Can't disable generated ToC

ARussell · 06-06-2011, 12:40 PM

I've got a CHM file I'm trying to convert into a MOBI so that I can read it on my Kindle. This book already includes a table of contents at the beginning of the book. However, when I try to convert to any other format, whether it be MOBI, PDF, or EPUB, another table of contents is added to the beginning of the book right after the front cover. It's just a big, long list of plain, blue links.

I assume this is the generated table of contents added by Calibre, but I can't get rid of it no matter what! The hierarchical list included with the book is much easier to read, and I don't like having two table of contents. I've tried setting the Number of links to add to Table of Contents option to 0, I've checked Do not add detected chapters to the Table of Contents, I've tried setting the TOC Filter to .*, etc.

Is this a bug, or am I doing something incorrectly? I'd appreciate any help! Thanks.

BRGriff · 06-06-2011, 07:16 PM

Once you convert a book with calibre to a .mobi file, it will generate a TOC which is required by Kindle. The generated TOC will appear at the end of the document. The generated TOC then becomes a part of the document itself so if you try to use that new .mobi file as the input to use for converting to another format, i.e.: Epub, you are going to get duplications of the TOC in the process. If you wish to avoid this, use the original, unconverted CHM document to create an Epub or whatever other format you desire.

There is some confusion in what you say. First you state you want a .mobi document to read on your Kindle (which, again, requires that a TOC be generated) and then you talk about converting that to an Epub or other format. Why do you need another format?

For more information on this subject, you can refer to the calibre User Manual. Specifically, this link: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq.html . Look under the heading "What's the deal with Table of Contents in MOBI files?".

If this doesn't help, ask for more assistance.

ARussell · 06-06-2011, 07:20 PM

Thanks for replying, brgriff. I'm using the chm as the source for all the conversions I try. Ultimately I do want a mobi file to read on the Kindle, but I tried converting to other formats to make sure it wasn't a mobi-specific problem. And yeah, I already read that passage in the user manual and spent a whole day Googling and searching around for the answer to this.

kovidgoyal · 06-06-2011, 07:28 PM

calibre does not generate a table of contents *except* when converting to MOBI. If you have a table of contents at the start it's there in your CHM file.

BRGriff · 06-06-2011, 07:36 PM

Thanks for the clarification Kovid. I was trying to make sure that I limited my answer to just the .mobi conversion but I may not have been clear enough. No sense in confusing anyone and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!!!

ARussell · 06-06-2011, 07:37 PM

@kovidgoyal I'm actually starting to think this is the case. However, if this redundant, uglier ToC is, in fact located in the actual CHM file, it's not visible. Do you know of any way at all to get rid of it?

kovidgoyal · 06-06-2011, 07:40 PM

Open your epub file in sigil and simply delete it. Or use a regex in calibre's search and replace to do the same.

ARussell · 06-06-2011, 07:42 PM

I'll try that; thanks.

06-06-2011, 12:40 PM	#1
ARussell Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kindle	Can't disable generated ToC I've got a CHM file I'm trying to convert into a MOBI so that I can read it on my Kindle. This book already includes a table of contents at the beginning of the book. However, when I try to convert to any other format, whether it be MOBI, PDF, or EPUB, another table of contents is added to the beginning of the book right after the front cover. It's just a big, long list of plain, blue links. I assume this is the generated table of contents added by Calibre, but I can't get rid of it no matter what! The hierarchical list included with the book is much easier to read, and I don't like having two table of contents. I've tried setting the Number of links to add to Table of Contents option to 0, I've checked Do not add detected chapters to the Table of Contents, I've tried setting the TOC Filter to .*, etc. Is this a bug, or am I doing something incorrectly? I'd appreciate any help! Thanks.

06-06-2011, 07:37 PM	#6
ARussell Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kindle	@kovidgoyal I'm actually starting to think this is the case. However, if this redundant, uglier ToC is, in fact located in the actual CHM file, it's not visible. Do you know of any way at all to get rid of it? Last edited by ARussell; 06-06-2011 at 07:38 PM. Reason: typo

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06-06-2011, 07:16 PM	#2
BRGriff Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 12 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Deland, Florida Device: Kindle 3	Once you convert a book with calibre to a .mobi file, it will generate a TOC which is required by Kindle. The generated TOC will appear at the end of the document. The generated TOC then becomes a part of the document itself so if you try to use that new .mobi file as the input to use for converting to another format, i.e.: Epub, you are going to get duplications of the TOC in the process. If you wish to avoid this, use the original, unconverted CHM document to create an Epub or whatever other format you desire. There is some confusion in what you say. First you state you want a .mobi document to read on your Kindle (which, again, requires that a TOC be generated) and then you talk about converting that to an Epub or other format. Why do you need another format? For more information on this subject, you can refer to the calibre User Manual. Specifically, this link: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq.html . Look under the heading "What's the deal with Table of Contents in MOBI files?". If this doesn't help, ask for more assistance.

06-06-2011, 07:20 PM	#3
ARussell Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kindle	Thanks for replying, brgriff. I'm using the chm as the source for all the conversions I try. Ultimately I do want a mobi file to read on the Kindle, but I tried converting to other formats to make sure it wasn't a mobi-specific problem. And yeah, I already read that passage in the user manual and spent a whole day Googling and searching around for the answer to this.

06-06-2011, 07:28 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,195 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	calibre does not generate a table of contents except when converting to MOBI. If you have a table of contents at the start it's there in your CHM file.

06-06-2011, 07:36 PM	#5
BRGriff Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 12 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Deland, Florida Device: Kindle 3	Thanks for the clarification Kovid. I was trying to make sure that I limited my answer to just the .mobi conversion but I may not have been clear enough. No sense in confusing anyone and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!!!

06-06-2011, 07:40 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,195 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Open your epub file in sigil and simply delete it. Or use a regex in calibre's search and replace to do the same.

06-06-2011, 07:42 PM	#8
ARussell Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kindle	I'll try that; thanks.

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