ePub Zip/Unzip AppleScript application for Mac OS X

[pdurrant]

Zipping a folder of files to make an ePub isn't as easy — the folder needs to be zipped in a specific way.

Here's an AppleScript application that does all the hard work for you. Just drag the folder of files onto the Applescript application, and your epub will be created.

For later versions of MacOS, permissions need to be given:

After downloading, make sure it will launch by double-clicking the icon. You may have to option-right-click-open it, since it's not signed by a known developer. Once it'll launch OK, quit, and drag an epub onto it. It will ask for more permissions, to do with the Finder.

Once all permission have been given, it should just work.

For those interested in what's going on, it's just issuing two zip commands to create the epub, one that zips up the mimetype file without compression, and the second that zips up the rest of the files with compression, skipping the mimetype file and any .DS_Store files or empty directories. The actual commands are

zip -X0 <quoted form of ePubFilePath> mimetype
zip -rDX9 <quoted form of ePubFilePath> * -x "*.DS_Store" -x mimetype

Thanks to Abecedary and Jellby for help getting the magic incantations right.

Comments, bug report, etc, welcome.

New in Version 2.0!
Unzipping an ePub is relatively easy. But it could be easier. This application now unzips ePubs for you, and in addition, it resets the file permissions on the unziped files. No more unzipping an ePub only to find that you don't have permission to read any of the files!

The actual commands used to unzip are:
zip -FF <quoted form of ePubFilePath> --out <quoted form of tempFilePath>
unzip <quoted form of tempFilePath> -d <quoted form of outputFolder>
chmod -R 755 <quoted form of outputFolder>

The application now zips folders into ePubs and unzips ePubs into folders. Drag & Drop or just double-click to run and choose a folder or an ePub.

The new application also has a neat icon, and a crude translation into French. Corrections to the translation very much welcome, as are translations into other languages.

When unzipping, the 2.1 script first uses the zip command to fix any possible errors in the structure of the zip file.



Version 2.0.1: Added german translation by shorshe
Version 2.1: Make sure the zip is good before unzipping it.
Version 2.1.1: Added Portugese translation by PageLab

Version 3.0: Option to expand to a package for use with iBooks.
Version 3.0 (64-bit): For Mac OS X 10.6 and later.

[dgillette.rm]

Thanks, I was wondering what my problem was. I would download an epub and safari would unzip it and then I could not read it.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by dgillette.rm

Thanks, I was wondering what my problem was. I would download an epub and safari would unzip it and then I could not read it.

To stop Safari doing that, uncheck 'Open "safe" files after downloading' in Safari preferences.

[Abecedary]

Thanks very much (again)! Seems to work perfectly for me so far. And it makes good sense to put the .DS_Store files on the exclude list (though having that other command aliased is handy for quickly clearing those files off thumb drives, etc--I suppose it would be easy to make a droplet for that, too). Cheers!

[Jellby]

Does "-x .DS_Store" catch the files in the subdirectories too?

[Abecedary]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Does "-x .DS_Store" catch the files in the subdirectories too?

I would think it'd exclude them recursively, but that's a good question. I'll check on that right now.

EDIT: And no, apparently it doesn't.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Abecedary

I would think it'd exclude them recursively, but that's a good question. I'll check on that right now.

EDIT: And no, apparently it doesn't.

Try with "-x *.DS_Store" then...

[Abecedary]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Try with "-x *.DS_Store" then...

That seems to do it!

[pdurrant]

I've just uploaded a new version. See the first message in this thread.

Enhancement: 1.0.2 now checks for the presence of an existing zip file, and gives the user the option to replace the file or stop. And the old file really does get replaced, as it's moved to the trash before the new one is created. Previously, files left over from the old file could end up being left in the new file.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Here's an AppleScript application that does all the hard work for you - just drag the folder of files onto the Applescript application, and your epub will be created.

[BookLoverToo]

Thanks pdurrant. Works like a charm!

[kiermel]

Thank you very much

I had been trying to create something seemed, and I could not do it!

[MarcusStringer]

You sir...are a gentleman among men...thank you so much for this I was about ready to slip into a coma yesterday when I couldn't work out why this wasn't working....

[Croptop]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Here's an AppleScript application that does all the hard work for you - just drag the folder of files onto the Applescript application, and your epub will be created.

I know that this is an old thread but I wanted to post a big thank you to the OP for making this script available and, more importantly to me, taking the time to explain what the problem is and how it was being solved. Thanks to you and posters on other threads, I can enjoy my purchased .epub books on all of my devices.

[Fabe]

Thank you. I've been driving myself nuts trying to properly zip files for epub on my Mac. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[David Derrico]

You rock super, super hard! This, and your ePubCheck applescript, saved me so much time and frustration. Thank you!!