columns in ePubs

[HarryT]

I'm sure it would look fine on a large screen, but on a small-screen device, such as the iPhone I'm using to write this message, it's going to be pretty much unreadable.

[dezignlady]

Jelby and all,

I have attached a few pages of the sample file I have, the conversion and font change have moved a few things around but generally there is a margin note for each paragraph. Since this is a study guide book book it's important that the note be with each paragraph. As you can see they are generally small. I have had the conversation with the client about view on a small device or smartphone and they are convinced this is not an issue for this application, they are targeting the read to the larger format of the Nook or iPad.

I've been in the design biz for close to 30 years so I am very familiar with the process of trying to convince a client that their request might mot be the best option, but I also teach on a college level and I know a bit about how academia thinks, so I am trying to find an acceptable middle ground here.

I was wondering if one of two options will work?
1. Could I do each chapter in a two column table with the left hand column being narrow, an inch or less. I would have to make each paragraph a row, but a table does translate correctly in the ePub format, doesn't it?

2. Could each note be an anchored frame that breaks the beginning of each paragraph and hangs, so much like a first word Drop Cap that is hanging. So here the left margin would be wider but not as much as option 1. I see this as the same as inserting a small image and wrapping text around it, so assume it would work as well.

Thanks for all your input.
karen

Originally Posted by Jellby

Can we see a sample page of what kind of information there is in the sidenotes? Would it really be that much of a problem if the sidenotes were presented before the paragraph, in a smaller font, with a frame, and with a generous left margin, for instance?

Sometimes the clients want what the clients want, sure, but part of your work is explaining to the clients why what they want might not be a good idea. If you were an architect and a client asked you for something unreasonable (insecure, too expensive, too hot in summer, against local law, hard to maintain...) you'd be expected to explain it to your client, and make sure it's what he really wants, no matter what.

In this case, an ePUB book is not something that will be read on a Nook or iPad and that's all. No, it's something that someone, somewhere, will want to read on a smartphone, someone else will need to read with a 24pt font, and another person will need a text-to-speech system to read it. The best solution for a printed book is often not the best solution for an ebook.

[Jellby]

[QUOTE=dezignlady;15703261. Could I do each chapter in a two column table with the left hand column being narrow, an inch or less. I would have to make each paragraph a row, but a table does translate correctly in the ePub format, doesn't it?[/quote]

Tables are fine in ePub, but most readers will do funny things with them, they are particularly problematic in relation to pagebreaks. I don't think a table is the solution here

2. Could each note be an anchored frame that breaks the beginning of each paragraph and hangs, so much like a first word Drop Cap that is hanging. So here the left margin would be wider but not as much as option 1. I see this as the same as inserting a small image and wrapping text around it, so assume it would work as well.

This could work, and you can place the notes mid-paragraph too. You just have to put them in a box with an explicit width and "float: right". You can't use a <div>, though, because those are forbidden inside paragraphs (<p>). Try something like this:

<p>The three characteristics just mentioned fix the aims and
methods of instruction and discipline. <span class="sidenote">The main
objective of traditional education is to prepare the young for future
responsibilities.</span>The main purpose or objective is to prepare the
young for future responsibilities and for success in life, by means of
acquisition of the organized bodies of information and prepared forms of
skill which comprehend the material of instruction.</p>

with:

span.sidenote {
  display: block;
  float: right;
  width: 40%;
  margin: 0.5em 0 0.5em 0.5em;
  font-size: 85%;
  border: solid thin black;
}

[dezignlady]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Tables are fine in ePub, but most readers will do funny things with them, they are particularly problematic in relation to pagebreaks. I don't think a table is the solution here

Thanks, this is good to know!

Originally Posted by Jellby

This could work, and you can place the notes mid-paragraph too. You just have to put them in a box with an explicit width and "float: right". You can't use a <div>, though, because those are forbidden inside paragraphs (<p>). Try something like this:

Ok this is the approach I will give. I have to figure a quote first so will prep a pdf to show them the approach just to make sure it is palatable. It will actually take less time to do that then the table routine!

One other general question.
The other book that I worked on I just used the existing file to convert but since this is getting dumped into InDesign from Pagemaker it's a total makeover so was thinking I would just set up for ePub export. Is there an optimum setup for ePub that I should start with?

thanks so much for your help.
karen

[sed91]

Hello everyone, I'm new here and I have a similar problem/question as dezignlady.

I'm a Classics student currently in a digital methods class in university and one of the projects that we're currently working on is creating an online library based off of the Perseus Digital Library, where we are taking Ancient Greek and Latin texts, along with their English translations, and we're converting them into epub documents so that they can be read on ebooks like the Kobo. This is so that we can have a whole library of sources accessible to read on ebooks so Classics scholars can have all materials in one place and can be easily portable.

We have succeeded in converting TEI XML documents into epub and can open them up through calibre, but what I am having trouble with is that we want to try and have the English translation on the page with it's original Greek/Latin work, via-a-vis page columns. I've been trying to figure out how to do it and am not having any luck on my own.

Does anyone have any helpful suggestions, or maybe even an example for how to format two works in columns for epub?

[DaleDe]

There is a CSS two column feature but that writes column one and then writes column two, more like two pages side by side with one following the other.

The only way to make two columns that track each other is a two column table. However, many ePub readers don't handle tables that span pages very well so the likely answer is, test it on the target reader, or use lots of tables so they won't span pages.

Dale

[nrapallo]

Try using margins like the <dt> and <dd> constructs used in this post.

Just make the widths equal and group the translated text with the english text in the <dt> and the original greek/latin in the <dd> or vice versa. I think it may suit your needs, so just experiment.

EDIT: Try something like this (just change the file extension to .htm and create an ebook)