Markdown HTML problem

nhopton · 02-10-2011, 01:33 PM

Hi, this is my first post here so it's bound to be silly.

I have Calibre 0.7.44 running under Ubuntu 10.10. What I have been trying to do is to use Markdown to produce HTML for importing into Calibre for onward conversion to MOBI.

The document is an old novel that includes passages of poetry and it is the poetry that is where the problem lies. The HTML from Markdown looks (to me, as a non-expert) reasonable, but when I convert this to MOBI using the default setting I get spurious blank lines inserted in the output. It's as if Calibre is inserting the odd <br /> tag.

Below, a sample of the HTML from Markdown.

Code:

<p>Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode, <br />
The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road. <br />
A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire, <br />
And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire; <br />
A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread <br />
The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.</p>

<p>I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire, <br />
And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire; <br />
But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed <br />
To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard made, <br />
Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands, <br />
The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands.</p>

I'd be grateful for any advice on this problem.

Regards, Nick.

kovidgoyal · 02-10-2011, 01:35 PM

I'm confused are you saying you are getting extra blank lines or missing blank lines?

user_none · 02-10-2011, 02:02 PM

How are you genrating the markdown html? Also, does it display properly when using calibre's viewer.

nhopton · 02-10-2011, 02:22 PM

Sorry, it is inserting extra white lines, one in each verse.

Regards, Nick.

nhopton · 02-10-2011, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by user_none

How are you genrating the markdown html? Also, does it display properly when using calibre's viewer.

I mark the text up in a plain-text editor (Gedit) and then run it through Markdown. The text doesn't display properly in Calibre's MOBI viewer, or on the Kindle.

Regards, Nick.

ldolse · 02-10-2011, 02:43 PM

Try adjusting Calibre's css. Extra CSS box under look and feel:
p {margin-top:.1em; margin-bottom:.1em}

nhopton · 02-10-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ldolse

Try adjusting Calibre's css. Extra CSS box under look and feel:
p {margin-top:.1em; margin-bottom:.1em}

This still introduces blank lines, in different places from before

. But thanks for the suggestion.

Regards, Nick.

nhopton · 02-10-2011, 03:26 PM

Ah, I think we might be getting somewhere. If I load the HTML produced by Markdown into an HTML editor (GWrite) some extra code is inserted automatically, see the codebox. This does import to Calibre and convert to MOBI properly. So at least I have a work-around.

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html> 
<html> 
<head></head><body><p>Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode, <br> 
The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road. <br> 
A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire, <br> 
And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire; <br> 
A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread <br> 
The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.  </p> 
 
<p>I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire, <br> 
And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire; <br> 
But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed <br> 
To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard made, <br> 
Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands, <br> 
The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands.  </p> 

</body> 
</html>

Many thanks, Nick.

kovidgoyal · 02-10-2011, 03:28 PM

deleted

user_none · 02-10-2011, 04:29 PM

I am a bit confused, why are you converting to the Markdown formatted text to HTML and then using calibre to convert the HTML? calibr supports Markdown formatted TXT.

nhopton · 02-10-2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by user_none

I am a bit confused, why are you converting to the Markdown formatted text to HTML and then using calibre to convert the HTML?

Because I'm a fool. I thought I'd read the documentation properly and explored the configuration options, but not well enough it appears.

That's a couple of pints I owe you, should ever you have the melancholy distinction of finding yourself in my home town.

Regards, Nick.

02-10-2011, 01:33 PM	#1
nhopton Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Markdown HTML problem Hi, this is my first post here so it's bound to be silly. I have Calibre 0.7.44 running under Ubuntu 10.10. What I have been trying to do is to use Markdown to produce HTML for importing into Calibre for onward conversion to MOBI. The document is an old novel that includes passages of poetry and it is the poetry that is where the problem lies. The HTML from Markdown looks (to me, as a non-expert) reasonable, but when I convert this to MOBI using the default setting I get spurious blank lines inserted in the output. It's as if Calibre is inserting the odd <br /> tag. Below, a sample of the HTML from Markdown. Code: <p>Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode, <br /> The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road. <br /> A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire, <br /> And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire; <br /> A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread <br /> The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.</p> <p>I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire, <br /> And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire; <br /> But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed <br /> To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard made, <br /> Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands, <br /> The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands.</p> I'd be grateful for any advice on this problem. Regards, Nick. Last edited by nhopton; 02-10-2011 at 01:41 PM.

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02-10-2011, 01:35 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,560 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I'm confused are you saying you are getting extra blank lines or missing blank lines?

02-10-2011, 02:02 PM	#3
user_none Sigil & calibre developer Posts: 2,487 Karma: 1063785 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida, USA Device: Nook STR	How are you genrating the markdown html? Also, does it display properly when using calibre's viewer.

02-10-2011, 02:22 PM	#4
nhopton Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Sorry, it is inserting extra white lines, one in each verse. Regards, Nick.

02-10-2011, 02:43 PM	#6
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	Try adjusting Calibre's css. Extra CSS box under look and feel: p {margin-top:.1em; margin-bottom:.1em}

02-10-2011, 03:28 PM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,560 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	deleted

02-10-2011, 04:29 PM	#10
user_none Sigil & calibre developer Posts: 2,487 Karma: 1063785 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida, USA Device: Nook STR	I am a bit confused, why are you converting to the Markdown formatted text to HTML and then using calibre to convert the HTML? calibr supports Markdown formatted TXT.