RST deprecation

[eshellman]

Currently, when RST files are available, they are used to make PDF, EPUB, and MOBI. In the past, they were used to make html files for used on the website. When we started generating HTML5 files, we used the html files previously made from RST files, but we continued to use HTML5 generated from RST to make EPUB and MOBI.

RST files also play a role in our processing of TEX files. TeX is converted to RST, which is converted to HTML5, EPUB and MOBI.

Removing RST files from our conversion flow would represent a significant simplification of our processing. this would involve two steps.

1. Start using HTML files to produce EPUB and MOBI, even when RST files are available. This is a one line configuration change in Ebookconverter, and there is no need to remove RST files to accomplish this.

• We should examine and compare HTML5 produced from RST with that produced from the existing HTML to make sure the switch results in improved HTML5. (Minor improvements in the RST processing have been made in recent years).
• We should decide if it is worth the trouble to continue making PDF from RST; producing PDF from HTML5 is anticipated to start in 2025.

2. Huge advances in automated conversion of TeX to HTML5 have occurred over the past 5 years, including generation of MathML math, which in 2025 has huge advantages over the old method of inserting images in the HTML. We will then be able to eliminate the need for a TeX rendering system in Ebookmaker, and for an RST conversion step, except in the very rare case of only RST being available as source.

Closely related issues are in Ebookconverter:

1. possible rst conversion issue ebookmaker#264
2. epubs generated from RST were never validated ebookmaker#265
3. rst conversion results in div inside p for noimages epub ebookmaker#266

[Rossolson]

So the vision here is HTML5, Full stop. Is that right? All book variations would be generated from the root HTML. That would eliminate the need for RST support, once all projects with RST have been verified as having good HTML versions to take the place of the source file.

[eshellman]

more or less.