KFX Format

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Why is "BUTTER" a redacted word?

lol. I should have made it bogger. Or something. I got into poopoo for using a term that I didn't consider to be naughty, but...there you go. H*ll, Butter ought to be redacted, given what it does to my hips...

PS Sorry it is giving you so much grief.....

YES, me, too. The worst part is, as it is right now, you can test a book with KP3.10 or 11 or whatever it is, and if it passes, great. But if it doesn't, there's ZERO indication about WHY it did not pass or wasn't compatible, or whatever. I've got one right now--didn't show up as compatible. I have ZERO idea why. I've checked all the documented "not compatible" CSS and HTML, and we're not using any of it.

So, this isn't even as bad as the ubiquitous moving goalposts. This is worse; the goalposts are in a dark tunnel, at the other end of which there is ZERO light, no signposts along the way, no map, no nothing...and you have to hit the bullseye. If you don't, there's no indication how far off you were. You aren't todl if you're high on the target; low; off-center to the left or right...just that you missed. Hell, this isn't even like that; you don't know what KIND of target's at the dark end of the tunnel. A bullseye? A person-shaped target? A triangle? Square? OBLONG? EGG-SHAPED???? WHAT THE HELL IS IT!!!???


For the love of Mike....

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Hitch

The worst part is, as it is right now, you can test a book with KP3.10 or 11 or whatever it is, and if it passes, great. But if it doesn't, there's ZERO indication about WHY it did not pass or wasn't compatible, or whatever. I've got one right now--didn't show up as compatible. I have ZERO idea why. I've checked all the documented "not compatible" CSS and HTML, and we're not using any of it.

Kindle Previewer 3 invokes a conversion routine (KFXGenApp) to turn the source file into KPF format, a variant of KFX. This converter produces a lengthy set of log files containing obscure, but sometimes informative, error messages. These logs are not presented by the Previewer. I assume that Amazon felt that they would be too technical for the typical user and didn't want to deal with the support questions that would occur. Some examples of typical error messages are:

Error(YJEpubAdapter):E00403: "Unsupported Transformer for tag : TagName= span Display= inline-block ParentNode= p in file ..\html\09_c3.xhtml at line number 13";

Error(YJConvValidator):E120024: Negative margin for table is not supported.Table Type=DATA_TABLE, PropertyKey=margin_bottom, PropertyValue=decimal:-0.1191 lh

Error(YJConvValidator):E120022: Large Data Table not supported.No. of characters=0, No. of rows=1, No. of cells=6

Error(YJEpubAdapter):E00107: Found an unsupported property value {td}{amzn-src-id=2541, amzn-node-id=468}{padding-top=0.3em, padding-left=0.3em, display=table-cell, vertical-align=baseline, padding-bottom=0.3em, font-size=0.800000011920929em, line-height=1.2em, outline-width=0px, padding-right=0.3em, text-align=left} in file ..\ch02.html at line number 267


My KFX Output plugin for calibre invokes the Previewer's KFXGenApp, preserves the logs, and presents the final error message if one occurs. You may want to consider giving that a try. It has a command line interface that allows it to be used outside of the calibre GUI.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Kindle Previewer 3 invokes a conversion routine (KFXGenApp) to turn the source file into KPF format, a variant of KFX. This converter produces a lengthy set of log files containing obscure, but sometimes informative, error messages. These logs are not presented by the Previewer. I assume that Amazon felt that they would be too technical for the typical user and didn't want to deal with the support questions that would occur. Some examples of typical error messages are:

Error(YJEpubAdapter):E00403: "Unsupported Transformer for tag : TagName= span Display= inline-block ParentNode= p in file ..\html\09_c3.xhtml at line number 13";

Error(YJConvValidator):E120024: Negative margin for table is not supported.Table Type=DATA_TABLE, PropertyKey=margin_bottom, PropertyValue=decimal:-0.1191 lh

Error(YJConvValidator):E120022: Large Data Table not supported.No. of characters=0, No. of rows=1, No. of cells=6

Error(YJEpubAdapter):E00107: Found an unsupported property value {td}{amzn-src-id=2541, amzn-node-id=468}{padding-top=0.3em, padding-left=0.3em, display=table-cell, vertical-align=baseline, padding-bottom=0.3em, font-size=0.800000011920929em, line-height=1.2em, outline-width=0px, padding-right=0.3em, text-align=left} in file ..\ch02.html at line number 267


My KFX Output plugin for calibre invokes the Previewer's KFXGenApp, preserves the logs, and presents the final error message if one occurs. You may want to consider giving that a try. It has a command line interface that allows it to be used outside of the calibre GUI.

I knew that somewhere in there, there was a dark and nefarious plan to get me to use Calibre, LOL!!!

However, I'm not proud. If it will facilitate me being able to figure out the "why," I'll do it.

(n.b.: today, we are 100% sure that the new KG 2017.2 are worthless. You know the new prohibition, don't use ems for margin and padding calls, use %? Well, guess what? If you use %, instead of ems, they're IGNORED. Today, I want to scream at Amazon.)



(I shall go forth, immediately, and procure your plugin. Many thanks for it.)

Hitch

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Kindle Previewer 3 invokes a conversion routine (KFXGenApp) to turn the source file into KPF format, a variant of KFX. This converter produces a lengthy set of log files containing obscure, but sometimes informative, error messages. These logs are not presented by the Previewer. I assume that Amazon felt that they would be too technical for the typical user and didn't want to deal with the support questions that would occur. Some examples of typical error messages are:

<el snippo>

Error(YJConvValidator):E120024: Negative margin for table is not supported.Table Type=DATA_TABLE, PropertyKey=margin_bottom, P
ropertyValue=decimal:-0.1191 lh
Error(YJConvValidator):E120022: Large Data Table not supported.No. of characters=0, No. of rows=1, No. of cells=6

<more snippo>


My KFX Output plugin for calibre invokes the Previewer's KFXGenApp, preserves the logs, and presents the final error message if one occurs. You may want to consider giving that a try. It has a command line interface that allows it to be used outside of the calibre GUI.

Your sample errors--and one I just snagged, using your plugin, thanks much--are giving us the feeling that KFX/Enhanced Typesetting does NOT love Tables. Are you seeing that, too?

We're seeing glitches with pretty much any book that has a large-ish--not large, large-ish--table. You, too?

Hitch

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Hitch

We're seeing glitches with pretty much any book that has a large-ish--not large, large-ish--table. You, too?

I have found that tables often cause problems in KFX conversion. It tends to reject wide tables.

It's too bad that Amazon doesn't provide any guidance on this to publishers.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I have found that tables often cause problems in KFX conversion. It tends to reject wide tables.

It's too bad that Amazon doesn't provide any guidance on this to publishers.

Eenie meanie, miney mo
Catch a MOBI by the toe
If it fails just let it go,
Eeenie Meanie, Miney, Mo.

That's how I feel about it. I've had to parse an awful lot of Dark Mystery stuff, in the last almost-decade...but this bit, with clients getting KQNs, if a book is NOT Enhanced, and not telling us what will tank it? That's just...irking me.

Hitch

[jhowell]

The Q&A for Kindle Previewer 3 includes:

Q4: My book is not compatible with Enhanced Typesetting. What should I do to make it compatible with Enhanced Typesetting?

A4. We are continuously working to make Enhanced Typesetting enabled for more titles and will automatically enable it for your book when possible. You need not resubmit your book. When Enhanced Typesetting is enabled for your book, you will see "Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled" on that book’s detail page.

There they take the blame for books not having ET. This is logical since they haven't published the details of what is and isn't acceptable to the conversion process.

Originally Posted by Hitch

I've had to parse an awful lot of Dark Mystery stuff, in the last almost-decade...but this bit, with clients getting KQNs, if a book is NOT Enhanced, and not telling us what will tank it? That's just...irking me.

Your experience shows a ridiculous change in Amazon's stance regarding this. You are now responsible for meeting standards that are never stated and for correcting errors that Kindle Previewer 3 detects and then doesn't bother to present to you!

----

Added: On the other hand, if the plugin helps you figure out the cause of ET failures you may be able to pick up new business from authors who have no clue on how to go about making their books ET compatible.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

The Q&A for Kindle Previewer 3 includes:



There they take the blame for books not having ET. This is logical since they haven't published the details of what is and isn't acceptable to the conversion process.

Yes, I know, I've read that, but as is the case in many large corporations, right hand, left hand. Obviously, the minions down in Tech Support don't know that Amazon's telling people not to resubmit, because those same KDP'ers are sending out Kindle Quality Notices most CERTAINLY telling them/us to fix the non-Enhanced Typesetting-ness.

Your experience shows a ridiculous change in Amazon's stance regarding this. You are now responsible for meeting standards that are never stated and for correcting errors that Kindle Previewer 3 detects and then doesn't bother to present to you!

----

Added: On the other hand, if the plugin helps you figure out the cause of ET failures you may be able to pick up new business from authors who have no clue on how to go about making their books ET compatible.

Well, there is that, but, not to sound snarky or whatever, we usually don't take "fixer-upper books." IME, fixer-uppers take longer than we can reasonably charge for. Reading someone else's HTML/CSS is just a headache.

Hitch

[Notjohn]

On the other hand, if the plugin helps you figure out the cause of ET failures you may be able to pick up new business from authors who have no clue on how to go about making their books ET compatible.

I have no clue on how to make my books ET compatible. But they all are.

Am I just lucky?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

I have no clue on how to make my books ET compatible. But they all are.

Am I just lucky?

No, not at all. By the way, what are your favorite lottery numbers?


Seriously, Amazon added the most commonly used EPUB/HTML features to ET at the start and have been adding less common ones over time. In my testing using a large collection of EPUBs from a variety of sources well over 90% convert to support ET using the latest version of Kindle Previewer 3. So I would say that not having a problem with ET conversion is the typical experience.

Perhaps they have gotten to the point where they feel that it is better for them to force book publishers avoid the remaining unimplemented EPUB features than it would be to add them to ET. If so, they really should update the Publishing Guidelines to be more specific.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

I have no clue on how to make my books ET compatible. But they all are.

Am I just lucky?

NJ: well, if memory serves, HTML-wise, your books are rather simple, yes? One paragraph of text after another, no charts, tables, blockquotes, etc.? Effectively laid out like fiction, right?

That's the secret.

Originally Posted by jhowell

No, not at all. By the way, what are your favorite lottery numbers?

@jhowell: I hear ya. The problem with that one book--a table. Not *all* tables, mind you; ONE of them. The widest one (6 columns). We made it into an image, and ka-blammo!, it's ET-compatible.

Seriously, Amazon added the most commonly used EPUB/HTML features to ET at the start and have been adding less common ones over time. In my testing using a large collection of EPUBs from a variety of sources well over 90% convert to support ET using the latest version of Kindle Previewer 3. So I would say that not having a problem with ET conversion is the typical experience.

Perhaps they have gotten to the point where they feel that it is better for them to force book publishers avoid the remaining unimplemented EPUB features than it would be to add them to ET. If so, they really should update the Publishing Guidelines to be more specific.

Yes, that's my take. I think that 99% of fiction would, indeed, convert w/o much issue. Anything else, though...mmmm. Suffice it to say that I'm really annoyed by the whole thing. I mean, hey, you want a set of restrictions or whatever, obeyed? GREAT. Put out a roadmap, or a treasure map, or something. This throwing darts into the black void, hoping you hit the target, much less the bullseye...that's aggravating as crap.

Hitch

[Notjohn]

NJ: well, if memory serves, HTML-wise, your books are rather simple, yes? One paragraph of text after another, no charts, tables, blockquotes, etc.? Effectively laid out like fiction, right?

That's the secret.

Pretty much so, with the addition of images and breakheads. I used to use blockquotes in the sense of

p.block {
font-family: courier, monospace;
text-indent: 1em;
text-align:left;
margin:0em 0em 0em 1em;
}

but I have since decided that I don't much care for Courier, so I mostly just use italics for that purpose now. (And even books heavily Courier-ized are ET-enabled.)

My daughter is doing a book with tables. I'll be interested to see how she makes out.

[ps67]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I have found that tables often cause problems in KFX conversion. It tends to reject wide tables.

It's too bad that Amazon doesn't provide any guidance on this to publishers.

This is my first post, hello to everybody.

Limits are (today): 5 columns and 50 rows. I tried to convert a book and after failure log plug in told mi that these are the limits.

In fact in February I bought a book with a table with 47 rows and had not Enhanced Typesetting and now it has.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by ps67

This is my first post, hello to everybody.

Limits are (today): 5 columns and 50 rows. I tried to convert a book and after failure log plug in told mi that these are the limits.

In fact in February I bought a book with a table with 47 rows and had not Enhanced Typesetting and now it has.

Actually, KP 3.xx outputs that as an error message, when a book won't built to ET (Enhanced Typesetting), due to table size.

FWIW.

Hitch

[ps67]

Now the limit is 65 rows, still 5 columns.