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Madeline5E68
Participating Frequently
August 31, 2024
Question

How to Fix NavMap and TOC Errors in EPUB Export

  • August 31, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 3195 views

I'm trying to make a reflowable epub file for an ebook, and no matter what I do, when I check the epub file, I keep getting these two errors:

ERROR(RSC-005): /OEBPS/toc.ncx(16,11): Error while parsing file: element "navMap" incomplete; missing required element "navPoint"

ERROR(RSC-005): /OEBPS/toc.xhtml(9,9): Error while parsing file: element "ol" incomplete; missing required element "li"

 

It looks exactly how it's supposed to in my epub viewer, so I don't know why I'm getting these. Messing around with the file and searching for solutions online has just made me more frustrated, especially since I know I made an error-free epub last year for a different book - I just don't remember how I did it. I think the problem might be with the TOC, but I don't know what else I can try to get rid of these errors. Any suggestions? I don't have time to try starting over in a different program, since my publication deadline is coming up pretty soon. Could I just make a linked TOC manually instead of using the auto-TOC tool? I honestly wouldn't mind doing that.

 

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1 reply

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
August 31, 2024

First, what EPUB viewer are you using?

Second, what EPUB validator?

 

First', know that validator results are not nearly as important as they once were — when the approach was to hand-build EPUB files like some kind of programming project, there were many points at which mistakes could be made and validation was an essential tool to find these faults. In these days of exporting EPUB on a level with, say, PDF, checking for every technical jot and niddle is not necessarily useful, or necessary. Sometimes there are actual faults that might affect an end reader; other times the fault are akin to a beautiful new car that drives like a dream... but is 0.1 inch short of factory spec. The final "validation" is if the book reads, renders and navigates properly in a standard EPUB reader.

 

Second', Since those are ERRORs and not info/warnings, it's probably worth chasing them down.

 

So, Third —

  • Have you created a unique TOC 'style' for the dynamic (reader) table of contents? (That is, not "[default]"?)
  • Have you updated this TOC as a last step before export?
  • Do you specify this TOC 'style' in the export menu?
  • Are you using an in-text TOC as well as the reader/dynamic one?

 

M
Madeline5E68Author
Participating Frequently
August 31, 2024

1. The file is being checked by the publishing platform itself, Draft2Digital, so I cannot move forward with publication until their built-in checker says the file is okay. I'm not sure if they use their own original checker or have embedded some other one.

3. a. I have not made a TOC style. Not sure I've ever done that before and not sure how I'd do it, but I'll look into that.
b. I did the TOC last, but for some reason the "update" option was grayed out.
c. Since I don't have a TOC style, I have not specified anything in the export menu
d. The TOC appears in the text itself, with clickable links to take you to each chapter, like any other ebook, so not sure what you mean by in-text vs. reader/dynamic one.

M
Madeline5E68Author
Participating Frequently
August 31, 2024

For reference —

 

This should be much the same for both TOC types; DON'T specify page numbers in the in-text one, either.


I just made a TOC style and it did solve the errors. The TOC style window looked familiar, so I must have done that with last year's book. Only issue now is that the fonts for epub files are automatically encrypted by InDesign and according to Draft2Digital, that could delay or prevent publication at some stores. It won't prevent me from moving forward, but it could cause severe delays or limit my possible sales channels. I'm working on that now - apparently finding the epub's folder and replacing the font files in that folder with the original ones can solve that, but I'm using fonts from Adobe Fonts so I don't think I'd have the original files. I'm going to try some different options to see if there's any chance of preserving my chapter title formatting without bringing those errors back. I know it's possible - I've seen it in other people's ebooks.

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