iBooks: Avoid page breaks within table rows/cells

ckirchho · 09-19-2011, 08:42 AM

Hello,

what would be the best practice to avoid page breaks within table rows or cells in iBooks?

In an exemplary EPUB, currently (depending on the font size) some table rows are split. Even the text in the cells of the row is split, resulting in the upper part of the characters appearing at the bottom of one page, and the lower part of the characters appearing at the top of the next page (see attached screenshot).

Any help would be appreciated.

Best regards

Christian

susan_cassidy · 09-19-2011, 12:00 PM

I don't see how actual table rows (HTML) could cause part of a character to be on one screen, and the lower part to be on another screen. Is the table an image, perhaps?

wannabee · 09-20-2011, 12:50 AM

That's a quirk in iBooks that happens with long tables. I have an entire chapter that was a table. I ended up reformatting it so it wasn't a table. That was actually a better way to present it as the column headers disappear after the first page. It requires some imagination to think outside the box. (or table)

ckirchho · 09-23-2011, 04:38 AM

@susan_cassidy: No, it is not an image.

@wannabee: That's what I was afraid to hear. The problem is that EPUB is an reflowable format, so if I'd optimize all the tables for a certain orientation and font size, the user might just turn the iPad (and by thus change the orientation), or change the font size, and everything will reflow and the once optimize tables might break again...

Thanks to both of you for your responses

Christian

ebookn00b · 06-08-2012, 11:18 AM

According to the iBookstore Asset Guide "iBooks now automatically recognizes
tables. In Flowing Books, iBooks sizes large tables to fit within the width of the page. When a reader double taps the table, the table opens in a new web view that overlays the book. In this web view, the reader can pan and zoom in on the table." I have not found this to work with my tables.... anyone else?

wannabee · 06-10-2012, 08:26 PM

I just tried it. Two taps on a long table enlarges it to full page which is scrollable.

ebookn00b · 06-11-2012, 09:49 AM

Well I finally figured it out. The way I got it to work was to duplicate the html file. I kept it the same name and just added a 1 on the end. Added the duplicated file to the spine and put linear="no" on the end and now it works.

DiapDealer · 06-12-2012, 03:11 PM

It's pretty hit or miss on devices/apps that will honor the linear="no" attribute, just so you know. I think you're alright with iBooks, though.

09-19-2011, 08:42 AM	#1
ckirchho Member Posts: 18 Karma: 62 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: none	iBooks: Avoid page breaks within table rows/cells Hello, what would be the best practice to avoid page breaks within table rows or cells in iBooks? In an exemplary EPUB, currently (depending on the font size) some table rows are split. Even the text in the cells of the row is split, resulting in the upper part of the characters appearing at the bottom of one page, and the lower part of the characters appearing at the top of the next page (see attached screenshot). Any help would be appreciated. Best regards Christian Attached Thumbnails

06-11-2012, 09:49 AM	#7
ebookn00b Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: Kindle Fire, iPad 2	Well I finally figured it out. The way I got it to work was to duplicate the html file. I kept it the same name and just added a 1 on the end. Added the duplicated file to the spine and put linear="no" on the end and now it works. Last edited by ebookn00b; 06-11-2012 at 11:48 AM.

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09-19-2011, 12:00 PM	#2
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	I don't see how actual table rows (HTML) could cause part of a character to be on one screen, and the lower part to be on another screen. Is the table an image, perhaps?

09-20-2011, 12:50 AM	#3
wannabee Media Bloke Posts: 2,381 Karma: 113956855 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NSW - Australia Device: iOS	That's a quirk in iBooks that happens with long tables. I have an entire chapter that was a table. I ended up reformatting it so it wasn't a table. That was actually a better way to present it as the column headers disappear after the first page. It requires some imagination to think outside the box. (or table)

09-23-2011, 04:38 AM	#4
ckirchho Member Posts: 18 Karma: 62 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: none	@susan_cassidy: No, it is not an image. @wannabee: That's what I was afraid to hear. The problem is that EPUB is an reflowable format, so if I'd optimize all the tables for a certain orientation and font size, the user might just turn the iPad (and by thus change the orientation), or change the font size, and everything will reflow and the once optimize tables might break again... Thanks to both of you for your responses Christian

06-08-2012, 11:18 AM	#5
ebookn00b Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: Kindle Fire, iPad 2	According to the iBookstore Asset Guide "iBooks now automatically recognizes tables. In Flowing Books, iBooks sizes large tables to fit within the width of the page. When a reader double taps the table, the table opens in a new web view that overlays the book. In this web view, the reader can pan and zoom in on the table." I have not found this to work with my tables.... anyone else?

06-10-2012, 08:26 PM	#6
wannabee Media Bloke Posts: 2,381 Karma: 113956855 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NSW - Australia Device: iOS	I just tried it. Two taps on a long table enlarges it to full page which is scrollable.

06-12-2012, 03:11 PM	#8
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,532 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	It's pretty hit or miss on devices/apps that will honor the linear="no" attribute, just so you know. I think you're alright with iBooks, though.