getting the epub to validate

nixwinter · 04-13-2010, 09:02 PM

Calibre's epub looks great when I import it into my ipad, but the file won't validate... it says all kinds of crazy stuff.

1. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/content.opf(12): date value '2010-04-13T07:00:00+00:00' is not valid, YYYY[-MM[-DD]] expected
2. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/index_split_000.html(14): element "img" from namespace "http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" not allowed in this context
3. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/index_split_000.html(14): required attributes missing
4. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/toc.ncx(13): unfinished element
5. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/toc.ncx(2): assertion failed: first playOrder value is not 1
6. Check finished with warnings or errors!

Preflight report

Epubpreflight runs some of the same validation as epubcheck, but additionally checks for problems like very large file sizes that might affect some reading systems.

1. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/toc.ncx(13): unfinished element
2. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/toc.ncx(2): assertion failed: first playOrder value is not 1
3. Check finished with warnings or errors!

Is there any hope at all of getting these things to fix so a validated file can be made?

Nix

kovidgoyal · 04-14-2010, 03:00 AM

1 is a bug in epubcheck

2 and 3 are bugs in your source file

4 and 5 may be calibre bugs but its hard to say without looking at the files in question

Guido Henkel · 05-04-2010, 09:46 PM

I am having the exact same issue. Here is my output from epubcheck 1.0.5

Epubcheck Version 1.0.5

ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/content.opf(14): date value '2009-12-16 00:00:00-08:00' is not valid, YYYY[-MM[-DD]] expected
ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/toc.ncx(13): unfinished element
ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/toc.ncx(2): assertion failed: first playOrder value is not 1

Check finished with warnings or errors!

What can I do to help you locate and fix these errors in Calibre, as properly validated ePub files are vital for me to be accepted into a certain distribution outlet.

kovidgoyal · 05-04-2010, 10:40 PM

The first error is a bug in epubcheck. For the second open a ticket and attach your files.

Guido Henkel · 05-05-2010, 10:49 PM

Kovid,

I opened a ticket and sent you a test file last night. I hope you'll have the chance to take a look at that some time.

Thanks a bunch,
Guido

Guido Henkel · 05-06-2010, 01:05 PM

Kovid,

Got your response to my ticket but I'm not sure I like the answer. I do not want a Table of Content in my books, and I am sure there is a valid way to create an ePub file that has no TOC. Am I to assume from your response that this is not something you will address?

Thanks,
Guido

kovidgoyal · 05-06-2010, 01:31 PM

It's a simple hand edit in that case. Just delete the toc.ncx file and remove any reference to it in the opf file.

kovidgoyal · 05-06-2010, 02:50 PM

Except I just had a look at the EPUB spec and it requires an NCX, so you're out of luck. Apparently you have to have a table of contents. You should complain to the IDPF

AnemicOak · 05-06-2010, 03:00 PM

I suppose you could hand edit the ncx so the TOC ended up 'blank'.

kovidgoyal · 05-06-2010, 03:04 PM

Though I don;t really understand what the harm in having a TOC is? An NCX TOC is not present in the normal flow of the book, so if your users don't want to use it, they will never see it.

AnemicOak · 05-06-2010, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Though I don;t really understand what the harm in having a TOC is? An NCX TOC is not present in the normal flow of the book, so if your users don't want to use it, they will never see it.

I agree.

Guido Henkel · 05-07-2010, 01:45 AM

If you have a book that has no chapters, a TOC has no place in it. It really is as simple as that.

Krystian Galaj · 05-07-2010, 11:00 AM

TOC is Table of Contents, not Chapters. Your book does have contents, right?

Guido Henkel · 05-13-2010, 06:52 PM

It does not have contents. It has content and that is exactly why I do not need a TOC. It is a little strange to create a TOC that points into the middle of text sections. That's why usually a TOC points to chapter starts, which I do not have.

Guido Henkel · 05-13-2010, 07:54 PM

Okay, I have decided upon a way t create a TOC for my book, although it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. However, while Calibre builds a TOC and Adobe Digital Editions nicely displays it, epubcheck has some serious issues with it - like this

ERROR: jdghvol1.epub: could not parse DemonsNight Win_split_001.html: duplicate id: calibre_toc_2
ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/toc.ncx(20): assertion failed: playOrder sequence has gaps
.
.
.
ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/toc.ncx(30): 'calibre_toc_4': fragment identifier is not defined in 'DemonsNight Win_split_001.html'
.
.
.

It's an endless list listing every one of my countless TOC entries.

Any ideas what could be going on here?

Just to point out, if it helps, that my TOC entries are picked directly in the text and the name of the TOC entry is essentially an entire paragraph of text. I have to do this because I have no chapter markers or anything else I could use for a chapter title and I don't want to have an endless list of TOC entries, all of them displayed as "Unnamed."

04-13-2010, 09:02 PM	#1
nixwinter Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: ipad	getting the epub to validate Calibre's epub looks great when I import it into my ipad, but the file won't validate... it says all kinds of crazy stuff. 1. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/content.opf(12): date value '2010-04-13T07:00:00+00:00' is not valid, YYYY[-MM[-DD]] expected 2. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/index_split_000.html(14): element "img" from namespace "http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" not allowed in this context 3. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/index_split_000.html(14): required attributes missing 4. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/toc.ncx(13): unfinished element 5. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/toc.ncx(2): assertion failed: first playOrder value is not 1 6. Check finished with warnings or errors! Preflight report Epubpreflight runs some of the same validation as epubcheck, but additionally checks for problems like very large file sizes that might affect some reading systems. 1. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/toc.ncx(13): unfinished element 2. ERROR: The House of Silver Oak - nix winter.epub/toc.ncx(2): assertion failed: first playOrder value is not 1 3. Check finished with warnings or errors! Is there any hope at all of getting these things to fix so a validated file can be made? Nix

05-06-2010, 02:50 PM	#8
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,551 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Except I just had a look at the EPUB spec and it requires an NCX, so you're out of luck. Apparently you have to have a table of contents. You should complain to the IDPF Last edited by kovidgoyal; 05-06-2010 at 02:58 PM.

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04-14-2010, 03:00 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,551 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	1 is a bug in epubcheck 2 and 3 are bugs in your source file 4 and 5 may be calibre bugs but its hard to say without looking at the files in question

05-04-2010, 09:46 PM	#3
Guido Henkel Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: mobi, epub, lit	I am having the exact same issue. Here is my output from epubcheck 1.0.5 Epubcheck Version 1.0.5 ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/content.opf(14): date value '2009-12-16 00:00:00-08:00' is not valid, YYYY[-MM[-DD]] expected ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/toc.ncx(13): unfinished element ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/toc.ncx(2): assertion failed: first playOrder value is not 1 Check finished with warnings or errors! What can I do to help you locate and fix these errors in Calibre, as properly validated ePub files are vital for me to be accepted into a certain distribution outlet.

05-04-2010, 10:40 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,551 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The first error is a bug in epubcheck. For the second open a ticket and attach your files.

05-05-2010, 10:49 PM	#5
Guido Henkel Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: mobi, epub, lit	Kovid, I opened a ticket and sent you a test file last night. I hope you'll have the chance to take a look at that some time. Thanks a bunch, Guido

05-06-2010, 01:05 PM	#6
Guido Henkel Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: mobi, epub, lit	Kovid, Got your response to my ticket but I'm not sure I like the answer. I do not want a Table of Content in my books, and I am sure there is a valid way to create an ePub file that has no TOC. Am I to assume from your response that this is not something you will address? Thanks, Guido

05-06-2010, 01:31 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,551 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	It's a simple hand edit in that case. Just delete the toc.ncx file and remove any reference to it in the opf file.

05-06-2010, 03:00 PM	#9
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	I suppose you could hand edit the ncx so the TOC ended up 'blank'.

05-06-2010, 03:04 PM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,551 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Though I don;t really understand what the harm in having a TOC is? An NCX TOC is not present in the normal flow of the book, so if your users don't want to use it, they will never see it.

05-07-2010, 01:45 AM	#12
Guido Henkel Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: mobi, epub, lit	If you have a book that has no chapters, a TOC has no place in it. It really is as simple as that.

05-07-2010, 11:00 AM	#13
Krystian Galaj Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 11012 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Bookeen Cybook	TOC is Table of Contents, not Chapters. Your book does have contents, right?

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05-13-2010, 06:52 PM	#14
Guido Henkel Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: mobi, epub, lit	It does not have contents. It has content and that is exactly why I do not need a TOC. It is a little strange to create a TOC that points into the middle of text sections. That's why usually a TOC points to chapter starts, which I do not have.

05-13-2010, 07:54 PM	#15
Guido Henkel Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: mobi, epub, lit	Okay, I have decided upon a way t create a TOC for my book, although it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. However, while Calibre builds a TOC and Adobe Digital Editions nicely displays it, epubcheck has some serious issues with it - like this ERROR: jdghvol1.epub: could not parse DemonsNight Win_split_001.html: duplicate id: calibre_toc_2 ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/toc.ncx(20): assertion failed: playOrder sequence has gaps . . . ERROR: jdghvol1.epub/toc.ncx(30): 'calibre_toc_4': fragment identifier is not defined in 'DemonsNight Win_split_001.html' . . . It's an endless list listing every one of my countless TOC entries. Any ideas what could be going on here? Just to point out, if it helps, that my TOC entries are picked directly in the text and the name of the TOC entry is essentially an entire paragraph of text. I have to do this because I have no chapter markers or anything else I could use for a chapter title and I don't want to have an endless list of TOC entries, all of them displayed as "Unnamed."