Kindle Previewer 3.37 - Link validation

[jhowell]

Kindle Previewer version 3.37 is now available with a new link validation feature.

New in Kindle Previewer 3.37.0:
1) Ability to validate external links, internal links, and footnotes in books (File menu -> Run Quality Checks) (beta).
2) Includes stability improvements and bug fixes.

I tried it on a couple of books and results were poor. Running the quality report caused the program to close with no error message on most books I tried. Definitely a beta quality feature.

[jhowell]

And a warning, the new version of KPR includes this message:

You are running Kindle Previewer on a 32-bit Windows operating system (OS). Starting April 2020, Kindle Previewer will not work on 32-bit Windows OS. To keep using the app, please upgrade to a 64-bit Windows OS.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

And a warning, the new version of KPR includes this message:

Oh, of course. Why not?

My experience with the link validation is like yours and I am running on a 64bit, the thing crashes each time I try it.

Hitch

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Hitch

My experience with the link validation is like yours and I am running on a 64bit, the thing crashes each time I try it.

I am also running 64-bit Windows. I just happened to notice that message about 32-bit support being removed in the software and wanted to mention it in case someone here is still using 32-bit Windows.

I wonder whether link validation works for anyone. I assume that they tested it before release.

[Tex2002ans]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I wonder whether link validation works for anyone. I assume that they tested it before release.

I just upgraded to 3.37 to test it out.

I ran File > Run Quality Checks (beta)... seemed to complete fine. None of my books crashed (although I only tested about 8).

1. On a book with working URLs. It popped up a window + output a CSV that said:

Quality checks completed. No issues found.

2. I went testing a few of my Non-Fiction books, and finally got a hit:

Spoiler:

Type
Category
Description
Location
Recommended Fix

Navigation
Invalid External Link
Your book has an external link that does not work: http://www.cepr.net/publications/hou...le_2005_11.pdf
3769
Please update a valid external URL. To learn more, see section "External Link Guidelines" in Kindle Publishing Guidelines, or refer to the eBook Manuscript Formatting Guide on Amazon KDP if your book is in Microsoft Word format

Checks didn't take long at all...

But it seems like it may reach out to a handful (?) of external URLs at a time. (I threw it on the 1500+ URL behemoth... but gave up after it ran for quite a while. )

Probably smart... since Calibre's External Links Checker goes on a mass spree... got me temp banned from a few sites. :P

It seems like these checks don't match what you can get dinged for with KQNs though... like some those we discussed in the "Amazon objecting to page breaks" thread.

* * *

Since I thought my final EPUBs are much too clean, I grabbed an EPUB that was in the process of being cleaned from DOCX... and ran across this bug.

3. I didn't even link the URLs yet, so the EPUB code was this:

<p>https://www.youtube.com/user/misesmedia</p>

Kindle Previewer then complained about every "dead" link:

Spoiler:

Navigation
Invalid External Link
Your book has an external link that does not work: https://www.youtube.com/user/misesmedia
5058
Please update a valid external URL. To learn more, see section "External Link Guidelines" in Kindle Publishing Guidelines, or refer to the eBook Manuscript Formatting Guide on Amazon KDP if your book is in Microsoft Word format

On a similar note, I added a broken internal link:

<a href="../Text/Giberish.xhtml">Code</a>

and it did not catch that...

I tested a broken footnote... didn't catch it either. epubcheck caught and complained about both busted internal links.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by jhowell

And a warning, the new version of KPR includes this message:

You are running Kindle Previewer on a 32-bit Windows operating system (OS). Starting April 2020, Kindle Previewer will not work on 32-bit Windows OS. To keep using the app, please upgrade to a 64-bit Windows OS.

I posted back in February about a warning message hidden in the KPR software. April has come and gone and the supposed 64-bit KPR did not materialize.

Amazon did release a new version of KPR today, 3.39. The release notes only say "Includes stability improvements and bug fixes." I took a look at the software and the changes appear to relate to verification that images meet Amazon's quality standards.

[Notjohn]

I stopped using KIndle Previewer when my computer got blitzed last August, and I lost the last update of KP 2. Since then I've used the online Preview, which is easier on my eyes and has been hugely improved over the old days. Is there any value in KP 3 qua Previewer? (I've never used it for any other purpose.)

Thanks! -- NJ

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

Is there any value in KP 3 qua Previewer?

The last time I tried the online Previewer it didn’t have as many options to show how the book will look on different devices with various display settings as compared with the PC/Mac Kindle Previewer software. That may have changed since I used it last.

[Notjohn]

It has three generic views: Tablet (the default), Phone, Kindle e-reader. I content myself with the tablet view.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I posted back in February about a warning message hidden in the KPR software. April has come and gone and the supposed 64-bit KPR did not materialize.

Amazon has released Kindle Previewer version 3.39.1 for Windows. It has a warning for Windows 7 users that future updates to the program will not be compatible with that OS.