eBook Formatting in Sigil

[FDPuthuff]

Good Morning Y’all,

I am using Sigil as my application for formatting manuscripts into eBook type files. I have some how-to questions specific to Sigil. Is there a specific area, in these forums, for these types of questions, or is there a better place to learn about what all Sigil can do and how to do things?

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by FDPuthuff

Good Morning Y’all,

I am using Sigil as my application for formatting manuscripts into eBook type files. I have some how-to questions specific to Sigil. Is there a specific area, in these forums, for these types of questions, or is there a better place to learn about what all Sigil can do and how to do things?

Yes, to your question.

Here is the Sigil forum:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=203

And here is the main list of all forums:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/

[exaltedwombat]

You're in the right place. Shoot?

[FDPuthuff]

Originally Posted by exaltedwombat

You're in the right place. Shoot?

I am using Sigil on an iMac.


My current quest is to figure out how to make the TOC in my ePUB file. Specifically, the TOC reached by the drop-down menu. Not the one like at the front of the book.


Can you tell I am also fighting terminology?


Next questions will have to do with:

• Setting up my Clips
• Making the Cover
• Metadata
• etc...

[theducks]

Sigil is an EPUB editing (code) tool. By that, I mean it maintains the required structure and other attribute that are common to EPUB.

OTOH (general) Formatting is usually done with a WYSIWYG Creation tool.

Sigil is great for CSS touchup, inserting Images, Spell checking and TOC creation (from headings).
It includes a synchronized Preview (no longer has the ability to type into that view), with a code inspector (what the heck code is making that section look like a ? ) if you need to unravel a cascaded style blooper.

[FDPuthuff]

Originally Posted by theducks

Sigil is an EPUB editing (code) tool.
...

Sigil is great for CSS touchup, inserting Images, Spell checking and TOC creation (from headings)...

Cool. Where might I find a good "How-To" for TOC creation within Sigil?

[KevinH]

There is a users-guide which is a bit out of date but does cover the basics quite well.
It can be found on our github site here:

https://github.com/Sigil-Ebook/Sigil...019.09.03.epub

[KevinH]

Alternatively, you can create a Table of Contents from the current headings tags (h1-h6) that you may have set in your xhtml using the TableOfContents tools (see menus or icons).

[FDPuthuff]

Originally Posted by KevinH

There is a users-guide which is a bit out of date but does cover the basics quite well.
It can be found on our github site here:

https://github.com/Sigil-Ebook/Sigil...019.09.03.epub

Thanx. With a quick Google search I figured out what I was missing. The TOC creator will not do anything if you do not have any Header tags. (I believe that's what they are called. <H1> - <H7>)


Once I stuck some of those in, everything else started to click.


Thank you.

[FDPuthuff]

Originally Posted by KevinH

Alternatively, you can create a Table of Contents from the current headings tags (h1-h6) that you may have set in your xhtml using the TableOfContents tools (see menus or icons).

Yes. I didn't have any heading tags, so the TOC creator was not finding anything to work with.

[KevinH]

Using proper tags for headings is important for Accessibility users and for defining structure.
So your first task will be to add in those tags using either the GUI or Find & Replace if you can determine how the equivalent to the headings are being done.

[KevinH]

What was the original source of the xhtml? If Word, you may be better off using a conversion program from Word to epub as a better starting point.

[FDPuthuff]

Originally Posted by KevinH

What was the original source of the xhtml? If Word, you may be better off using a conversion program from Word to epub as a better starting point.

This is not an issue in my work-flow. I have very specific code that I use in order for my files usable in the most arcane eBooks, so the conversion programs really make more work for me than necessary.

[exaltedwombat]

If your source is a Word document, consistent use of text styles and layout features - e.g. centring an item with the correct function, not by padding with spaces - will result in a DOCX file that translates seamlessly into EPUB. (Consider using Calibre rather that Sigil for the initial conversion. Tool for the job.)

It's exactly like music production. People like to play sloppy then 'fix it in the mix'. Much better to play it right in the first place!

I'm intrigued by your 'very specific code that I use in order for my files [to be] usable in the most arcane eBooks'. What techniques can you share with us?

[FDPuthuff]

Originally Posted by exaltedwombat

I'm intrigued by your 'very specific code that I use in order for my files [to be] usable in the most arcane eBooks'. What techniques can you share with us?

It is probably something that has been discussed here before, but it is the way I have decided to go, unless / until I learn better. Being new to the formatting community, I have no idea how concerned people are with forgoing color and flashy for making their books usable on most eReaders regardless of how old they are. I know there are varying views on how to do things, so I am following this guy's method to start. I am using Sigil, rather than TextMate, strictly because of Sigil's preview window. I like the immediate feedback as I do stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-eBook-Formatting-Step-step-ebook/dp/B00KJAH4HS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=279OB5VHCN745&dchild=1&keywords=ze n+of+ebook+formatting&qid=1600874262&sprefix=zen+o f+ebook%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1