[GregS]

Originally Posted by Lexicon

I'll admit to being a little surprised to see so much support here for hard coding the layout of eBooks. Given the myriad eReading devices that currently exist, a number which is only going to increase, surely it is pretty much impossible to code the layout of a single file such that it appears equally good on all eReaders? Are people really prepared to spend time reformating and hand-tuning their eBooks again and again as they upgrade their devices?

Currently yes. It s just impractical. But a PDF (fixed page) solution does ensure it will look good on every device if a means is made to generate it for each device as needed.

The problem simply does not really exist as a major concern for popular novels. But other works can and often do have special typographical elements that need to be treated with fidelity regardless of the device being used.

The problem can be solved without hands-on fine tuning for each device. In fact the problem can be reduced to just several broad contexts all based on relative size (mini, small and normal). 99% of the time nothing needs to be specially done, but exceptions have to be catered for and how each is treated in the context anticipated.

Originally Posted by Lexicon

I thought HTML had taught us all about the disadvantages of integrating presentation instructions with content. If people are going to devote time to marking up books then I think they'd be better served marking up meaning rather than presentation. Defining your eBook in terms of logical book elements like title, author, chapters and footnotes makes more sense than adding font tags and layout tables.

This is assuming that we are talking about presentation being the same as file format. I agree content and presentation has to be separate, PDF files as PDF and nothing more are a disaster for flexible use of content. XML is ideal. XML within PDF is in my opinion half-baked, disguised and problematic (relying on too many hidden factors - and you still get stuck with a presentation that is basically unchangeable).

I side with you very strongly in this, but for me the problem remains.

Originally Posted by Lexicon

I believe that presentation should be handled by software on each eReader - the reflowing of text, widow and orphan detection, hyphenation, etc. could therefore be tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of each device. CSS shoud be supported so the designer can exert some control over the display and provide an attractive default presentation but the reader should be able to override this with their own CSS files if they feel it necessary.

I have been waiting and waiting for CSS3, which is not a problem per se. As a stylesheet language it ideally solves all the presentation problems which presently haunt me.

The problem is, as has already been seen in HTML, CSS1 & 2, is that different implementations interpret differently, so unless there is a fundamental agreement on using the same code base everywhere, it is condemned to being an unreliable ideal. PDF for all that is wrong with it, presents exactly the same where ever it is displayed - that is its strength.

I am unfamiliar with TeX, but that may be another route already established.

The other factor is XML integrity for scholarly works, something which goes well beyond epub (a standard I strongly support). TEI is developed, does work (though it is a cow to employ) but it works well for this highly demanding area. Creating CSS in any form to do justice to the many features possible in this kind of markup is its own nightmare. CSS is great for relatively simple markup, in my opinion it crumples before the possibilities of something like TEI.

Originally Posted by Lexicon

I've been looking at the epub spec recently and I found it supports the DAISY standard - which was originally designed as a way of marking up a book (in terms of t-o-c, chapters, appendices and so on) so that it can be rendered into braille or interpreted by text-to-speech engines. It's XML so it can be formatted into readable text (for display on an eReader) using CSS files included in the epub container.

What you suggest as a solution, let the devices sort it out, is for me the problem - though for novels and light reading in general this is fine. This specific combination that you recommend is an excellent one and I would be likewise encouraging publishers to follow it based on what you have said.

DRM has so narrowed the vision of some publishers they forget the inherent versatility of ebooks, braille and text-to-speech, "big print" compatibility (and printing and referencing) should be part of every publication.

Originally Posted by Lexicon

I'd urge anybody interested in converting pBooks to eBooks to take a look at the DAISY standard. Consider the advantages of only having to mark up a book once such that it is readable on all epub devices and accessible to the visually impaired.

Thanks for the reference, I will be looking at this carefully, compatibility with epub and useful cross use markup is definitely the way to go for most texts.