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Fun Seeker
Inspiring
August 22, 2021
Question

Editing Epubs in Dreamweaver

  • August 22, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 2382 views

Hi,

I created a reflowable epub file using Indesign without any difficulties. Unfortunately, InDesign generates a tremendous amount of unnecessary code that makes it very difficult to edit or compliant with Kindle specs. Using Libre Office, I can export the document as a .html file and open it in Dreamweaver. Being familiar with Dreamweaver, it would be much easier for me to edit the code, so I would prefer to proceed in this way.

Is anybody using Dreamweaver to edit/create their epub files? Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Mark

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2 replies

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
October 17, 2023

I realize this is an older thread, and even the bump is months back. But I wanted to poke in some useful information.

 

First, the InDesign plugin for Kindle was never finished, never worked very well and is now wholly obsolete, still in a beta form. But ID's EPUB export and some added skills more than make up for its crude functionality.

 

Second, no, DW is not a good EPUB editor. You can use to edit the component files, of course, but it brings so much bulk and overhead for other purposes that I've found it just gets in the way. I much prefer using a streamlined code editor, with formatting and color-coding, like Notepad++, when I need to edit XHTML or CSS for EPUB.

 

Third, ID generates fine EPUB code, especially for Kindle, and does so in a modern, WYSI, designer environment and not the Lego/Build-a-Bear model that's both a PITA and wholly obsolete. I suspect the comment about ID generating messy code refers to FXL EPUB, which is inherently such a mess that it's next to un-editable at all. But if you're serious about doing EPUB and Kindle in the modern day, it's time to put away the hand-carved, tinker-toy, structural tools for EPUB — put 'em on the shelf with lead type and hand-pasteup on blueline board for print work — and move to a real document/page design tool as your workbench. You know, like InDesign. 🙂

 

For the areas where ID doesn't quite generate clean results, use CSS. You can tweak or completely override InDesign's defaults, some of which are clumsy to the point of being broken, with just a modicum of HTML/CSS knowledge... and the more you know, from web design etc., the more you can do, achieving things that are difficult to nearly impossible using hand-built component files.  You can even — fairly easily — maintain dual-format export from the same ID file, to clean PDF for print and optimized EPUB for EPUB or Kindle.

 

There's no reason to use obsolete methods, or hack at an exported EPUB, or put up with all the clumsy steps to get a second rate result.

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 22, 2021

    Export your InDesign file directly to e-Pub formatted for Kindle.  Amazon provides a free plugin specifically for this purpose:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000765271

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    F
    Fun SeekerAuthor
    Inspiring
    August 22, 2021

    Hi Nancy,

     

    I understand it can be done. The problem is that InDesign generates a tremendous amount of unnecessary code (see below). I can eliminate most of it using Dreamweaver. As well, KDP requires/suggests particular coding in certain instances, which I’m finding difficult to accomplish using InDesign as the editor.

     

    <div class="_idGenObjectLayout-1">
    <div id="_idContainer000" class="imageBorder">
    <img class="_idGenObjectAttribute-1" src="image/300ppi.png" alt="" />
    </div>
    </div>
    <div id="_idContainer001" class="Basic-Text-Frame">
    <p class="bodyText">Nate vella dest quides molupta sit aliquas excest volorep erspeliquia ilitius modit et, net quaepreici blam, ullestias maximus accate nobisquas reped modisit dolupis iusam, solessi taerrumet officia vitasimi</p>
    </div>
    <div class="_idGenObjectLayout-1">
    <div id="_idContainer002" class="imageBorder">
    <img class="_idGenObjectAttribute-1" src="image/300ppi.png" alt=“alt text” />
    </div>
    </div>
    <div id="_idContainer003" class="Basic-Text-Frame">
    <p class="captionText"><span class="boldText _idGenCharOverride-1">eeeeRibus molorit ianihic</span> itibust qui officii ssitemolupta ditas dolorib usandenem con comnit qui tem sed quunt, offici.</p>
    </div>

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 23, 2021

    Hi Nancy,

     

    I fully understand.

     

    The problem is as follows. I am trying to group elements (an image and text below it) for an epub using the following CSS rule:

     

    .avoidbreak { page-break-inside: avoid; }

     

    I would like to keep the image and text paired, if possible. Unforunately, I haven't had any success. I posted a question on the InDesign forums but got no response.

     

    The HTML code that Indesign exported is below. I tried wrapping everything in a DIV and giving it the class “avoidbreak,” but it doesn't work. I tried everything I know of but the results were the same.

     

    Do you have any idea how to do it? It seems simple enough.

     

    Thanks.

     

    Mark

     

    <div class="avoidbreak">

    <div class="_idGenObjectLayout-1">

    <div id="_idContainer004" class="imageBorder">

    <img class="_idGenObjectAttribute-1" src="image/300ppi.png" alt="image text" />

    </div>

    </div>

    <div id="_idContainer005" class="Basic-Text-Frame">

    <p class="captionText">Ribus molorit ianihic itibust qui officii ssitemolupta ditas dolorib usandenem con comnit qui tem sed quunt, offici ant vendus aut velessimet endant eumquunt quia in provitis ea porum nosanduntem.</p>

    </div>

    </div>


    Are you certain those CSS rules will even work on Kindle?  I ask because many things you can do on the web will be ignored by Kindle and other e-Book readers.  That's just the nature of this beast.

     

    Sometimes the only way to avoid breaking content is to use smaller fonts or combine text and image into a single JPG  -- which is not ideal for accessibility reasons. 

     

    Kindle Direct has a user community you can consult about formatting issues.

    https://www.kdpcommunity.com/

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
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