Is it okay to import PML directly into Calibre?

[ficbot]

I was using ereader2html and having problems working with the HTML. Someone suggested I use a PML extractor instead and this has worked much better. I was running the files through erdr2pml and then using dropbook to make a PDB file, which I was them importing into Calibre and converting to mobi. It worked beautifully on all by a handful of books.

Some books made a proper PDB file after the dropbook process but these files did not convert in Calibre (got error messages). Other files got error messages at the dropbook point. As an experiment, I tried importing just the PML (i.e. the part you have before using dropbook) and converting THAT to mobi, and it worked. I could even use Calibre to make a PDB if I wanted one. My question is, is there any downside to doing this? If dropbook won't work, does this mean there is something wrong with the file? I want the most future-proof set-up possible where I will not have to fiddle with code if I get a new ebook reader. I want to liberate it once and have a file I am good to use forever. So is plain PML as good, as far as Calibre is converned, as a finished PDB file? And if so and I convert to mobi, is there a reason to keep the PML file for later, or should I just keep the mobi file and all is well?

[kovidgoyal]

PML is fine, just keep the MOBI. MOBI is a superset of PML

[user_none]

Originally Posted by ficbot

Some books made a proper PDB file after the dropbook process but these files did not convert in Calibre (got error messages).

Could you please open a ticket with the PDB's dropbook created that won't convert in calibre. Along with the exact error message.

Originally Posted by ficbot

Other files got error messages at the dropbook point.

Dropbook has very very specific requirements for PML files.

Originally Posted by ficbot

If dropbook won't work, does this mean there is something wrong with the file?

Technically yes, it does not conform to the spec. However, the issues you are running into are probably something really simple like the character encoding being wrong. Dropbook requires the file to be cp1252. calibre is much more liberal with what it accepts for PML.

Originally Posted by ficbot

So is plain PML as good, as far as Calibre is converned, as a finished PDB file?

Yes.

Originally Posted by ficbot

And if so and I convert to mobi, is there a reason to keep the PML file for later...

No.

[ficbot]

Thanks for the answers. I have gone ahead and converted the files using the PML in Calibre and so far everything looks good and I think I will have good files I can re-use and re-convert from as needed. I have created a ticket using one of the offending books.