Add support for ePub?

netsonicyxf · Post by **netsonicyxf** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:30 am

I really hope PDF-XChange add this format.
Include these features: Bookmark, table of contents, hignlights, adding notes.

BigMike · Post by **BigMike** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:58 am

As Microsoft dropped the support for ePUB files in Edge, I'm looking for a replacement and would highly welcome a support in PDF-XChange Editor.

Ovg · Post by **Ovg** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:55 pm

Why not to use https://github.com/Sigil-Ebook/Sigil/re ... tag/0.9.18 - ePub editor?

Post by **Tracker Supp-Stefan** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 2:41 pm

Hi All,

The e-pub file format, as far as I know is quite different than the PDF file format, so it is unlikely we will offer 'native' editing of an e-pub file - ever. Even if we offer some conversion in the future - it will make the file a PDF first before you can then make changes to it.

Please note that this is NOT a promise that we will be offering such a conversion or that any work or even possible investigation of such a converter has been done!

Regards,
Stefan

BigMike · Post by **BigMike** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:49 pm

Hi,

actually ePub (at least the unprotected files) are a ZIP file, containing html documents (and style sheets and images and...).
It's probably more a DOCX (which PDF XChange Editor can open) than a PDF file. So it was a quite nice (and natural) feature of EDGE to support viewing ePub files...

I understand that the underlying format is completely different. But the usage of a ePub file is quite similar compared to a PDF (mainly reading and annotating)

Post by **TrackerSupp-Daniel** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 7:07 pm

Hello BigMike,

Indeed the underlying format is somewhat similar between Docx and epub files, so it may be possible to convert them if we do choose to investigate it further. It should also be noted that we do only convert docx files to and from PDF as well, we do not edit them directly in their original format.
As Stefan mentioned, it is unfortunately not something we can promise at this point in time.

Kind regards,

BigMike · Post by **BigMike** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 7:16 pm

No problem - but I'm looking for a good replacement for EDGE - mainly to read these files. Microsoft recommends to search an app in the store. I tried a few and liked none. And so I like the idea, because I use the Editor for doing the same tasks with PDFs...

Post by **TrackerSupp-Daniel** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 7:27 pm

Understood.

Out of curiosity, is there a reason you are not using a dedicated e-reader application? These apps are generally designed with the epub and similar formats in mind.

BigMike · Post by **BigMike** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 8:39 pm

I used Microsoft Edge browser until Windows 10 1903 as a simple plain reader application.
In Windows 10 1909, Microsoft dropped the support and recommends to use one of the 3rd party apps from the Microsoft store instead. I tried a few and was quite unhappy. They have poorly designed user interfaces or are full of ads or break the layout (compared to Edge) or bring an own library, where I have to import my eBooks, so I have them twice on my hard disk, as I need the originals for my reader device...

If I find an application, which feels "right", I'd use it. But it'S getting more and more off topic now...

Post by **TrackerSupp-Daniel** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 8:58 pm

I see, in that case, good luck with your search.
Hopefully this is something we can offer in the future, but if it is even possible, and something that we decide to offer, it will certainly be a while before it is available.
Kind regards,

NotesTracker · Post by **NotesTracker** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 11:06 pm

I too would very much like to see a "From EPUB file" option under "Convert > From Files" because it would allow me to do away with a separate EPUB reader application and allow EPUBs to be managed/perused inside the PDF-XChange GUI This would mean there's one less window cluttering up the scarce Windows desktop real estate, which would be a big improvement.

I've used Calibre (free app) to take a quick look inside a few EPUB files and it seems a relatively straightforward document architecture (HTML. images, etc) that shouldn't be all that difficult for the talented designers/developers at Tracker Software to implement. Sure, an app like Calibre does convert from EPUB to PDF format, but it would be a big productivity boost to have this conversion built into PDF-XChange itself.

Post by **TrackerSupp-Daniel** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:30 am

Hi, NotesTracker

Thank you for the feedback, You may have noticed that this discussion happened a little over a year ago. Every few months I make sure to prompt the Dev team to reconsider this, but so far the reply still remains as a resounding "no".
EPub is, unfortunately a format which currently we do not plan to implement support for. This may change in the future, and I will continue asking every few months. For the time being, I am sorry to say that it is not something we are working on, and not something which will be coming any time soon.

Kind regards,

Jensen Head · Post by **Jensen Head** » Sat Dec 11, 2021 5:34 pm

An earlier topic with this wish is -"(Feature Request) epub support!" (22 Sep 2013) https://forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=18814

Post by **Paul - Tracker Supp** » Mon Dec 13, 2021 4:57 pm

Unfortunately ePub is not enjoying great demand and we are not prioritizing this.

You are going to have to continue to look elsewhere for ePub support I am afraid.

Bleiddyn · Post by **Bleiddyn** » Wed Jan 18, 2023 10:42 pm

There has been some discussion of this over the years.

Are we any nearer to getting to the option 'Export to EPub'. There was discussion of convert to pdf, but surely export to EPub would be simpler.
Hoping ....

Post by **TrackerSupp-Daniel** » Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:00 pm

Hello, Bleiddyn

I am afraid not, from a technical perspective, the ability to import a new format would be considerably easier than exporting. This is because we understand the PDF specification and can build it reliably, we would "only" need to have a method of rendering and capturing the very basic information within an Epub file (base text, image and links) and generating a PDF file. Despite this, learning a new format well enough to read and render it is still an extremely complex undertaking, and we have a very small team, the manpower to dedicate to this task simply does not exist.

Converting TO another format, such as Epub, is a much taller order. It would not only require all of the above, but it would require us to reliably and accurately determine the intended reading order of any given PDF file, deliberately strip extraneous content like headers and repeat logos (which are not always created in a way that they are detectable), and then take a format which is coordinate based, and reshape it into a size variable flow based format, and ensure that the images and other items are interspersed correctly within the text while retaining that reading order (and that is all before we consider needing to learn how Epub itself actually works well enough to create a file which respects any rules that may exist for the format.

As such I must apologize, but for the forseeable future this is not something that is planned, or even being discussed internally (beyond my periodic prompt on if things have changed every time a post like this appears).

Kind regards,

Bleiddyn · Post by **Bleiddyn** » Mon Apr 17, 2023 5:53 pm

Hi Daniel
My reply is very delayed, but I am writing to thank you for your detailed response. I have found a work around through Calibre, but would have preferred to have stayed with PDF-XCHANGE. If I can suggest, you do not need a conversion option that solves all the problems in the exported PDF, but simply one that highlights the potential problems in the attempted export of a specific PDF for the user to correct before resubmitting.
i.e. you only 'export' EPubs if they are fully compliant with guidelines that you set. This would widen PDF-XCHANGE's offer and keep it as an all in one place alternative to Adobe for self-publishers.

Post by **TrackerSupp-Daniel** » Mon Apr 17, 2023 6:24 pm

Hello, Bleiddyn

We are not in the habit of offering half complete features which we cannot actually finish, and do not plan to do so now. even if we entertained that idea, the question of "how complete is complete enough" would very from person to person. The simple fact is that we do not have the manpower or knowledge of the epub format to make a satisfactory output file. If you are okay with something that is only partially complete, exporting to txt or word, and then trying to open those in your epub reader, would likely be the closest we can offer. Because both of those formats are flow based, unlike PDF, there is a much higher chance that the epub reader apps will understand them, than there is for PDF.

Kind regards,

Bleiddyn · Post by **Bleiddyn** » Mon Apr 17, 2023 7:05 pm

Hi Daniel
Mine was not in anyway a criticism. I am grateful for your replies and understand the situation.
Bleiddyn

Post by **TrackerSupp-Daniel** » Mon Apr 17, 2023 7:49 pm