How troubleshoot mobi conversion errors?

Paula-59 · 01-29-2016, 01:21 AM

Hi:

I created an xhtml version of my novel. I have 27 chapters, afterword.html, preface.html, dedication.html and pubinfo.html. I use 3 small graphics in the book and have a separate stylesheet. All are at the same level.

Per Calibri instructions I created a toc.html with all the chapters/pages linked in the order I want them to appear in the final TOC: preface.html, chapter01.html, chapter02.html etc., afterword.html, dedication.html and pubinfo.html.

I was able to successfully convert to an epub, although I had to use the Editor in Calibri to import 2 of my 3 graphics -- only one imported when I did the "add book". I also had to manually fix the TOC -- it was alphabetical with the afterword first. I did an error check -- fixed one style in the stylesheet and the final epub looks great!

Next I need to do a mobi version. Same import problem from the xhtml source: 2 missing graphics and alphabetical TOC. Also, I set the page color to be a cream, rather than white, which worked in epub but not mobi. But Calibri says I can't use the editor to troubleshoot mobi problems. Since I fixed those problems with the graphics and TOC in the epub version, should I convert to mobi from THAT? Rather than starting over with the xhtml? Or is there another way to troubleshoot the mobi? The whole point of starting from html was to have a clean file with no garbage code leftover from word processing, etc.

Thanks for any assistance!

theducks · 01-29-2016, 03:41 AM

Convert your Good EPUB to Mobi

BTW the issues you describe are consistent with errors in your source files.

Case differences
the index had some problems inside, and guessed (wrong)

MyImage.JPG is not the same as myimage.jpg

KISS stick to lower case,for file names AND extensions. While not required, it is harder to mess up

Paula-59 · 01-29-2016, 12:56 PM

theducks: thank you for replying!

Can you tell me if it matters whether the html file is html or xhtml? I was following the book by Guido Henkel on ebook formatting and he uses xhtml.

Thanks again!

theducks · 01-29-2016, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paula-59

theducks: thank you for replying!

Can you tell me if it matters whether the html file is html or xhtml? I was following the book by Guido Henkel on ebook formatting and he uses xhtml.

Thanks again!

Not that I know (to Calibre), as long as the file names.ext are 100% correct (as they exist).

eschwartz · 01-29-2016, 01:52 PM

.xhtml is my nitpicky preference -- it doesn't really matter, but it looks nicer and more "correct" to me.

If you make a proper EPUB, you can use it as a source for further conversions -- preferable to redoing all that work for MOBI as well. There is no good reason IMHO to consider handcrafted XHTML to be technically superior to a handcrafted EPUB. Both are (equally) better than uncleaned Word exports.

Paula-59 · 01-29-2016, 02:47 PM

Eshwartz: Thanks for replying!

With your help the other day I WAS able to do the epub as noted. But I realized I hadn't validated my code, (theducks reminded me) -- doing that today I've found a handful of errors that I've fixed and I'll try the mobi again.

DO YOU KNOW: can I style a page color? I have a hex color for the body background in the stylesheet and it appears to work in epub but not in mobi. Is that just something we can't/shouldn't do?

Also, kindle doesn't display images with transparent backgrounds? (That sucks!)

Thanks again!

01-29-2016, 01:21 AM	#1
Paula-59 Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2016 Device: none	How troubleshoot mobi conversion errors? Hi: I created an xhtml version of my novel. I have 27 chapters, afterword.html, preface.html, dedication.html and pubinfo.html. I use 3 small graphics in the book and have a separate stylesheet. All are at the same level. Per Calibri instructions I created a toc.html with all the chapters/pages linked in the order I want them to appear in the final TOC: preface.html, chapter01.html, chapter02.html etc., afterword.html, dedication.html and pubinfo.html. I was able to successfully convert to an epub, although I had to use the Editor in Calibri to import 2 of my 3 graphics -- only one imported when I did the "add book". I also had to manually fix the TOC -- it was alphabetical with the afterword first. I did an error check -- fixed one style in the stylesheet and the final epub looks great! Next I need to do a mobi version. Same import problem from the xhtml source: 2 missing graphics and alphabetical TOC. Also, I set the page color to be a cream, rather than white, which worked in epub but not mobi. But Calibri says I can't use the editor to troubleshoot mobi problems. Since I fixed those problems with the graphics and TOC in the epub version, should I convert to mobi from THAT? Rather than starting over with the xhtml? Or is there another way to troubleshoot the mobi? The whole point of starting from html was to have a clean file with no garbage code leftover from word processing, etc. Thanks for any assistance!

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01-29-2016, 03:41 AM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,939 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Convert your Good EPUB to Mobi BTW the issues you describe are consistent with errors in your source files. Case differences the index had some problems inside, and guessed (wrong) MyImage.JPG is not the same as myimage.jpg KISS stick to lower case,for file names AND extensions. While not required, it is harder to mess up

01-29-2016, 12:56 PM	#3
Paula-59 Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2016 Device: none	theducks: thank you for replying! Can you tell me if it matters whether the html file is html or xhtml? I was following the book by Guido Henkel on ebook formatting and he uses xhtml. Thanks again!

01-29-2016, 01:52 PM	#5
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	.xhtml is my nitpicky preference -- it doesn't really matter, but it looks nicer and more "correct" to me. If you make a proper EPUB, you can use it as a source for further conversions -- preferable to redoing all that work for MOBI as well. There is no good reason IMHO to consider handcrafted XHTML to be technically superior to a handcrafted EPUB. Both are (equally) better than uncleaned Word exports.

01-29-2016, 02:47 PM	#6
Paula-59 Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2016 Device: none	Eshwartz: Thanks for replying! With your help the other day I WAS able to do the epub as noted. But I realized I hadn't validated my code, (theducks reminded me) -- doing that today I've found a handful of errors that I've fixed and I'll try the mobi again. DO YOU KNOW: can I style a page color? I have a hex color for the body background in the stylesheet and it appears to work in epub but not in mobi. Is that just something we can't/shouldn't do? Also, kindle doesn't display images with transparent backgrounds? (That sucks!) Thanks again!

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