Queries instead of characters

MalcolmRM · 05-05-2014, 10:34 AM

I'm sure this has cropped up before but I can't find any such thread. Sigil inserts a query in a black diaper-shape box instead of any accented character, en rule, em rule, paragraph indent ... just about anything that isn't plain-ascii, 0-128. I'm importing from a WordXP Filtered HTML file and changing stuff in the header to fit XHTML specs. There is only one font in the book: Times New Roman (Unicode) ... text, headings ... everything. After doing everything else Sigil creates a perfect epub except for those substituted queries.

DiapDealer · 05-05-2014, 10:43 AM

That indicates an encoding issue. Sigil assumes utf8 (utf8/16 are the only valid character encodings for epub). When you get those little black question marks, it means the file you added wasn't utf-8--and Sigil is displaying it with the assumption that it is.

Note that adding the utf-8 declaration to a file does not actually MAKE it a utf-8 file.

You're likely dealing with some special characters in a cp-1252 encoded file.

theducks · 05-05-2014, 10:49 AM

That is a 'missing glyph' symbol, most probably for the reason stated by Diapdealer

DiapDealer · 05-05-2014, 11:18 AM

It's also possible that you've changed the display font for Sigil to a font that doesn't have those characters. Always best to check on a target reading device/app.

MalcolmRM · 05-09-2014, 09:50 AM

Thanks everyone. I use TextPad for my text editor because of it's GREP-like search capabilities, but, because this is the first time I've used it with HTML files I didn't notice that it can save specifically in utf-8!
Malcolm-with-a-red-face

DiapDealer · 05-09-2014, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmRM

Thanks everyone. I use TextPad for my text editor because of it's GREP-like search capabilities, but, because this is the first time I've used it with HTML files I didn't notice that it can save specifically in utf-8!
Malcolm-with-a-red-face

No need to be embarrassed. Character encoding can be a weird, complicated and confusing bugbear. Glad you got it resolved.

05-05-2014, 10:34 AM	#1
MalcolmRM MalcolmRM Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Ireland Device: any and all	Queries instead of characters I'm sure this has cropped up before but I can't find any such thread. Sigil inserts a query in a black diaper-shape box instead of any accented character, en rule, em rule, paragraph indent ... just about anything that isn't plain-ascii, 0-128. I'm importing from a WordXP Filtered HTML file and changing stuff in the header to fit XHTML specs. There is only one font in the book: Times New Roman (Unicode) ... text, headings ... everything. After doing everything else Sigil creates a perfect epub except for those substituted queries.

05-05-2014, 10:43 AM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,358 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	That indicates an encoding issue. Sigil assumes utf8 (utf8/16 are the only valid character encodings for epub). When you get those little black question marks, it means the file you added wasn't utf-8--and Sigil is displaying it with the assumption that it is. Note that adding the utf-8 declaration to a file does not actually MAKE it a utf-8 file. You're likely dealing with some special characters in a cp-1252 encoded file. Last edited by DiapDealer; 05-05-2014 at 10:46 AM.

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05-05-2014, 10:49 AM	#3
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,909 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	That is a 'missing glyph' symbol, most probably for the reason stated by Diapdealer

05-05-2014, 11:18 AM	#4
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,358 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	It's also possible that you've changed the display font for Sigil to a font that doesn't have those characters. Always best to check on a target reading device/app.

05-09-2014, 09:50 AM	#5
MalcolmRM MalcolmRM Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Ireland Device: any and all	Thanks everyone. I use TextPad for my text editor because of it's GREP-like search capabilities, but, because this is the first time I've used it with HTML files I didn't notice that it can save specifically in utf-8! Malcolm-with-a-red-face

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