Importing HTML files with the wrong chapter order

amckenzie4 · 08-30-2020, 07:01 PM

Hey folks. I've just created a few books out of HTML files, and the chapters come out in the wrong order. What I wind up with is a MOBI or EPUB book where the first page is the ToC I created, but the chapters are out of order. If I delete the MOBI/EPUB version and reconvert, the chapters still won't be in order, but they may be in a different order from the first time I tried. Fascinatingly, the ToC links work correctly.

Here's my process:

1) Create the individual HTML files, with no internal links.
2) Create a table of contents file called index.html, with links to the chapters in order. Something like

Code:

<html>
<body>
<a href="Chapter One.html">Chapter 1</a></br>
<a href="Chapter Two.html">Chapter 2</a></br>
...etc
</body>
</html>

3) Confirm I've actually spelled everything right and that the index.html file works correctly in a browser.
4) In Calibre, use the "Add Books" button to add the book by selecting the index.html file.
5) Use the "Convert Books" button to convert to Mobi.

I get the same result when converting to ePub. My current workaround is to first convert to ePub, use the book editing tool to manually arrange the chapters, and then convert to MOBI. it works, but it's really inefficient, and I could swear this used to work the way I expected.

Any advice?

kovidgoyal · 08-30-2020, 11:00 PM

https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...specific-order

amckenzie4 · 08-31-2020, 02:00 PM

Thanks! Sadly, that's what I've been doing and it doesn't work. (I missed the table of contents line when I was writing the original post, but it is in my index.html files.)

kovidgoyal · 09-01-2020, 12:07 AM

Did you change the setting from depth first to breadth first?

amckenzie4 · 09-01-2020, 12:37 PM

Yup! Makes no difference, at least as far as chapter order goes.

kovidgoyal · 09-01-2020, 01:20 PM

I dont see how that's possible. Attach a minimal example demonstrating the problem.

amckenzie4 · 09-01-2020, 03:52 PM

To be honest, I don't either! Here's the one I've been working on most recently.

Original Files:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ach138gre...lng_6UQVa?dl=0

Converted book:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ar8ktw4ez...BLwffLMka?dl=0

I'll be interested to see if you have the same problem, or if it's something odd with my system.

JSWolf · 09-01-2020, 04:42 PM

What OS are you running? If it's Linux, did you get Calibre from the official site?

amckenzie4 · 09-01-2020, 05:02 PM

Windows 10 Home, and I did get it from the official site. I'm also running 4.23, which, as far as I know, is the current version.

kovidgoyal · 09-02-2020, 12:04 AM

Your html files wont be recognized as such, start them with <html> tags and you will be fine.

amckenzie4 · 09-02-2020, 11:46 AM

Ah! Thanks, that would do it. Apparently I forgot to update that.

I do find it interesting that the formatting was largely correct, it just couldn't figure out what order to put them in.

Thanks again!

08-30-2020, 07:01 PM	#1
amckenzie4 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2020 Device: Kindle	Importing HTML files with the wrong chapter order Hey folks. I've just created a few books out of HTML files, and the chapters come out in the wrong order. What I wind up with is a MOBI or EPUB book where the first page is the ToC I created, but the chapters are out of order. If I delete the MOBI/EPUB version and reconvert, the chapters still won't be in order, but they may be in a different order from the first time I tried. Fascinatingly, the ToC links work correctly. Here's my process: 1) Create the individual HTML files, with no internal links. 2) Create a table of contents file called index.html, with links to the chapters in order. Something like Code: <html> <body> <a href="Chapter One.html">Chapter 1</a></br> <a href="Chapter Two.html">Chapter 2</a></br> ...etc </body> </html> 3) Confirm I've actually spelled everything right and that the index.html file works correctly in a browser. 4) In Calibre, use the "Add Books" button to add the book by selecting the index.html file. 5) Use the "Convert Books" button to convert to Mobi. I get the same result when converting to ePub. My current workaround is to first convert to ePub, use the book editing tool to manually arrange the chapters, and then convert to MOBI. it works, but it's really inefficient, and I could swear this used to work the way I expected. Any advice?

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08-30-2020, 11:00 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,562 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...specific-order

08-31-2020, 02:00 PM	#3
amckenzie4 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2020 Device: Kindle	Thanks! Sadly, that's what I've been doing and it doesn't work. (I missed the table of contents line when I was writing the original post, but it is in my index.html files.)

09-01-2020, 12:07 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,562 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Did you change the setting from depth first to breadth first?

09-01-2020, 12:37 PM	#5
amckenzie4 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2020 Device: Kindle	Yup! Makes no difference, at least as far as chapter order goes.

09-01-2020, 01:20 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,562 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I dont see how that's possible. Attach a minimal example demonstrating the problem.

09-01-2020, 03:52 PM	#7
amckenzie4 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2020 Device: Kindle	To be honest, I don't either! Here's the one I've been working on most recently. Original Files: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ach138gre...lng_6UQVa?dl=0 Converted book: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ar8ktw4ez...BLwffLMka?dl=0 I'll be interested to see if you have the same problem, or if it's something odd with my system.

09-01-2020, 04:42 PM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 76,474 Karma: 136564766 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	What OS are you running? If it's Linux, did you get Calibre from the official site?

09-01-2020, 05:02 PM	#9
amckenzie4 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2020 Device: Kindle	Windows 10 Home, and I did get it from the official site. I'm also running 4.23, which, as far as I know, is the current version.

09-02-2020, 12:04 AM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,562 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Your html files wont be recognized as such, start them with <html> tags and you will be fine.

09-02-2020, 11:46 AM	#11
amckenzie4 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2020 Device: Kindle	Ah! Thanks, that would do it. Apparently I forgot to update that. I do find it interesting that the formatting was largely correct, it just couldn't figure out what order to put them in. Thanks again!

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