Convert FB2 to DOCBOOK

Why Convert FB2 to DocBook?

Converting FB2 ebooks to DocBook XML format is useful when you need to repurpose fiction content for technical documentation, academic publishing, or professional book production. DocBook is the industry standard for technical documentation and provides semantic markup that preserves document meaning, not just appearance.

FB2 (FictionBook 2) is an XML-based ebook format extremely popular in Russia and Eastern Europe. While it excels at storing fiction with rich metadata, it's optimized for reading rather than technical publishing. DocBook, on the other hand, has been the go-to format for technical documentation since 1991, used by organizations like Sun Microsystems, Red Hat, and O'Reilly Media.

DocBook's semantic markup allows you to describe what content means (e.g., <command>, <function>, <warning>) rather than how it looks. This separation of content from presentation enables single-source publishing - write once, output to HTML, PDF, man pages, EPUB, and other formats. DocBook also provides advanced features like indexing, glossaries, and cross-referencing essential for technical documentation.

Key Benefits of Converting FB2 to DocBook:

• Industry Standard: Widely accepted in technical publishing
• Semantic Markup: Describes content meaning, not just formatting
• Multi-Format Output: Convert to HTML, PDF, EPUB, man pages
• Professional Publishing: Used by major publishers
• Advanced Features: Indexing, cross-refs, bibliographies
• Tooling Support: Extensive ecosystem of converters
• Long-Term Archival: OASIS standard ensures longevity

Practical Examples

Example 1: Book Chapter Conversion

Input FB2 file (book.fb2):

<section>
  <title>Introduction to Programming</title>
  <p>Programming is the art of solving problems.</p>
  <p>We'll start with basic concepts.</p>
  <emphasis>Important concept</emphasis>
</section>

Output DocBook file (book.xml):

<chapter>
  <title>Introduction to Programming</title>
  <para>Programming is the art of solving problems.</para>
  <para>We'll start with basic concepts.</para>
  <para><emphasis>Important concept</emphasis></para>
</chapter>

Example 2: Metadata Preservation

Input FB2 metadata:

<title-info>
  <book-title>Python Programming Guide</book-title>
  <author>
    <first-name>John</first-name>
    <last-name>Smith</last-name>
  </author>
  <date>2024</date>
</title-info>

Output DocBook metadata:

<bookinfo>
  <title>Python Programming Guide</title>
  <author>
    <firstname>John</firstname>
    <surname>Smith</surname>
  </author>
  <pubdate>2024</pubdate>
</bookinfo>

Example 3: Structured Content

Input FB2 with annotations:

<annotation>
  <p>This book covers Python fundamentals...</p>
</annotation>
<epigraph>
  <p>"Code is poetry"</p>
  <text-author>Anonymous</text-author>
</epigraph>

Output DocBook:

<abstract>
  <para>This book covers Python fundamentals...</para>
</abstract>
<epigraph>
  <para>Code is poetry</para>
  <attribution>Anonymous</attribution>
</epigraph>

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is FB2 format?

A: FB2 (FictionBook 2) is an XML-based ebook format created in Russia in 2004. It's designed for storing fiction with rich metadata including author info, genres, cover images, and structured content. FB2 is extremely popular in Eastern Europe and CIS countries, supported by readers like FBReader, Cool Reader, and Calibre.

Q: What is DocBook?

A: DocBook is an industry-standard XML markup language for technical documentation. Originally developed by HaL Computer in 1991 for Unix documentation, it's now maintained by OASIS. DocBook provides semantic markup for books, articles, and manuals, widely used by software companies and publishers.

Q: Will chapter structure be preserved?

A: Yes! FB2's section and title elements are converted to DocBook chapter and section elements. The hierarchical structure of your book is preserved using DocBook's semantic elements like <book>, <chapter>, <section>, and <para>.

Q: What happens to images in FB2?

A: FB2 stores images as Base64-encoded data within the XML. During conversion, images are extracted and saved as separate files, with DocBook <imageobject> and <mediaobject> elements referencing them. This allows professional publishing workflows to manage images separately.

Q: Can I convert DocBook to other formats?

A: Yes! DocBook is designed for multi-format publishing. Use tools like xmlto, xsltproc, or DBLaTeX to convert to HTML, PDF, EPUB, man pages, RTF, and more. Pandoc also supports DocBook as input for additional format conversions.

Q: What tools can I use to edit DocBook?

A: Professional XML editors like Oxygen XML Editor, XMLmind XML Editor, and Emacs (with nXML mode) provide DocBook support. For simpler editing, any text editor works, though understanding DocBook's semantic elements is important.

Q: How do I process DocBook files?

A: Use XSLT processors like xsltproc with DocBook XSL stylesheets. Common commands: `xmlto html book.xml` (HTML), `xmlto pdf book.xml` (PDF), `xsltproc -o output.html docbook.xsl book.xml` (custom processing). Tools like Apache FOP handle complex PDF generation.

Q: Is formatting preserved during conversion?

A: Yes! Bold, italic, and other text formatting from FB2 is converted to DocBook equivalents (<emphasis role="bold">, <emphasis>). Paragraphs become <para> elements, lists are preserved, and basic tables are converted to DocBook table structures.