# Generating epub for the gradle user manual

**URL:** https://discuss.gradle.org/t/generating-epub-for-the-gradle-user-manual/49344
**Category:** Help/Discuss
**Created:** [September 6, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/generating-epub-for-the-gradle-user-manual/49344 "2024-09-06T19:02:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![agsharath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19b73/32.png) [@agsharath](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/agsharath)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/generating-epub-for-the-gradle-user-manual/49344/1 "2024-09-06T19:02:55Z")

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Hello,

I am stuck in a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. I want to learn gradle via an ebook reader. But to generate an epub from the usermanual, I have to already know gradle to modify the gradle build process for generating documentation which uses AsciiDoctor.

Can someone please help me out what I can patch to generate epub3 for the gradle user manual?

> **[gradle/platforms/documentation at master · gradle/gradle](https://github.com/gradle/gradle/tree/master/platforms/documentation)**
>
> Adaptable, fast automation for all. Contribute to gradle/gradle development by creating an account on GitHub.

Thanks

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### Author: ![Vampire](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gradle/user_avatar/discuss.gradle.org/vampire/32/9082_2.png) [@Vampire](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/Vampire)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2024, 4:06pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/generating-epub-for-the-gradle-user-manual/49344/2 "2024-09-07T16:06:27Z")

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I’ve never tried this and the Gradle build is quite complex.

It might be easier to just take the PDF and send it through a converter, those are available for free.

But also keep in mind, that in the single-page documentation not all parts of the multi-page documentation are included because of size restrictions in PDF.

Having said all this, it might maybe be sufficient to change the backend to `epub` at [gradle/build-logic/documentation/src/main/groovy/gradlebuild/docs/GradleUserManualPlugin.java at ebfcf97806a2c04b870652374bcbee2c915dac93 · gradle/gradle · GitHub](https://github.com/gradle/gradle/blob/ebfcf97806a2c04b870652374bcbee2c915dac93/build-logic/documentation/src/main/groovy/gradlebuild/docs/GradleUserManualPlugin.java#L238), to change from `pdf` to `epub3` at [gradle/build-logic/documentation/build.gradle.kts at master · gradle/gradle · GitHub](https://github.com/gradle/gradle/blob/master/build-logic/documentation/build.gradle.kts#L23) and to `epub3:2.1.3` at [gradle/build-logic-commons/build-platform/build.gradle.kts at master · gradle/gradle · GitHub](https://github.com/gradle/gradle/blob/master/build-logic-commons/build-platform/build.gradle.kts#L70), and then execute the `userguideSinglePagePdf` task.

But I have no idea whether it will work, I did not try it. Again, taking the PDF and sending it through a converter might be way easier and safer, even if the result is maybe not optimal.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Vampire](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gradle/user_avatar/discuss.gradle.org/vampire/32/9082_2.png) [@Vampire](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/Vampire)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/generating-epub-for-the-gradle-user-manual/49344/3 "2024-09-07T17:27:16Z")

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You could also open a feature request to provide the user guide as `epub` if there is none yet, so that in the future it is already provided by Gradle.
