Creator Mobipocket Creator - work round for IE9 problem - Page 3

Hitch · 05-27-2012, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doitsu

I've MBPC installed and know that it automatically adds guide info to the OPF.

Most likely the .opf file update no longer works, because of IE9 or some other technical problem that accook has.
For example, if accook created a backup on a CD, the .opf file (and all other project files) would have become write-protected.

MBPC will open read-only .opf files and will allow to add new guide items in the Guide properties window, but obviously won't save them.

Yes, probably--but I inferred, possibly wrongly, that s/he had installed the work-around and MBPC was functioning. So, let's start from the beginning, then:

@accook:

Let's start with this, because this might help us figure out whether it's just the dreaded IE9 issue or..? Did you build your TOC with MBPC or did you do it by hand? And if the former, did you do it since the computer came back with Internet Exploder 9 installed? I suspect you did not--looking at your screenshot, because there should be a different name/path for that TOC, if you did, but let's start there.

Hitch

accook · 05-29-2012, 06:43 PM

Hitch,

Sorry for the delay but I was away for the long weekend. I don't want to confuse the language so I will tell you exactly what I did. This is the same process I successfully used prior to sending my laptop for repair and having it returned with IE9.

The ebook is written in a word doc and the table of contents is created with bookmarks and hyperlinks. I am very careful about appropriate formatting. I then save the doc as "web page, filtered". I upload that version into MBPC as an html doc, add a cover image and go to Guide. I select the New Guide Item "toc" which auto-fills the Title (Table of Contents). Then I browse to the new document created in the My Publications file and upload it. I go to the end of the filename and add #TOC. I do the same thing for the other bookmarks I want to be linked. I hit Update. This is where my problems are now occurring. Prior to IE9 the update occurred and I would go into the .opf and add the ncx info. Now (with IE9) nothing happens when I hit Update.

I have successfully published 5 books the way I describe above so I know the process used to work. I added the snippet of code suggested by Mike2046 (just after <head> in the program files) that should emulate IE8, but it had no effect.

Hope this isn't way too much info but I wanted to be clear on my process.

Continued thanks! ac

DaleDe · 05-29-2012, 07:33 PM

It would seem you have made none of the fixes to the mobipocket creator program that are required to make it work with IE-9 that are reported in this thread.

accook · 05-29-2012, 07:59 PM

@DaleDe

I actually have made all the fixes to every single html file in the program files. It didn't work.

mike2046 · 05-30-2012, 11:32 AM

I've tried using Mobipocket Creator again today, having seen your post. I now find that I have the same problem ie it doesn't work. Something has evidently changed recently as a result of a Windows 7 update and I think it again has something to do with the javascript engine used by IE9 and the fact it is not 100% compatible with IE8 even in compatibility mode. This led to a problem with empty fields when using the Table of Contents option.

I've investigated it on the Guide option and I think it is for a similar reason ie one of the "Filename" or "onclick" fields is always empty. Something has changed in IE9 and the way they are handled now results in an error with the empty field.

I found that by adding some code to set these fields to "" if they were empty seems to fix the problem. I did this as follows

In the Guide.html file in the html folder there is a function for setting the guide items using the values you have chosen

Code:

 function update_guide_items()

About 18 lines down within this function is the following code

Code:

for (var i = 0; i < document.all.guides.rows.length - 2; i++)
  {
    guides[i] =
    [
      get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__title"),
      get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__href"),
      get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__type"),
      get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__onclick")
    ];

I inserted the following lines immediately after it

Code:

	if (guides[i][1] == "")
        {    guides[i][1] = "";
	}
	if (guides[i][3] == "")
        {    guides[i][3] = "";
	}

so it looks like this

Code:

  for (var i = 0; i < document.all.guides.rows.length - 2; i++)
  {
    guides[i] =
    [
      get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__title"),
      get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__href"),
      get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__type"),
      get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__onclick")
    ];


    if (guides[i][1] == "")
    {    guides[i][1] = "";
	}
    if (guides[i][3] == "")
    {    guides[i][3] = "";
	}

The rest of the code below this should be left untouched.

This appears to fix the current problem with the guide option. Only try this if you're confident about making the changes. Also make a backup copy of the guide.html file before making any changes so you can restore the original file if you need to.

Note that the above changes are in addition to the "compatibility mode" changes described at the start of this thread.

accook · 05-31-2012, 01:22 PM

Mike, thanks so much for all your efforts and for posting this fix. I'm going to try it out and will let you know how it works.

Again, thanks!
ac

FableShop · 07-12-2012, 04:29 PM

I signed on to say thanks.

I may be dense, but I can't get Mobi to work. I hit preview and nothing happens. Zip. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. So I set out to find what else was out there. It was quite a chase...then I landed on the sentence below.

I think you just handed me the keys to getting my first ebook online in style! Thanks!
Norm at FableShop.net

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitch

Harry:

After that, we move them over to NoteTabPro, Sigil and then KG/Previewer;

Hitch

Hitch · 07-14-2012, 07:17 AM

FableShop:

You are most welcome. It's worked for us consistently over the years. Best of luck with your book!

Hitch

05-30-2012, 11:32 AM	#35
mike2046 Member Posts: 15 Karma: 2006 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle	accook - re your post I've tried using Mobipocket Creator again today, having seen your post. I now find that I have the same problem ie it doesn't work. Something has evidently changed recently as a result of a Windows 7 update and I think it again has something to do with the javascript engine used by IE9 and the fact it is not 100% compatible with IE8 even in compatibility mode. This led to a problem with empty fields when using the Table of Contents option. I've investigated it on the Guide option and I think it is for a similar reason ie one of the "Filename" or "onclick" fields is always empty. Something has changed in IE9 and the way they are handled now results in an error with the empty field. I found that by adding some code to set these fields to "" if they were empty seems to fix the problem. I did this as follows In the Guide.html file in the html folder there is a function for setting the guide items using the values you have chosen Code: function update_guide_items() About 18 lines down within this function is the following code Code: for (var i = 0; i < document.all.guides.rows.length - 2; i++) { guides[i] = [ get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__title"), get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__href"), get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__type"), get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__onclick") ]; I inserted the following lines immediately after it Code: if (guides[i][1] == "") { guides[i][1] = ""; } if (guides[i][3] == "") { guides[i][3] = ""; } so it looks like this Code: for (var i = 0; i < document.all.guides.rows.length - 2; i++) { guides[i] = [ get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__title"), get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__href"), get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__type"), get_edited_item_field("guide__" + i + "__onclick") ]; if (guides[i][1] == "") { guides[i][1] = ""; } if (guides[i][3] == "") { guides[i][3] = ""; } The rest of the code below this should be left untouched. This appears to fix the current problem with the guide option. Only try this if you're confident about making the changes. Also make a backup copy of the guide.html file before making any changes so you can restore the original file if you need to. Note that the above changes are in addition to the "compatibility mode" changes described at the start of this thread. Last edited by mike2046; 05-30-2012 at 12:04 PM. Reason: add note that compatibility changes still needed

05-31-2012, 01:22 PM	#36
accook Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2012 Device: Kindle, Nook	@ Mike2064 - latest fix Mike, thanks so much for all your efforts and for posting this fix. I'm going to try it out and will let you know how it works. Again, thanks! ac

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05-29-2012, 06:43 PM	#32
accook Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2012 Device: Kindle, Nook	Hitch, Sorry for the delay but I was away for the long weekend. I don't want to confuse the language so I will tell you exactly what I did. This is the same process I successfully used prior to sending my laptop for repair and having it returned with IE9. The ebook is written in a word doc and the table of contents is created with bookmarks and hyperlinks. I am very careful about appropriate formatting. I then save the doc as "web page, filtered". I upload that version into MBPC as an html doc, add a cover image and go to Guide. I select the New Guide Item "toc" which auto-fills the Title (Table of Contents). Then I browse to the new document created in the My Publications file and upload it. I go to the end of the filename and add #TOC. I do the same thing for the other bookmarks I want to be linked. I hit Update. This is where my problems are now occurring. Prior to IE9 the update occurred and I would go into the .opf and add the ncx info. Now (with IE9) nothing happens when I hit Update. I have successfully published 5 books the way I describe above so I know the process used to work. I added the snippet of code suggested by Mike2046 (just after <head> in the program files) that should emulate IE8, but it had no effect. Hope this isn't way too much info but I wanted to be clear on my process. Continued thanks! ac

05-29-2012, 07:33 PM	#33
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	It would seem you have made none of the fixes to the mobipocket creator program that are required to make it work with IE-9 that are reported in this thread.

05-29-2012, 07:59 PM	#34
accook Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2012 Device: Kindle, Nook	@DaleDe I actually have made all the fixes to every single html file in the program files. It didn't work.

07-14-2012, 07:17 AM	#38
Hitch Bookmaker & Cat Slave Posts: 11,495 Karma: 158448243 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Phoenix, AZ Device: K2, iPad, KFire, PPW, Voyage, NookColor. 2 Droid, Oasis, Boox Note2	FableShop: You are most welcome. It's worked for us consistently over the years. Best of luck with your book! Hitch