Develop epub 3.0 reader on Android and iOS

eBooknew · 08-27-2012, 08:23 PM

Hi All,

We need to develop a epub 3.0 reader on both Anroid and iOS. The obvious solution is to use webkit as the engine since the latest webkit versions already support the epub3.0 features we'd like to have.

However, since the older webkit versions (on older devices) don't support some of the epub 3.0 features, someone recommended us to build our own webkit (from webkit nightly source) and bundle it within our app.

On Android, it seems possible, but we are not sure how compmlex that "porting" task is. On iOS, we are not sure if Apple allows this (but it seems iBooks and Kobo are both using their own webkit engines).

Could experts here shine some light on those issues, or provide some guidance on the direction we shall take on this project? That'd be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!!

MicroDrie · 07-16-2021, 07:37 PM

Why not use the free Gitden Epub reader? Both IOS and Android versions are free and can read Epub 2 and Epub 3 files.

KevinH · 07-17-2021, 09:52 AM

What epub3 features are not supported by even a five year old webkit?

KevinH · 07-17-2021, 09:57 AM

I would not reinvent the wheel here. There are many javascript epub3 readers to be found in github projects and many with an MIT license suitable for commercial dev that get you 95% of the way there.

Check out Sigil plugins for ReadiumReader, EpubJSReader, and BibiReader to see how simple it is to create a base reader with these javascripts and a webkit or chrome (Qt) based web engine.

Tex2002ans · 07-17-2021, 02:07 PM

This was a thread originally posted in 2012.

The "EPUB3 Best Practices" book wasn't even out then! (Released in January 2013.)

Yes, 9 years later, the EPUB3 landscape has changed a little bit.

BetterRed · 07-17-2021, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

This was a thread originally posted in 2012.

The "EPUB3 Best Practices" book wasn't even out then! (Released in January 2013.)

I guess that's why the OP didn't get a response till now.

BR

RbnJrg · 07-18-2021, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinH

What epub3 features are not supported by even a five year old webkit?

Grids, clip-path, shape-outside, -webkit-column-break-after (as you know, page-break-after, break-after even now are not supported), -webkit-column-break-before, -webkit-column-break-inside, orphans and widows, and many others than I don't remember now.

RbnJrg · 07-18-2021, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinH

I would not reinvent the wheel here. There are many javascript epub3 readers to be found in github projects and many with an MIT license suitable for commercial dev that get you 95% of the way there.

That's true. Today there are very good epub3 readers, with practically a full support of epub3.

KevinH · 07-18-2021, 01:26 PM

Are all of those css 3.0? The epub3 spec originally specified a subset of css 3.

KevinH · 07-18-2021, 01:28 PM

It was marked as new (unread) and found at the top in the epub forum thread. How on earth could it be that old?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

This was a thread originally posted in 2012.

The "EPUB3 Best Practices" book wasn't even out then! (Released in January 2013.)

Yes, 9 years later, the EPUB3 landscape has changed a little bit.

DNSB · 07-18-2021, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinH

It was marked as new (unread) and found at the top in the epub forum thread. How on earth could it be that old?

At a wild eyed guess, no one had responded to the message until @Microdrie responded to it 9 years after the original post. Looking at the OP, that was their one and only post.

Tex2002ans · 07-18-2021, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinH

It was marked as new (unread) and found at the top in the epub forum thread. How on earth could it be that old?

Necroposting.

One of the longest gaps I've ever seen!

RbnJrg · 07-18-2021, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinH

Are all of those css 3.0? The epub3 spec originally specified a subset of css 3.

That's the funny thing

Clip, orphans, widows, page-break-after/below/inside are all css2.1 properties (grid is 3.0) and only the last versions of webkit support them. But not really, because page-break-after/below/inside (or their css3 replacement break-after/below/inside) still now are not supported; instead the last versions of webkit (from 2019) employ -webkit-column-break-after/below/inside (fortunatelly Sigil use a quite new webkit version and has a great support of css3).

But all this now is doesn't have interest for the OP

KevinH · 07-18-2021, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

Necroposting.
One of the longest gaps I've ever seen!

Gotta love a new record!

08-27-2012, 08:23 PM	#1
eBooknew Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: none	Develop epub 3.0 reader on Android and iOS Hi All, We need to develop a epub 3.0 reader on both Anroid and iOS. The obvious solution is to use webkit as the engine since the latest webkit versions already support the epub3.0 features we'd like to have. However, since the older webkit versions (on older devices) don't support some of the epub 3.0 features, someone recommended us to build our own webkit (from webkit nightly source) and bundle it within our app. On Android, it seems possible, but we are not sure how compmlex that "porting" task is. On iOS, we are not sure if Apple allows this (but it seems iBooks and Kobo are both using their own webkit engines). Could experts here shine some light on those issues, or provide some guidance on the direction we shall take on this project? That'd be greatly appreciated! Thank you!! Last edited by eBooknew; 08-27-2012 at 08:26 PM. Reason: typo correction

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07-16-2021, 07:37 PM	#2
MicroDrie Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 438844 Join Date: Aug 2019 Device: PC, Linux Mint, Tablet, and Telephone	Why not use the free Gitden Epub reader? Both IOS and Android versions are free and can read Epub 2 and Epub 3 files.

07-17-2021, 09:52 AM	#3
KevinH Sigil Developer Posts: 7,630 Karma: 5433388 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: many	What epub3 features are not supported by even a five year old webkit?

07-17-2021, 09:57 AM	#4
KevinH Sigil Developer Posts: 7,630 Karma: 5433388 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: many	I would not reinvent the wheel here. There are many javascript epub3 readers to be found in github projects and many with an MIT license suitable for commercial dev that get you 95% of the way there. Check out Sigil plugins for ReadiumReader, EpubJSReader, and BibiReader to see how simple it is to create a base reader with these javascripts and a webkit or chrome (Qt) based web engine.

07-17-2021, 02:07 PM	#5
Tex2002ans Wizard Posts: 2,297 Karma: 12126329 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kobo Forma, Nook	This was a thread originally posted in 2012. The "EPUB3 Best Practices" book wasn't even out then! (Released in January 2013.) Yes, 9 years later, the EPUB3 landscape has changed a little bit.

07-18-2021, 01:26 PM	#9
KevinH Sigil Developer Posts: 7,630 Karma: 5433388 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: many	Are all of those css 3.0? The epub3 spec originally specified a subset of css 3.

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