12-04-2010, 07:15 AM | #1 |
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How to improve navigation in EPUB from recipes?
Hi,
in my opinion the navigation elements calibre currently adds into EPUBs created by recipes need some improvents. In the current code the texts are hard coded and can't be changed from recipes (at least without major effort and code duplication). But it doesn't make much sense to me to use english words for navigation links of non-english content. If a recipe could define the navigation elements, it could use words from the same language as the content. An even better solution might be to add the translations to calibre once and let the recipe only select the correct language. Another issue I face is that the current bottom navigation line is too long when displayed on my android phone, so it is split into two lines which is rather ugly and I'd like to use shorter words or symbols so the navigation fits one line. But this is something which might not best handled by the recipe but the output device description (unfortunatly I have no idea what it currently can do and if it is used during recipe execution). Another way to fix both language and size issues would be to use icons instead of words for the navigation. But I don't know whether this would be supported by all (if any) EPUB readers or not. And we would need someone who creates good images for the icons. So I'd like to get some input on how to best solve these issues. I would volunteer to implement the changes if a good concept is found and the implementation isn't too complicated. Ciao, Steffen |
12-04-2010, 01:30 PM | #2 |
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I committed a fix to use the calibre interface language when generating the navbars.
IMO using images is not a good idea, as it is a lot less usable for new users who often wont realize what the images mean. |
12-08-2010, 04:55 PM | #3 | ||
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Quote:
I've noticed that some navigation texts are now in german, but some are still in english. I suspect that the translations are missing. I've also noticed that the last article in the last feed contains a "Next" link, which would point to the next feed index page, but as it is already the last feed, that page doesn't exist so the link is broken, which leads to unexpected results if the link is followed (many ebook readers open a browser window). Is this a known bug? Unfortunatly I couldn't find an easy way to fix it. Quote:
Ciao, Steffen |
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12-08-2010, 04:57 PM | #4 |
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12-09-2010, 04:35 AM | #5 |
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If it's not easy to remove the bogus link, could you at least create a page with some dummy content (or even better some information about calibre) so the link points to an existing target?
Ciao, Steffen |
12-09-2010, 08:21 AM | #6 |
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The german translation is, as of this moment, 100% finished, there were no strings that belonged to recipe navigation. That doesn't have to mean anything, maybe Kovid just hasn't updated the translations yet.
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12-09-2010, 10:48 AM | #7 |
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New translation strings typically appear two releases after they were introduced into the source code. That is because they are uploaded to Launchpad on the first release after they were introduced (and then, assuming they are translated in the next week) the translations are added to calibre in teh next release process.
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12-11-2010, 04:58 AM | #8 |
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FWIW, the translation strings for recipe navigation just appeared in Launchpad. I plan to translate them sometime around the beginning of next week, if someone doesn't beat me to it.
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12-11-2010, 08:56 AM | #9 |
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I was wondering for a longer time already, are these links not redundant if there is the TOC navigation and typically also TOC keybord shortcuts (eg arrows on Kindle)? Do people use the links? (Talking just about my own Kindle experience - I am only using the TOC navigation and arrows on my device and as far as I can remember, the "original" news feeds from Amazon do not have the links either.)
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12-11-2010, 09:03 AM | #10 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
I don't have a Kindle, but I believe you've hit on the difference between the two. Last edited by DoctorOhh; 12-11-2010 at 09:07 AM. |
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12-11-2010, 09:10 AM | #11 |
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I see. Thanks for explanation and sorry for confusing mobi and epub (I have only realized after your reply that the thread even has EPUB in its topic).
But perhaps a general option to disable the links creation could be still useful (in both worlds) |
12-11-2010, 10:13 AM | #12 |
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Looking at the source code, I can see that a --no-inline-navbars option of ebook-convert is intended to disable the links creation - although it does not work at the moment (no such option error)
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12-11-2010, 10:52 AM | #13 |
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The only EPUB reader I know of that has special UI for navigation of periodicals are the newer SONY models. Maybe when this becomes more widespread, it will be worth adding such an option, but certainly not now.
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12-11-2010, 11:00 AM | #14 |
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I did not know that the UI navigation for epub readers is so bad the moment... I guess it would improve over time.
Anyway, is there perhaps a simple way to make the --no-inline-navbars option working from command line (ebook-convert)? It seems to be in the code? |
12-11-2010, 11:02 AM | #15 |
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Why do you care? If you are generating MOBI, set the output profile to Kindle and the navbars wont be generated. If you are generating EPUB, it's not a good idea to leave the navbars out, as I already explained.
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