We’ve just added Import* to PressBooks, starting with: WordPress XML, and EPUB. More import formats are on the way. Below, I will show you how the import from WordPress works (EPUB is the same process, just a different file source).
Step 1: Get your WordPress XML file from your blog
In your WordPress admin, go to: Tools –> Export
(found at: ~/wp-admin/export)
Export the content you want into an XML file.
Exporting your WordPress XML File
Step 2: Go to PressBooks –> Utilities –> Import
In PressBooks, go to the left menu: Utilities –> Import.
Utilities –> Import
Step 3: Select your file type, choose your file, and upload
On the import page:
- Decide what file type you wish to import (WordPress XML/WXR or EPUB)
- Choose the file on your harddrive
- Upload the file
PressBooks Import Select File & Type
Step 4: Choose Chapters, Frontmatter, and Backmatter
Now choose which “chapters” you want to import (or select all).
Decide whether the imports will be frontmatter, chapters or backmatter
NOTES ON STEP 4:
a) you cannot undo your chapter/frontmatter/backmatter choices once you have importer
b) You’ll need to edit front- and backmatter to make sure they have the right “types” associated with each one.
Step 5: Press “Start”
PressBooks Import Start
Step 6: Voila:
And voila! Here is your blog, now a “book” in PressBooks.
PressBooks Import: Voila!
Notes:
- Thanks to Brad Payne of BC Campus and Michael Geilser for contributions to this new feature
- Currently, images from WordPress files are not pulled directly into your PressBooks book — we only point to the images in your old blog. However, we do pull the images into your EPUB and PDF exports.
- Your chapters are imported with default “DRAFT” status. You’ll have to “publish” each one for the moment. We’ll add user control for this setting, eventually.
- We will be adding other import file sources (eg. docx) in the coming months, and we welcome (enthusiastically!) contributions to our open source code.
- *We had previous version of an import tool, built by Stephanie Leary. We disabled that when we rolled out PressBooks 2.0 in February 2013. This new importer used the previous tool as a starting point, but has made some significant changes.
