epubcheck for Mac OS X

[pdurrant]

There's this great epubcheck tool over at http://code.google.com/p/epubcheck/
but it comes as a java application or for a web server. I wanted a drag&drop application for Mac OS X.

So I wrapped the java app in an AppleScript. Here it is. Just drag & drop ePub files onto the AppleScript, and the script will run epubcheck and report back on errors. If there are no errors, you'll also get a small dialog saying so.

I beleive it will work on Mac OS X 10.4 and later.

Feedback welcome.

[EDIT] Updated to use epubcheck 1.0.5

[EDIT] Updated to make the error dialog a bit wider, and to save an error report when there are errors. The error report will be in the same folder as the ePub and with the same name, but with '.txt' appended.

[EDIT] Updated to use epubcheck 1.1. I've left the 1.05 version here in case anyone still needs it.

[EDIT] Updated to use epubcheck 1.2. I've left the previous versions, even though I can't think why anyone would want to use them.

[EDIT] Updated to use epubcheck 3.0b5. Now has a pretty icon and also a translation into French. Thanks to Diegnum for the French translation. Any error in the French will be mine, as I adapted their text slightly. Please do report any errors in the dialogs. Further translations will be added if there is demand, and someone supplies me with the translated text!

[EDIT] Updated to use epubcheck 3.0RC1.

[EDIT] Updated to use epubcheck 3.0.

[EDIT] Updated to use epubcheck 3.0.1. Now a working version of 3.0.1!

[Abecedary]

Thanks! I was usually already in Terminal.app after zipping up a file, so typing in another command to fire up epubcheck wasn't a problem. But this just makes everything that much easier! And it seems to work fine on 10.4.11.

[pdurrant]

What is the magic incantation required in terminal to zip up a folder of files into the correct zip format?

None of my GUI zip utilities will do it right.

Perhaps I could make an AppleScript that you could just a folder on and it would do the zipping. I much prefer small drag&drop apps to remembering and typing terminal commands.

Originally Posted by Abecedary

Thanks! I was usually already in Terminal.app after zipping up a file, so typing in another command to fire up epubcheck wasn't a problem. But this just makes everything that much easier! And it seems to work fine on 10.4.11.

[Abecedary]

I've been thinking about simplifying this in some way, but if you want to make a drag'n'drop script it'll be that much easier on me.

The terminal commands to do it are:

zip -X0 bookname.epub mimetype
zip -rX9 bookname.epub * -x mimetype

The first line makes the zip file (with epub extension) with only the mimetype and no compression (the -0 switch). The second line recursively goes through the directory (-r) and adds everything else (the *) to the zip file at maximum compression (-9) while excluding the mimetype file (-x). The -X switch ignores any extra file attributes.

It's not a bad idea to precede the whole thing with this command to clear out the .DS_Store files first:

find . -name '*.DS_Store' -type f -delete

(I have that aliased to 'rmds' in my .profile for typing simplicity.)

[Jellby]

I add the "-D" option too (do not create entries in the zip archive for directories), and remove the .epub file before zipping.

[pdurrant]

The AppleScript is ready for testing

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55681

[pdurrant]

Now updated to use epubcheck 1.0.5

[kjk]

Will definitely try this out this weekend, thanks!

[JAGINAZ]

This seems to be what I am looking for. I appreciate the knowledge and the technical expertise that you all have acquired, but I am 'geek speak' illiterate. I have no idea what AppleScript is. Simply stated...I need to run a file through EpubCheck 1.0.5...I have a brand new iMac. When I click on your linc, pdurrant - it downloads but then it is just a file in a list of downloads. Anyone game enough to walk this infant through the rest of the process? Sorry to be so needy.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JAGINAZ

This seems to be what I am looking for. I appreciate the knowledge and the technical expertise that you all have acquired, but I am 'geek speak' illiterate. I have no idea what AppleScript is. Simply stated...I need to run a file through EpubCheck 1.0.5...I have a brand new iMac. When I click on your linc, pdurrant - it downloads but then it is just a file in a list of downloads. Anyone game enough to walk this infant through the rest of the process? Sorry to be so needy.

The file you download is a .zip (compressed) file. Double-click it and Mac OS X will expand it back to the original size. You now have an application*.

Drag & Drop your ePub onto the application, and it will check it, and display the results in a dialog.

HTH

*The application is written in AppleScript. This is a neat way to get other programs to do things, and ties it up nicely into a simple application. In your Applications folder you probably have an AppleScript folder, inside which is the Script Editor application. You can use this to look at the script used in the epubcheck applescript program if you like. But there's no need unless you're interested.

[Basil Bourque]

"ePubChecker" is a free easy-to-use program that runs your EPUB file through "epubcheck". Just drag and drop your book file, and click "Check".

Faster than uploading to a web site and more private as you keep your book on your own computer. Runs on Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5, and 10.6.

See the screenshot:
http://www.rainwater-soft.com/epubchecker/

This app is built by my company, but uses the "epubcheck" v1.0.5 checking engine from Google/Adobe as required by Apple when submitting an iBook.

--Basil Bourque

[Almiel]

What is the magic incantation required in terminal to zip up a folder of files into the correct zip format?

I use this method in terminal:

zip -X MyNewEbook.epub mimetype

zip -rg MyNewEbook.epub META-INF -x \*.DS_Store

zip -rg MyNewEbook.epub OEBPS -x \*.DS_Store

I got it from http://www.webvivant.com/zipping-epub-files.html.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Almiel

I use this method in terminal:

zip -X MyNewEbook.epub mimetype

zip -rg MyNewEbook.epub META-INF -x \*.DS_Store

zip -rg MyNewEbook.epub OEBPS -x \*.DS_Store

I got it from http://www.webvivant.com/zipping-epub-files.html.

Thanks. I no longer use Terminal, but a drag&drop Applescript I wrote. See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55681

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Basil Bourque

"ePubChecker" is a free easy-to-use program that runs your EPUB file through "epubcheck". Just drag and drop your book file, and click "Check".

Faster than uploading to a web site and more private as you keep your book on your own computer. Runs on Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5, and 10.6.

See the screenshot:
http://www.rainwater-soft.com/epubchecker/

This app is built by my company, but uses the "epubcheck" v1.0.5 checking engine from Google/Adobe as required by Apple when submitting an iBook.

--Basil Bourque

Any advantages over my free Applescript?

[Adjust]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Any advantages over my free Applescript?

The major problem I have with it is that the error window is way to narrow.

If you can widen the error window so that each error fits on one line, then I will go back to using it.