Bug: Export Draft processes chapters separately

Question

With PTXprint (PTXprint – Bible Layout For Everyone - SIL Language Technology - highly recommended), I haven’t been using Export Draft PDF very much lately. When I recently tried it (to show beginners how to get a quick and dirty PDF file to print), I noticed that each new chapter starts on a new page. That was apparently done intentionally in the Paratext code that performs Export Draft, because the .tex file created uses a separate .SFM file for each chapter, and processes them separately, like this:

%%%%% Load Paratext USFM %%%%%
\XeTeXdefaultencoding "utf-8"
\catcode`\%=12
\ptxfile{C:/My Paratext 8 Projects/TT3/PrintDraft/49GAL_1TT3-draft.SFM}
\ptxfile{C:/My Paratext 8 Projects/TT3/PrintDraft/49GAL_2TT3-draft.SFM}
\ptxfile{C:/My Paratext 8 Projects/TT3/PrintDraft/49GAL_3TT3-draft.SFM}
\ptxfile{C:/My Paratext 8 Projects/TT3/PrintDraft/49GAL_4TT3-draft.SFM}
\ptxfile{C:/My Paratext 8 Projects/TT3/PrintDraft/49GAL_5TT3-draft.SFM}
\ptxfile{C:/My Paratext 8 Projects/TT3/PrintDraft/49GAL_6TT3-draft.SFM}

\catcode`\%=14

That will ALWAYS start each new chapter on a new page, which is definitely not what is wanted. Can anyone explain why that change was made? Martin says this change was made in the Paratext code in May 2020, but I can’t imagine what that change was trying to do or fix. As it is now, I don’t think I would suggest Export Draft PDF at all, even for a rough draft. I am also submitting a problem report (and pointing to this post).

Answer 1

I continue to run up against this problem. Can the developers please consider undo-ing the code change from May 2020 which put separate chapters on separate pages (in separate .SFM files) in Print Draft? As I said above, I’m pretty sure that even non-contiguous chapters would be acceptable on the same page (when printing translation priorities), so this badly broke a needed functionality in favor of a “might-be-needed” functionality.

Yes, PTXprint is a great tool, but I find some users still struggle to use it who seem to be able to handle Paratext Print Draft.

Comments

jeffh - while the developers do monitor this site some, it is best to report issues using the Help > Give Feedback. That way the the issue is sure to be added.

Answer 2

jeffh:

Can anyone explain why that change was made?

It was a side effect of adding the ability to use Print Draft to print a set of translation priorities (which are broken up by chapter). It should probably only separate them on separate pages if the chapters are non-contiguous.

Comments

I didn’t get a reply to the problem report - I don’t think it was seen as an important priority. But thinking about what @anon291708 said:

anon291708:

It should probably only separate them on separate pages if the chapters are non-contiguous.

I would suggest that even if you have translation priorities, it should be acceptable to put non-contiguous chapters on the same page. So I’m wondering if one of the developers would be willing to undo the change from last May that separated different chapters into different \ptxfile commands. (Just put the code back the way it was.) That change MAY have helped some people who want to print translation priorities (although I kind of doubt it) but it DEFINITELY spoiled Export Draft as PDF for the vast majority of needs.

Thanks for considering it…

Answer 3

I have also started using Print/Export Draft again after a long pause, and am disappointed by the change in v. 9 that starts every chapter on a new page. I went back to v. 8 today to produce a printout of Luke for review.

jeffh, did you get a reply to the problem report?

Answer 4

Issue has been reported…

Answer 5

Any update on this? I would like to quickly produce a PDF from Paratet of a book, and I would rather not have each chapter start on a new page, as it’s a waste of paper and diffirent from how the final product will be (printed Bibles generally don’t put each chapter in a new page).

Comments

Currently the best way to do this is by using PTXPrint (PTXprint)