New Sigil v 0.6.0 – anyone else getting messy ePUB CSS?

Scrivener Scrivener for Windows
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I’m using Scrivener to write my manuscript, as well as to give me a basic compiled ePUB ebook file before bringing it into Sigil for customization.

It was such a simple process with Sigil version 0.5.3, which was released in February 2012. However, Sigil just released a new version 0.6.0 last month (October 2012). I updated to the new version and found the interface to be a great improvement, however, when I went into the code view, I was met with a mess.

One of the biggest reasons I’m bringing my Scrivener compiled ePUB into Sigil is to work with the CSS. In version 0.5.3, I could modify the coding in the head of an HTML page and the text with the same class number would reflect the change. For instance, the code would read something like:

I would make my alterations in these lines, such as to the font family and font size, and then preview the corresponding text with that style class defined with “1” and “2” and everything would reflect the new change.

Now with Sigil version 0.6.0, there is not the option to fix the CSS in the and the new style is reflected for all corresponding text. Instead, when you compile an ePUB from Scrivener and open it in the new Sigil, each section of text is within individual CSS coding like:

And:

So when you want to alter the style of text, you have to modify each section of CSS code instead of the main code in the head.

I don’t mind doing manual coding, but just one of my HTML files within my ePUB now has something like 50 sections of individual CSS coding. Times that by how many chapters in my book I have and it’s just absurd to alter that much code.

So while I’d like to have the latest version of Sigil, I had to revert back to version 0.5.3. I’m praying that it can remain stable for the next few months when I’ll finally be done writing my book and will make my final ePUB ebook to code.

I know it’s not Scrivener’s fault but I just wanted to post here to see if others are having problems or whether I’m doing something wrong.

Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from others.

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I haven’t upgraded yet, I’m still using an older version, but I speculate the main change here is that the HTML Tidy feature is disabled by default. It used to be enabled for new installations, and this would just go through the whole thing with HTML Tidy and produce the clean result you are accustomed to. What you are seeing now is the raw output that Scrivener produces (which is admittedly a bit messy, but that’s how the text engine produces HTML so we’re kind of stuck with it for now).

There should be a “broom” icon in the toolbar. The thing about this icon is that it doesn’t (or at least it did not used to) make a difference in the active project. If you turned the tidy feature on, it wouldn’t instantly tidy your project. You’d have to open the .epub file again to see the change. So try clicking that so that the toolbar button appears depressed, and then reload the .epub.

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You are a genius! That’s it. The “tidy” feature. I don’t see a little broom icon but if you go to “Preferences” under “Edit” and click to “Clean Source” you can choose “HTML Tidy.” Then I reopened the file and it now appears like the other version.

Thank you! Thank you! I appreciate the incredibly fast reply.

I hope this thread can help others.