How to convert toc.xhtml to toc.ncx

[rdoca]

I'd looking for in the 'plugins list' and in this forums and not found references at this issue.

Explaining my point:
I'm copying text (large of) in xhtml and your respective toc.xhtml from online source. However, the file toc.ncx (or nav.html) it's not available.

It's possible running at toc.html to transform it in toc.ncx?

I believe this is an opportunity to make a new plugin. I understanding Python, but I don´t know which libraries using to this.

Anyone is available to a partnership?

[KevinH]

Make the toc.html the nav (import it to Sigil into an empty epub3 and copy and paste its contents into the nav.xhtml.

This assumes your toc.xhtml follows the general rules for nav.xhtml documents.

Then use Sigil's epub3 specific tools menu to generate the ncx from the nav.

[KevinH]

Or if your html files properly use heading tags h1-h6, then just create the ncx directly from the actual headers of the xhtml chapter files.

[rdoca]

Originally Posted by KevinH

Or if your html files properly use heading tags h1-h6, then just create the ncx directly from the actual headers of the xhtml chapter files.

No, it`s not a option. No headers exist in html texts.

[rdoca]

Originally Posted by KevinH

Make the toc.html the nav (import it to Sigil into an empty epub3 and copy and paste its contents into the nav.xhtml.

This assumes your toc.xhtml follows the general rules for nav.xhtml documents.

Then use Sigil's epub3 specific tools menu to generate the ncx from the nav.

Thanks by the fast answer.
Well, this is a manual solution that works.
But, I believe that is equal job make the headers in html texts.

[KevinH]

For accessibility reasons, adding structural heading tags is important. If there is a some way to use find and replace to generate proper heading tags, that would be best.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by rdoca

Thanks by the fast answer.
Well, this is a manual solution that works.
But, I believe that is equal job make the headers in html texts.

As Kevin explained, there are very legitimate reasons why you should be using heading formatting in the first place--it's not "only" formatting or how something looks. Headings are STRUCTURAL. They are intended to provide guidance, to the device, the firmware, etc. about what's what.

No software has the ability to look at, say, 2700 paragraphs of text and magically pick out the relevant structural headings and from thence, create an NCX or Nav. You have to give it SOME help and honestly, this is typically done at the word processing stage (Word, AWP, LO, whatever); then simply exported to HTML with the appropriate HTML tags (h1, h2, etc.) and then, in Sigil, you can simply use that to build your own NCX or NAV (or both).

It's a critical part, really, of understanding how ePUBs work and all that. It's something that should be done regardless of the later intended use, especially around accessibility. It's also important around usability issues--if you have headings and all that, you can easily and with pretty much 2 clicks, break the ePUB file into separate XHTML files, to reduce the load on the reading device. Much more efficient, better rendering, and all that.

Yes, if you haven't already done it, it's a bit of work NOW, but if you use headings and Styles (word-processing-wise or markdown or whatever you're doing) during the writing/editing, this is all pretty much a snap. Not to mention all the good things it does for you during that word-processing stage, as well.

HTH

Hitch

[KevinH]

If there is some detectable pattern of heading titles , you should be able to use Find/Replace with regular expressions to insert the required h1-h6 tags automatically.

[DiapDealer]

One might also be able use the Tag Mechanic plugin. If there's p tags that use a consistent class attribute for chapters, those could easily be converted to h tags.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by KevinH

If there is some detectable pattern of heading titles , you should be able to use Find/Replace with regular expressions to insert the required h1-h6 tags automatically.

Yup, but I thought that perhaps a discussion of why Headings matter might...well, be beneficial, first. I did think that there was definitely room for some Regex Magic if the "chapter" or other were used.

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

One might also be able use the Tag Mechanic plugin. If there's p tags that use a consistent class attribute for chapters, those could easily be converted to h tags.

Yupperdoodle.

Hitch