page-break attribute reliability (support)

[Welblaud]

Hi all,

I would like to know which is your best practice when using page-break attributes. I need it really often and again and again I am desperate because of it. I would not think this feature could be something difficult to implement in readers. (So, why the Hell, it does not work properly so often?).

For example, how would you hard code an image/figure which has to be full page in the middle of the paragraphs’ flow?

paragraph
full-page image
paragraph

I would expect it is really simple, the div/figure element including the image inside should have attributes page-break-before as well as page-break-after. According to my experiences, this won’t work as expected. For example ADE, Azardi as well as ePubreader for Firefox won’t break pages properly.

Any brilliant solutions? (Ok, the one of splitting text and image into a separate file does not count.)

[Toxaris]

You already give the solution yourself...

[Welblaud]

Thanks, this is rather sad answer… I don’t understand why this simple feature works only time by time (in older ADE versions it worked, now it is broken). Isn’t this important in the same way like working TOC is? The splitting solution is usable maybe for two or four big images in a book for children but what about, let’s say, genuine supplemental gallery of medicine scans in a serious scientific work? In such a case the splitting solution sounds to me a bit idiotic

Without it, are we allowed to talk about e-BOOKs? Books, no matter how much “imaginary” or “virtual“, should work with a concept of pages, shouldn’t they?

[DaleDe]

One solution would be to put the image on a different file that only references the picture. there is always a page break on file changes. I generally find that I don't need to do this on books I have made but it will work.

Dale

[jbacelar]

What I use, and it works correctly in ADE 1.7, 2, and 4.

CSS

div.foto-svg {
  text-align: center;
  margin-top: 1em;
}

XHTML

  <div class="foto-svg">

    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" version="1.1" width="100%" height="100%" viewBox="0 0 x y" preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid meet">
      <image width="x" height="y" xlink:href="../Images/image.jpg"/>
    </svg>

  </div>

[Welblaud]

Thank you for the tips!

I give in! The basic feature which should work since the CSS version 2.1 seems to have lower importance like other important features typical for books (orphans, widows). Frankly, this pi.. me off. This is probably because of the web-based nature of ebooks—developers like to invent (from the reader’s point of view) nonsenses like media overlays or audio, ruby, video, invisible red piglets support but such basic things like better typography support keep them calm

With this on mind I am wondering how long we would wait for the support of other important things of newer CSS version (-epub-hyphens and so on).

[eschwartz]

Because Apple needs more flashy products to sell.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Because Apple needs more flashy products to sell.

How does this suddenly become Apple bashing? There was no mention of a problem with Apple. the problem was stated to be with ADE. Oh, I get it. They both start with the same letter so its Apple's fault.

Dale

[Toxaris]

Dale, eschwartz reacted on this remark:

Originally Posted by Welblaud

This is probably because of the web-based nature of ebooks—developers like to invent (from the reader’s point of view) nonsenses like media overlays or audio, ruby, video, invisible red piglets support but such basic things like better typography support keep them calm

With this on mind I am wondering how long we would wait for the support of other important things of newer CSS version (-epub-hyphens and so on).

And that is Apple's fault. They pushed hard for this for their iBooks platform and is one of the reasons of the sad state of ePUB3. Instead of fixing the things of ePUB2 that were missing or not working right for BOOKS, they went off on flashy things.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Dale, eschwartz reacted on this remark:



And that is Apple's fault. They pushed hard for this for their iBooks platform and is one of the reasons of the sad state of ePUB3. Instead of fixing the things of ePUB2 that were missing or not working right for BOOKS, they went off on flashy things.

Well, perhaps, but there are plenty of others to share the blame with. Apple was not alone and Apple's iBook reader doesn't even support the ePub 3 standard very well.

Dale

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

One solution would be to put the image on a different file that only references the picture. there is always a page break on file changes. I generally find that I don't need to do this on books I have made but it will work.

Dale

That is my invariable approach, though I include the caption. If that forces the caption onto a page of its own, so be it.

[Welblaud]

Thanks again, maybe the right decision is to design the layout in the way it won't rely on the full page illustrations. Most of readers are able to zoom. It is slightly resigned attitude but results is what counts here. It would be great to have a kind of central point for sending official complaints

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Dale, eschwartz reacted on this remark:



And that is Apple's fault. They pushed hard for this for their iBooks platform and is one of the reasons of the sad state of ePUB3. Instead of fixing the things of ePUB2 that were missing or not working right for BOOKS, they went off on flashy things.

This.

And I don't see why it matters that Apple doesn't follow the spec -- that isn't what they cared about, I would guess. They just want ebooks to be visualized a certain way.
The specs are useful to them, insomuch as it requires people to act more like Apple.

[Welblaud]

This probably needs starting from the ground. It needs more readers disliking poor quality of books and constantly complaining to retailers. Only retailers > publishing houses > e-book creators are those really responsible. And of course, those last, WE, are those who should fight against the problem as hard as possible! And our only weapon are books of the highest quality.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Welblaud

This probably needs starting from the ground. It needs more readers disliking poor quality of books and constantly complaining to retailers. Only retailers > publishing houses > e-book creators are those really responsible. And of course, those last, WE, are those who should fight against the problem as hard as possible! And our only weapon are books of the highest quality.

The distributors force these things.

Not the Publisher or Author

who are many times fighting to get it their way only to be overruled by lame input validation or site specific (and extra-standard) specs

Apple makes beautiful hardware, but they are a big Bully