XHTML closing tag issue

[ptm@xact.co.uk]

Simply by parsing and committing an xhtml file, using the container, I see the following changes to the content.

Before parsing:
<span x="y"/>
<div id="w"/>

After committing:
<span x="y"></span>
<div id="w"></div>

Is there a 'tweak' setting or other method I can use to preserve the compact version of for tags with only attributes and no content?

[kovidgoyal]

No there isn't, IIRC.

[ptm@xact.co.uk]

I have not looked at the Calibre code. Hopefully there is an option on the serializer to use compact closing tags (i.e. <sometag/>) instead of <sometag></sometag>. If this is the case, how difficult do you think it would be to add a tweak to set this option? Is this something you or I can look at? I would need a few hints where to start looking.

[kovidgoyal]

This is done deliberately, see line 441 in oeb/base.py

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ptm@xact.co.uk

I have not looked at the Calibre code. Hopefully there is an option on the serializer to use compact closing tags (i.e. <sometag/>) instead of <sometag></sometag>. If this is the case, how difficult do you think it would be to add a tweak to set this option? Is this something you or I can look at? I would need a few hints where to start looking.

Most tags are <sometag>Text from the book</sometag>. That's why it should not be done. <sometag/>This is text from the book will not work.

[ptm@xact.co.uk]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

This is done deliberately, see line 441 in oeb/base.py

I see the comment about some browser based renderers. I wonder if this is still true. I've no idea when this code was written. But my boss needs self closing tags. So if, at line 160 we had:

def close_self_closing_tags(raw):
    if self_closing_tags_permitted():
        return raw
    for_unicode = isinstance(raw, str)
    repl = as_string_type(r'<\g<tag>\g<arg>></\g<tag>>', for_unicode)
    pat = self_closing_pat(for_unicode)
    return pat.sub(repl, raw)

And in 'tweaks', wherever they are coded, the self_closing_tags_permitted() function is added. Returning false by default, but true if so configured by the user. Then we get the best of both worlds. Am I on the right track?

[kovidgoyal]

I'm not going to change that as it is a completely cosmetic change that has the potential to break rendering in the real world. You are welcome to run calibre from source and make the change for yourself.

[ptm@xact.co.uk]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

I'm not going to change that as it is a completely cosmetic change that has the potential to break rendering in the real world. You are welcome to run calibre from source and make the change for yourself.

May I ask you to reconsider? The Client using our plugin says it is a requirement. They suggest <tag></tag> (with no text between) is badly formed XML. The suggestion in my previous post would maintain backwards compatibility. So I do not believe it would affect anyone, unless they use the 'tweak' setting.

Implementing such a change myself (apart from not having a Linux system to do the build) would mean our Client could no longer install any future Calibre updates.

Fingers crossed, best regards
Paul

[kovidgoyal]

<tag></tag> is perfectly well formed XML. I suggest you tell your client to read the XML specifications.

You don't need Linux to do a build, indeed you don't need to do a build at all. calibre can run from source without needing building see https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/develop.html

I am not going to accept this change in calibre as it has the potential to break things for people for no actual benefit to any calibre user.