Unexpected empty source

foosion · 09-20-2024, 04:24 PM

The Check book function has marked every html file with Unexpected empty source and noted line 1 column 0.

The first few lines are

Code:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>

What's the problem?

BTW, this is a book in which just about every CSS entry is a calibre class. It's the Maude translation of War and Peace. Duke Classics is claiming a 2012 copyright.

JSWolf · 09-20-2024, 04:45 PM

Try this code instead.

Code:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops">
<head>

Or this code.

Code:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">
<head>

Karellen · 09-20-2024, 04:57 PM

I don't think the issue is in the first line. More likely the checker is simply falling back to the first line and the problem is elsewhere on the page.

Can we see the entire page, or the entire book if available? Is it epub2 or epub3?

foosion · 09-20-2024, 05:06 PM

Here's the first html file:

Code:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<title>War and Peace</title>
<meta name="author" content="Leo Nikoleyevich Tolstoy"/>
<meta name="generator" content="Duke Classics"/>
<link href="stylesheet.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet"/><style type="text/css">
		</style></head>
<body class="calibre">
<h1 class="title" id="calibre_toc_1">WAR AND PEACE</h1>

<h2 class="decoration">* * *</h2>
<h2 class="decoration">LEO NIKOLEYEVICH TOLSTOY</h2><div class="calibre2" style="text-align:center"><em class="calibre3">Translated by</em></div><h2 class="decoration">AYLMER MAUDE</h2><h2 class="decoration">LOUISE SHANKS MAUDE</h2>

<div class="center"><img src="logo_s.jpg" alt="Duke Classics" class="calibre4"/></div>

<div class="calibre1" id="calibre_pb_2"></div></body>
</html>

and the whole thing scrambled is attached.

EDIT: Alas, Jon's suggestions didn't help.

Karellen · 09-20-2024, 05:16 PM

Thanks.

PHP Code:


			
<head>
  <title>Scrambled</title>
  <meta name="author" content="Leo Nikoleyevich Tolstoy"/>
  <meta name="generator" content="Duke Classics"/>
  <link href="stylesheet.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet"/>
  <style type="text/css">  </style>
</head>

The problem is the <style> tag with empty / white spaces for a value.
Delete that line and the error will be cleared.

== Edit ==
You then need to relink the stylesheet to the html page. That will fix the error.

foosion · 09-20-2024, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karellen

Thanks.

PHP Code:


			
<head>
  <title>Scrambled</title>
  <meta name="author" content="Leo Nikoleyevich Tolstoy"/>
  <meta name="generator" content="Duke Classics"/>
  <link href="stylesheet.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet"/>
  <style type="text/css">  </style>
</head>

The problem is the <style> tag with empty / white spaces for a value.
Delete that line and the error will be cleared.

That did it. Thank you!

386 errors (one per part) seemed a bit much, even if it had no effect on the actual rendering of the book.

Out of idle curiosity, I wonder why the Calibre editor didn't identify that line. Or why the publisher, which obviously used Calibre, didn't notice and fix it.

Now I just have to decide if I want to read this translation or the Briggs version.

Quote:

== Edit ==
You then need to relink the stylesheet to the html page. That will fix the error.

This was not necessary. Editor and viewer found the stylesheet as is.

DNSB · 09-20-2024, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foosion

Out of idle curiosity, I wonder why the Calibre editor didn't identify that line. Or why the publisher, which obviously used Calibre, didn't notice and fix it.

Perhaps that structure not being marked as an error by epubcheck had something to do with that?

Karellen · 09-20-2024, 07:05 PM

There are a few errors that don't go to the actual source of the error.

Even epubCheck shows the same behaviour at times. One that comes to mind is forgetting to add properties="svg" in the opf. epubCheck will tell you it is missing, but not take you to where it should be fixed. It won't even open the file.

As for the publisher... some do weird things.

Also, I'd rethink not linking the stylesheet. Calibre is quite forgiving with errors, ereaders may not be. For a 6 second job, I wouldn't even question it. I would just do it.

foosion · 09-20-2024, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Perhaps that structure not being marked as an error by epubcheck had something to do with that?

Or maybe they just did a Calibre conversion and added their own copyright. The text seems the same as the Project Gutenberg version.

Based on some comments here I had thought epubcheck was more rigorous than Calibre editor's check, but I guess they're just different.

foosion · 09-20-2024, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karellen

There are a few errors that don't go to the actual source of the error.

Even epubCheck shows the same behaviour at times. One that comes to mind is forgetting to add properties="svg" in the opf. epubCheck will tell you it is missing, but not take you to where it should be fixed. It won't even open the file.

As for the publisher... some do weird things.

Also, I'd rethink not linking the stylesheet. Calibre is quite forgiving with errors, ereaders may not be. For a 6 second job, I wouldn't even question it. I would just do it.

I'd say the major weird thing this publisher did is take an out of copyright work, run it through a Calibre conversion and add a copyright.

Turns out the stylesheet is in the same directory as the html files, so the current ref is correct. The change would be to move the stylesheet to ../styles, then link.

foosion · 09-20-2024, 07:40 PM

Every time I think I'm getting a handle on CSS and epub, something new, like this, turns up.

Thanks y'all for your patience as I learn how these things work.

DNSB · 09-20-2024, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foosion

Or maybe they just did a Calibre conversion and added their own copyright. The text seems the same as the Project Gutenberg version.

Based on some comments here I had thought epubcheck was more rigorous than Calibre editor's check, but I guess they're just different.

Other than stylelint, calibre is the only program I've seen that will complain about empty space.

Remember that epubcheck is specific to ePub while stylelint is (X)HTML oriented. Generally, I've found calibre's check to be much less useful than epubcheck since quite a few errors that check does not detect are picked up by epubcheck.

DNSB · 09-20-2024, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foosion

Turns out the stylesheet is in the same directory as the html files, so the current ref is correct. The change would be to move the stylesheet to ../styles, then link.

You can re-arrange an ePub in Sigil and calibre's ebook-editor though I find Sigil's Arrange to Sigil Norm tool to be easier to use.

theducks · 09-20-2024, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foosion

Every time I think I'm getting a handle on CSS and epub, something new, like this, turns up.

Thanks y'all for your patience as I learn how these things work.

It was a warning of basically do nothing code.
<style> </style>
It may not have been your intention to delete the contents and this gives you a warning to undo /abort an edit that went bad.

Personally, I like Lean, Neat code

foosion · 09-21-2024, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

You can re-arrange an ePub in Sigil and calibre's ebook-editor though I find Sigil's Arrange to Sigil Norm tool to be easier to use.

In the editor, wouldn't it just be the arrange into folders function, which seems rather easy?

09-20-2024, 04:24 PM	#1
foosion Evangelist Posts: 415 Karma: 41524 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kobo Libra 2 & Clara BW	Unexpected empty source The Check book function has marked every html file with Unexpected empty source and noted line 1 column 0. The first few lines are Code: <?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> What's the problem? BTW, this is a book in which just about every CSS entry is a calibre class. It's the Maude translation of War and Peace. Duke Classics is claiming a 2012 copyright.

09-20-2024, 04:45 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 76,139 Karma: 134368292 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Try this code instead. Code: <?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops"> <head> Or this code. Code: <?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"> <head> Last edited by JSWolf; 09-20-2024 at 04:49 PM.

09-20-2024, 05:16 PM	#5
Karellen Wizard Posts: 1,339 Karma: 6700866 Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2	Thanks. PHP Code: `<head> <title>Scrambled</title> <meta name="author" content="Leo Nikoleyevich Tolstoy"/> <meta name="generator" content="Duke Classics"/> <link href="stylesheet.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet"/> <style type="text/css"> </style> </head>` The problem is the <style> tag with empty / white spaces for a value. Delete that line and the error will be cleared. == Edit == You then need to relink the stylesheet to the html page. That will fix the error. Last edited by Karellen; 09-20-2024 at 05:25 PM.

09-20-2024, 07:40 PM	#11
foosion Evangelist Posts: 415 Karma: 41524 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kobo Libra 2 & Clara BW	Every time I think I'm getting a handle on CSS and epub, something new, like this, turns up. Thanks y'all for your patience as I learn how these things work. Last edited by foosion; 09-20-2024 at 08:49 PM.

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09-20-2024, 04:57 PM	#3
Karellen Wizard Posts: 1,339 Karma: 6700866 Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2	I don't think the issue is in the first line. More likely the checker is simply falling back to the first line and the problem is elsewhere on the page. Can we see the entire page, or the entire book if available? Is it epub2 or epub3?

09-20-2024, 07:05 PM	#8
Karellen Wizard Posts: 1,339 Karma: 6700866 Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2	There are a few errors that don't go to the actual source of the error. Even epubCheck shows the same behaviour at times. One that comes to mind is forgetting to add properties="svg" in the opf. epubCheck will tell you it is missing, but not take you to where it should be fixed. It won't even open the file. As for the publisher... some do weird things. Also, I'd rethink not linking the stylesheet. Calibre is quite forgiving with errors, ereaders may not be. For a 6 second job, I wouldn't even question it. I would just do it.

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