Small caps (Kapitälchen)

[Stahlkind]

Hello
I've been using Sigil since 2012 and my current version is (still) called 0.9.8 (I haven't really dealt with 1.9.10 yet), but I noticed that I've never needed the upper/lower case bar. Is it actually possible to convert these keys?

I need the small caps function quite often in my texts, which I have to fumble together laboriously. I do it this way, by manually inserting the code "<span style="letter-spacing: 0.5pt; font-size: 1em; font-variant: small-caps;">example</span>". Is there any way to automate this, for example using macros or additional switches?

Maybe there is already a solution for this, but could not find anything about it.
With kind regards
Dennis

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Stahlkind

Hello
I've been using Sigil since 2012 and my current version is (still) called 0.9.8 (I haven't really dealt with 1.9.10 yet), but I noticed that I've never needed the upper/lower case bar. Is it actually possible to convert these keys?

No. Other than the Plugin shortcuts and the Automate Lists, Sigil toolbar buttons cannot be repurposed or customized.

Originally Posted by Stahlkind

I need the small caps function quite often in my texts, which I have to fumble together laboriously. I do it this way, by manually inserting the code "<span style="letter-spacing: 0.5pt; font-size: 1em; font-variant: small-caps;">example</span>". Is there any way to automate this, for example using macros or additional switches?

Maybe there is already a solution for this, but could not find anything about it.
With kind regards
Dennis

I think you'll find that Sigil's "Clips" feature will simplify this process for you. The User Guide has a chapter on creating/managing reusable clips.

[Turtle91]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

...
I think you'll find that Sigil's "Clips" feature will simplify this process for you. The User Guide has a chapter on creating/managing reusable clips.

+1 to Sigil Clips

set your clip to: <span class="sc">\1</span>

They are very convenient - all you need to do is highlight the section and click on the clip. In your example I would definitely get away from using inline styling and set a class in your attached CSS style sheet.

css:
.sc {letter-spacing: 0.5pt; font-size: 1em; font-variant: small-caps;}

html:
<p>Phasellus nec <span class="sc">lorem dignissim</span>, sodales lorem ac, luctus nulla.</p>

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

+1 to Sigil Clips

set your clip to: <span class="sc">\1</span>

They are very convenient - all you need to do is highlight the section and click on the clip. In your example I would definitely get away from using inline styling and set a class in your attached CSS style sheet.

css:
.sc {letter-spacing: 0.5pt; font-size: 1em; font-variant: small-caps;}

html:
<p>Phasellus nec <span class="sc">lorem dignissim</span>, sodales lorem ac, luctus nulla.</p>

I would do away with the font-size. It's not needed. Is there a reason for the letter spacing?

.sc {
  letter-spacing: 0.5pt;
  font-variant- small-caps;
  text-transform: lowercase;
}

[Turtle91]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would do away with the font-size. It's not needed. Is there a reason for the letter spacing?

.sc {
  letter-spacing: 0.5pt;
  font-variant- small-caps;
  text-transform: lowercase;
}

That's the example the OP used...I was just showing him how to use Clips and classes vs inline styling.

I would not use letter-spacing either...unless there was a specific font/look that he was going for?? Same thing with the font...no need for font-size:1em as that is the default...unless the sc were being used in a section where the font-size had been changed to something else and he wanted the sc to stand out?? I also would not use text-transform: lowercase;...no need to force lowercase, I just type the letters using capital or lowercase letters as necessary.

my css would simply be:

.sc {font-variant: small-caps}

[DiapDealer]

Yep. Focus on the question asked, Jon. Sigil clips is the answer.

[Stahlkind]

[QUOTE=DiapDealer;4245984]No. Other than the Plugin shortcuts and the Automate Lists, Sigil toolbar buttons cannot be repurposed or customized.

Thanks for the quick reply. Then I will go into the depths of the program. In German: wir schaffen das...
regards

[Stahlkind]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would do away with the font-size. It's not needed. Is there a reason for the letter spacing?

.sc {
  letter-spacing: 0.5pt;
  font-variant- small-caps;
  text-transform: lowercase;
}

Thank you for the hint and the tip. I don't know yet how to get the CSS. My specified text line had Sigil automatically corrected so. I do not know what all is needed. I try it now times as a programmier Legasteniker (dyslexic) whether possibly clips help me. regards

[Stahlkind]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

my css would simply be:

.sc {font-variant: small-caps}

Thanks, that sounds easy, but I can't get it right. In which css must this be so and what do I have to enter that it becomes small caps? Sorry for my lack of understanding.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Stahlkind

Thanks, that sounds easy, but I can't get it right. In which css must this be so and what do I have to enter that it becomes small caps? Sorry for my lack of understanding.

That code snippet should be in a stylesheet linked to the html file. At the start of each html file, you should see <head>...</head>. If you have one or more linked stylesheets, you would see a line similar to:

<link href="../Styles/Stylesheet.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet"/>

In the html file, to apply small caps, I would use the below:

<span class="sc">The text you want in SmallCaps</span>

If you set up a clip as suggested by DiapDealer and Turtle91, you would simply select the text you want in small caps and apply the clip which makes it a lot easier for us fumble-fingered typists.

Edit: Possible issue is that I don't remember using clips in 0.9.8 so not sure if the feature is available.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Edit: Possible issue is that I don't remember using clips in 0.9.8 so not sure if the feature is available.

Good point. I'll have to check when the feature was added.

EDIT: I don't know when clips were added for certain, but they're definitely there in 0.9.8. I can see the pieces in the source code.

[bookman156]

Is there a reason for the letter spacing?

It's standard typographical practice, certainly since Robert Bringhurst's The Elements of Typographic Style, to add a little letter-spacing with small caps. I usually have 0.05em. If you're using true small caps it looks better, if just reduced caps it doesn't really help.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bookman156

It's standard typographical practice, certainly since Robert Bringhurst's The Elements of Typographic Style, to add a little letter-spacing with small caps. I usually have 0.05em. If you're using true small caps it looks better, if just reduced caps it doesn't really help.

That book recommends a letter space of 10% of the size. So for a standard 1em size, that would be .1em and not .5em. This is not just with small caps, but with words with 3 or more uppercase letters next to each other.

[DiapDealer]

Please focus, people. The typographical practice of letter-spacing has nothing to with how to use Sigil clips to insert oft-used snippets of code. Save the typography discussions (as well as generic css best-practices) for the EPUB or Workshop forums. If the Sigil-specific portion of the discussion has run its course, I'll gladly close the thread.

[Stahlkind]

[QUOTE=DNSB;4246043]

Thank you for the detailed and good description. So slowly dries my fear sweat...