how to use command line to automatically create ToC from all headings?

Whip · 09-02-2024, 08:00 AM

Hello,

I want to use the command line to convert an html book to epub and select the setting "Generate ToC from all headings." I don't see this option available in the command line interface in the documentation, but it is available in the calibre edit GUI.

Currently, I have to drag the html into calibre, convert to epub, click edit on the converted file, open the ToC GUI, delete the auto-generated ToC, then click "Generate ToC from all headings".

Can someone tell me how to automate this process from the command line with ebook-convert, ebook-edit, or some other tool?

Thank you!

kovidgoyal · 09-02-2024, 09:07 AM

https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...le-of-contents

Whip · 09-02-2024, 09:50 AM

I looked at that documentation and I don't see an option for exactly what I'm looking for.

Is there a flag for "Generate ToC from all headings"? When I click that button in the GUI, the ToC comes out perfectly. I just don't see a command-line flag for that setting. Can you please point me to it?

theducks · 09-02-2024, 10:00 AM

ebook-convert input_file output_file [options]

Did you scroll down in the Help file? There is a TOC section with options

Whip · 09-02-2024, 04:07 PM

I do not see any setting described in the help documentation that does what I am asking for. I specifically want a command line option that matches the GUI button for "Generate ToC from all headings"

None of the flags in the documentation that I've found describe that option. Do you know how I could select that setting from the command line?

kovidgoyal · 09-02-2024, 11:45 PM

There is no such flag. You need to specify the level1 through level3 settings manually. The button in the GUI does just that under the hood. Read their docs to understand what you need to put there, or look at the conversion log of the GUI conversion to see what values those settings have.

Whip · 09-03-2024, 08:56 AM

Alright, thank you for clarifying.

Also, thanks for making Calibre and releasing it for free. I am a big fan of the software.

Whip · 09-03-2024, 09:16 AM

I hate to keep asking for help but - can you tell me where the conversion logs are stored?

I tried running calibre-debug --gui and calibre-debug --edit-book and those logs didn't contain the ToC conversion commands.

And I don't see a reference to conversion logs in the manual: https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/edit.html

I tried running calibre in debug mode as suggested here (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=344814) but those logs didn't contain the conversion details.

How can I access the conversion logs? Thank you for your help!

thiago.eec · 09-03-2024, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whip

How can I access the conversion logs? Thank you for your help!

After converting, look at the bottom right of calibre main window. There is a button to show the Jobs window. Click on the last conversion job, then click on 'Show job details'.

theducks · 09-03-2024, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thiago.eec

After converting, look at the bottom right of calibre main window. There is a button to show the Jobs window. Click on the last conversion job, then click on 'Show job details'.

I think the OP is doing everything from the command line.

DNSB · 09-03-2024, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

I think the OP is doing everything from the command line.

A couple of message back, Kovid Goyal suggested running a GUI conversion and looking at the log from that to see what values the level1 to level3 settings were using.

The problem I see with that is that after the conversion, the OP was opening the ebook in calibre's ebook-editor, deleting the ToC generated in the GUI mode conversion and using the ebook-editor to recreate it with "Generate ToC from all headings" button.

I suspect that the OP might be able to do this by playing with the XPath for the levels so any h? tag would be used to create a ToC entry. Something like //*[name()='h1' or name()='h2' or name()='h3' or name()='h4' or name()='h5' or name()='h6'] though I haven't played enough with XPath to feel comfortable making recommendations.

theducks · 09-03-2024, 04:35 PM

Me neither

But looking at the CLI, I suspect that xpath needs to be separated into 3 because the CLI has a separate option for each level

ebook-convert input_file output_file --level1-toc <xpath> --level2-toc <xpath>--level3-toc <xpath>

DNSB · 09-03-2024, 05:56 PM

I think what I posted would handle multiple h? headings for testing. The OP might want to split out the various headings for other purposes but for testing, what I posted should work though I haven't tested it.

Whip · 09-04-2024, 02:23 PM

Thank you DNSB. I just realized the ToC-setting command that I'm looking for isn't in the conversion logs for exactly the reason you describe - I update the ToC after conversion. If there's a way to access the editor's logs, that would help.

Otherwise, I'll look into this Xpath suggestion. I'm new to Xpath and epub design, but I'm curious why there are only three levels of command-line flags (--level1-toc,--level2-toc,--level3-toc) when the ToC could be nested deeper than that. Does "level 1/2/3" in those flags refer to the nesting depth of a particular element in the ToC?

Whip · 09-04-2024, 02:40 PM

Thank you DNSB for the suggestion, that was very helpful.

I am so close!

I have the Xpath expression I can use in the editor which lets me enter separate XPath expressions for header-depths of 1-5. However, the command-line tool ebook-convert only has flags for levels 1-3 (--level1-toc, --level2-toc, --level3-toc).

Is it possible to use the command line tool to generate a toc with levels 4+5?

09-02-2024, 08:00 AM	#1
Whip Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2024 Device: none	how to use command line to automatically create ToC from all headings? Hello, I want to use the command line to convert an html book to epub and select the setting "Generate ToC from all headings." I don't see this option available in the command line interface in the documentation, but it is available in the calibre edit GUI. Currently, I have to drag the html into calibre, convert to epub, click edit on the converted file, open the ToC GUI, delete the auto-generated ToC, then click "Generate ToC from all headings". Can someone tell me how to automate this process from the command line with ebook-convert, ebook-edit, or some other tool? Thank you!

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09-02-2024, 09:07 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,542 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/gen...le-of-contents

09-02-2024, 09:50 AM	#3
Whip Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2024 Device: none	I looked at that documentation and I don't see an option for exactly what I'm looking for. Is there a flag for "Generate ToC from all headings"? When I click that button in the GUI, the ToC comes out perfectly. I just don't see a command-line flag for that setting. Can you please point me to it?

09-02-2024, 10:00 AM	#4
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,444 Karma: 58055868 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	ebook-convert input_file output_file [options] Did you scroll down in the Help file? There is a TOC section with options

09-02-2024, 04:07 PM	#5
Whip Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2024 Device: none	I do not see any setting described in the help documentation that does what I am asking for. I specifically want a command line option that matches the GUI button for "Generate ToC from all headings" None of the flags in the documentation that I've found describe that option. Do you know how I could select that setting from the command line?

09-02-2024, 11:45 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,542 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	There is no such flag. You need to specify the level1 through level3 settings manually. The button in the GUI does just that under the hood. Read their docs to understand what you need to put there, or look at the conversion log of the GUI conversion to see what values those settings have.

09-03-2024, 08:56 AM	#7
Whip Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2024 Device: none	Alright, thank you for clarifying. Also, thanks for making Calibre and releasing it for free. I am a big fan of the software.

09-03-2024, 09:16 AM	#8
Whip Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2024 Device: none	I hate to keep asking for help but - can you tell me where the conversion logs are stored? I tried running calibre-debug --gui and calibre-debug --edit-book and those logs didn't contain the ToC conversion commands. And I don't see a reference to conversion logs in the manual: https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/edit.html I tried running calibre in debug mode as suggested here (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=344814) but those logs didn't contain the conversion details. How can I access the conversion logs? Thank you for your help!

09-03-2024, 04:35 PM	#12
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,444 Karma: 58055868 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Me neither But looking at the CLI, I suspect that xpath needs to be separated into 3 because the CLI has a separate option for each level ebook-convert input_file output_file --level1-toc <xpath> --level2-toc <xpath>--level3-toc <xpath>

09-03-2024, 05:56 PM	#13
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 40,536 Karma: 157444380 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	I think what I posted would handle multiple h? headings for testing. The OP might want to split out the various headings for other purposes but for testing, what I posted should work though I haven't tested it.

09-04-2024, 02:23 PM	#14
Whip Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2024 Device: none	Thank you DNSB. I just realized the ToC-setting command that I'm looking for isn't in the conversion logs for exactly the reason you describe - I update the ToC after conversion. If there's a way to access the editor's logs, that would help. Otherwise, I'll look into this Xpath suggestion. I'm new to Xpath and epub design, but I'm curious why there are only three levels of command-line flags (--level1-toc,--level2-toc,--level3-toc) when the ToC could be nested deeper than that. Does "level 1/2/3" in those flags refer to the nesting depth of a particular element in the ToC?

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09-04-2024, 02:40 PM	#15
Whip Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2024 Device: none	Thank you DNSB for the suggestion, that was very helpful. I am so close! I have the Xpath expression I can use in the editor which lets me enter separate XPath expressions for header-depths of 1-5. However, the command-line tool ebook-convert only has flags for levels 1-3 (--level1-toc, --level2-toc, --level3-toc). Is it possible to use the command line tool to generate a toc with levels 4+5?