other epub files, but they weren't created by Calibre.

Could someone look at the metadata below and tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks.
Dan

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<package xmlns="http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf" unique-identifier="BookID" version="2.0">


<metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlnspf="http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf">


<dc:title>The Book Title</dc:title>

<dc:creator opf:role="aut" opf:file-as="Name, Author">Author Name</dc:creator>

<dc:date>2010-06-11</dc:date>
<dc:contributor opf:role="bkp">calibre (0.7.1) [http://calibre-ebook.com]</dc:contributor>


<dcublisher>Bookwise</dcublisher>

<dc:identifier id="BookID" opf:scheme="UUID">862d479e-08f2-4fe5-aec5-7f2ac92cd3fa</dc:identifier>


<meta name="cover" content="cover1.jpeg"/>

<meta name="Sigil version" content="0.2.0"/>

</metadata>

[dnestel]

Oh jeez,
found my error... was looking at the wrong content.opf file.

Though I did have to manually insert the date tag to comply
(using version 0.7.1)

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by dnestel

Could someone look at the metadata below and tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Why not just get a valid file, and replace each bit of valid metadata with your metadata until it chokes or passes the whole thing?