Converting html to Epub with Calibre Editor

shotsky · 04-05-2026, 10:18 AM

My software creates html files, which are sent to the Calibre editor for conversion to epub using the command line. Then, the Calibre editor shows a dialog about the input and output files. By clicking 'ok' it closes that dialog and creates the epub.
My question is whether there is a command line switch to eliminate that dialog and just create the epub automatically. The reason is that the editor is not focused upon this action, and it is necessary to bring the editor up to find that dialog and choose 'ok'.

kovidgoyal · 04-05-2026, 10:38 AM

Why are you using the editor for this? use the ebook-convert command line tool.

shotsky · 04-05-2026, 02:10 PM

The epub is not wanted or needed in Calibre, it is only created from an html file and used to share with others. The calibre converter changes all the classes to 'calibre' classes, but the original classes are wanted.

All I am asking is whether there is a switch that can bypass the dialog that comes up in the editor when sending the html file to the editor with this command line issued in NoteTab Pro:
^!Set %output%=^$GetOutput(ebook-edit "^%HtmlOutFile%")$

The htmloutfile is a (cookbook) file that my software creates.
The command line does exactly what is wanted, except that it brings up that editor dialog, and 'ok' is required for it to actually create the epub. Other people use my software with Calibre, but they can forget to find and close that dialog, so they don't get the epub they expect.
I can't find enough documentation about that process to figure it out for myself. If I provide both the input file and output file name, will that do it? I'll give that a try and see what happens.

kovidgoyal · 04-05-2026, 10:10 PM

No, there isnt.

PeterT · 04-06-2026, 09:29 AM

Have you looked at the documentation on the ebook-convert cli? See https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...k-convert.html

shotsky · 04-10-2026, 09:09 AM

When I create epubs, I provide a css file which is tied to my classes, which describe the elements in a cookbook, such as title, ingredient, yield, directions, etc. It also includes the cover. It is very simple, but it permits me to control the look and feel of the output. The ebook convert process renames my classes. That is the ONLY problem with that converter.
But, the epub-edit html converter leaves my classes alone. So the html file and its css and photos are sent via command line to the epub-edit tool, and that brings up a dialog in the editor to confirm the input file name and the proposed output file name. That dialog is the problem. By the time that dialog appears, my users may have moved on and the lost the dialog. So they don't get the epub they expect. Even if it remained visible, my users would still have to click the ok to get the epub created.
My question was about trying to suppress that dialog so that my users would not complain to me that they didn't get the epub they expected.
I got the answer - no.
I tried providing an output file name, but it didn't work. My workaround was to create another dialog in my software that tells them to find that dialog and click 'ok'. That output epub is not sent into Calibre. My users send my epub to their epub readers for use in the kitchen while cooking.

04-05-2026, 10:18 AM	#1
shotsky Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: none	Converting html to Epub with Calibre Editor My software creates html files, which are sent to the Calibre editor for conversion to epub using the command line. Then, the Calibre editor shows a dialog about the input and output files. By clicking 'ok' it closes that dialog and creates the epub. My question is whether there is a command line switch to eliminate that dialog and just create the epub automatically. The reason is that the editor is not focused upon this action, and it is necessary to bring the editor up to find that dialog and choose 'ok'.

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04-05-2026, 10:38 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 46,252 Karma: 29630732 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Why are you using the editor for this? use the ebook-convert command line tool.

04-05-2026, 02:10 PM	#3
shotsky Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: none	The epub is not wanted or needed in Calibre, it is only created from an html file and used to share with others. The calibre converter changes all the classes to 'calibre' classes, but the original classes are wanted. All I am asking is whether there is a switch that can bypass the dialog that comes up in the editor when sending the html file to the editor with this command line issued in NoteTab Pro: ^!Set %output%=^$GetOutput(ebook-edit "^%HtmlOutFile%")$ The htmloutfile is a (cookbook) file that my software creates. The command line does exactly what is wanted, except that it brings up that editor dialog, and 'ok' is required for it to actually create the epub. Other people use my software with Calibre, but they can forget to find and close that dialog, so they don't get the epub they expect. I can't find enough documentation about that process to figure it out for myself. If I provide both the input file and output file name, will that do it? I'll give that a try and see what happens.

04-05-2026, 10:10 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 46,252 Karma: 29630732 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	No, there isnt.

04-06-2026, 09:29 AM	#5
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,956 Karma: 82520964 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Have you looked at the documentation on the ebook-convert cli? See https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...k-convert.html

04-10-2026, 09:09 AM	#6
shotsky Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: none	When I create epubs, I provide a css file which is tied to my classes, which describe the elements in a cookbook, such as title, ingredient, yield, directions, etc. It also includes the cover. It is very simple, but it permits me to control the look and feel of the output. The ebook convert process renames my classes. That is the ONLY problem with that converter. But, the epub-edit html converter leaves my classes alone. So the html file and its css and photos are sent via command line to the epub-edit tool, and that brings up a dialog in the editor to confirm the input file name and the proposed output file name. That dialog is the problem. By the time that dialog appears, my users may have moved on and the lost the dialog. So they don't get the epub they expect. Even if it remained visible, my users would still have to click the ok to get the epub created. My question was about trying to suppress that dialog so that my users would not complain to me that they didn't get the epub they expected. I got the answer - no. I tried providing an output file name, but it didn't work. My workaround was to create another dialog in my software that tells them to find that dialog and click 'ok'. That output epub is not sent into Calibre. My users send my epub to their epub readers for use in the kitchen while cooking.

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