"KEPUB" format on https://standardebooks.org/

[rashkae]

My point,. was that if you take StandardEpub's Kobo epub, then rename the file so it no longer has the .kepub.epub extention, the TOC will not work. That is what I suspect was happening to OP. (though how that was happening, I'll have to leave to your immagination)

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by MGA

On the absolutely excellent website - https://standardebooks.org/ - they offer some great ebooks for free. They have a special format they call "KEPUB", and as I understand it, it is technically EPUB, just that they have done some alterations to make it work better with a KOBO device.

Kepub is a Kobo extension to ePub. For the most part, it adds a mass of spans used by the WebKit based renderer on a Kobo ereader for location.

Originally Posted by MGA

Nevertheless, I downloaded a collection of books in this format and I have two problems now, one very minor and one significant.

The small issue is that the covers are not displayed on the device. That does not really matter, but I just thought I mention it.

The more significant issue is that the content function does not work at all. Whenever I open it on the device, it is completely blank, as if the device does not recognize the headings as headings.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what might be wrong here?

Would be very grateful for any advice!

Are you sending the ebooks to your Kobo as filename.kepub.epub? The RMSDK based renderer on a Kobo requires a .ncx file (an ePub2 navigation document) which Standard Ebooks does not include in a kepub which is intended to be opened by the WebKit based ePub3 renderer which uses an ePub3 navigation document (an xhtml document that has properties="nav" set in the .opf file).

As long as the cover image is flagged with the properties="cover-image" in the .opf file, a Kobo ereader will recognize it as the cover image and use it for the thumbnails and cover image for the sleep/power off screens.

[Aleron Ives]

Has anybody compared their KEPUB files to the ones generated by Calibre/kepubify? Looking at their GitHub, it seems they generate their KEPUB files with a custom script.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Which of the big publishers has that?

Standard Ebooks

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

The cover image is flagged as such in the .opf file. I do have an procedure for generating a cover.xhtml file with cover.jpeg linked in it. I personally find their 1400x2100 resolution cover files to be larger than I would prefer especially when most of the background graphics are pixelated and blurry.



For an ePub3 ebook, the .ncx file is not necessary. It may be included for ePub2 compatibility but since kepub.epub is intended to be opened by the ePub3 compatible WebKit based renderer on a Kobo ereader, adding a .ncx file is not useful. Standard Ebooks does make it clear that they consider the results of opening any ePub with the RMSDK based renderer to generate poor results, a conclusion that I disagree with.

Personally, I do add a toc.ncx using Sigil's Generate toc/guide for epub2 tool.

Overall, most of Standard Ebooks ePub format ebooks are a much better starting point than the abominations served up by Gutenberg.

Even if they don't like RMSDK, there is no reason at all such simply formatted eBooks should not work. The reason they don't work is because SE goes out of their wait to make sure they don't work. So on a Kobo, nook, Sony, they don't work when trying to read ePub.

If I was editing their eBooks, I'd rip out the code and start over because it's that bad.

[DNSB]

Jon, if you want an ePub2 compatible .ncx file, download the ePub version.

Since SE makes it rather clear that the kepubs are for Kobo ereaders and unless you import the kepub into calibre which it will lose the .kepub.epub for a single .epub file extension or otherwise rename it losing the .kepub.epub extension, simply copying the kepub to your Kobo will keep the .kepub.epub extension and render using the WebKit based renderer.

However since you appear to believe the WebKit based renderer does not offer anything tht the RMSDK renderer does not also offer, please try viewing Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic or any similar book making use of ePub3 enhancements using RMSDK and let us know how the experience was.

BTW, I'm not sure that I would refer to Standard Ebooks as a big publisher.

[rashkae]

I will, grudgingly, have to agree with Jon that these E-books have nu-necessarily complicated formatting that brings no advantage to *these* books. But I fail to understand how spamming that opinion over and over again on this thread helps anyone understand the actual problem they are reporting, or even provides a suggestion on what the OP could do alternatively. (ie, just annoying, useless spam.)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Jon, if you want an ePub2 compatible .ncx file, download the ePub version.

They are not compatible with RMSDK. One or all of the @media statements causes RMSDK to think the CSS is broken and ignores the entire thing. These @media statements are not needed. Not for such simply formatted eBooks.

Since SE makes it rather clear that the kepubs are for Kobo ereaders and unless you import the kepub into calibre which it will lose the .kepub.epub for a single .epub file extension or otherwise rename it losing the .kepub.epub extension, simply copying the kepub to your Kobo will keep the .kepub.epub extension and render using the WebKit based renderer.

SE claims it's a compatible ePUb and it's not. So SE is not telling the truth. Either it's compatible or it's not.

However since you appear to believe the WebKit based renderer does not offer anything tht the RMSDK renderer does not also offer, please try viewing Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic or any similar book making use of ePub3 enhancements using RMSDK and let us know how the experience was.

The rule of thumb is to keep the code as simple as possible. SE's rule of thumb is make the code a complicated as possible. Would you ever use such convoluted code as SE does when there is zero need to do so?

BTW, I'm not sure that I would refer to Standard Ebooks as a big publisher.

SE is not a big publisher. But as we've found out from the OP, even the KePub is broken. Not broken in that it cannot be read, but broken in a way that some things do not work. If the code was made simple, then the KePub would work without error.

[rashkae]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

SE is not a big publisher. But as we've found out from the OP, even the KePub is broken. Not broken in that it cannot be read, but broken in a way that some things do not work. If the code was made simple, then the KePub would work without error.

Err, no,, everyone who has looked into this claim has found the kepub works just fine.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rashkae

Err, no,, everyone who has looked into this claim has found the kepub works just fine.

The cover doesn't display is what some in this thread are saying,

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The reason they don't work is because SE goes out of their wait to make sure they don't work. So on a Kobo, nook, Sony, they don't work when trying to read ePub.

I have read Standard eBooks on both Nooks and Kobo with no issues. So now who should I believe? You, or my lying eyes?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The cover doesn't display is what some in this thread are saying,

Since there is no xhtml file to display the cover, you will not see it when reading the book. OTOH, since the cover image is flagged as such, it will display in thumbnails and when sleeping/powered off.

Please point out where in the ePub specifications from 2 to 3.3, is there a requirement to have a xhtml file to display the cover image in an ePub.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

SE claims it's a compatible ePUb and it's not. So SE is not telling the truth. Either it's compatible or it's not.

They are fully compliant with the ePub2 or ePub3 specification. Is it their fault that you persist in believing that any ePub that does not display in ADE 2.01 is borked?

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The rule of thumb is to keep the code as simple as possible. SE's rule of thumb is make the code a complicated as possible. Would you ever use such convoluted code as SE does when there is zero need to do so?

To you, there is zero need to do so. For SE, there are reasons to do so. For myself, when modifying ePubs for my personal use, I will use more complex styles since I know what my devices and apps can handle. I will also use simpler CSS and rather often a mass of media queries when working on ebooks for others. This helps to avoid Kindle takedown notices which authors prefer not to see.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

SE is not a big publisher. But as we've found out from the OP, even the KePub is broken. Not broken in that it cannot be read, but broken in a way that some things do not work. If the code was made simple, then the KePub would work without error.

I would disagree. The OP does not see the ToC. This would happen if they have changed the extension from .kepub.epub to .epub such as by importing the kepub into calibre and not manually added a .ncx file. A PEBKAC error since that change would have your Kobo ereader using the RMSDK renderer rather than the WebKit based renderer. No matter what changes were made to the CSS, that ToC would not display.

As for not displaying the cover image while reading the ePub? Sorry, Jon, that is not a requirement. I have purchased and borrowed multiple ebooks that do not display a cover image from major publishers and indie publishers. Again, simplifying the CSS would not miraculously display the cover image when reading unless you add complexity to the ePub such as a xhtml file to display the cover image.

I did find your volte-face on whether SE is a "big publisher" to be rather amusing.

You have your way, I have my way, as for the right way, the correct way and the only way it does not exist.—Friedrich Nietzsche