Thoughts about ePUB 3
Now that Sigil supports adding audio and video, the resulting ePUB might be viewable in certain reader software, but the ePUB itself will not validate as ePUB2 or ePUB3.
While this hybrid is nice to play with it might be not usable whenever the ePUB needs to be validated.
I am planning to make a kind of script that will unzip an ePUB and will rename and find/replace entries in the included files to 'convert' an ePUB2 into an ePUB3 file that will validate using epubcheck 3.0.
I searched but I have not found an ePUB2to3 converter...
So maybe instead of Sigil supporting ePUB3 from the ground up, have Sigil support a 'save as ePUB3' option, converting the ePUB2 into 3 after the fact.
While it won't solve the issue of the full range of ePUB3 functionality, it might make using the video and audio usable.
ePUB3 was approved on 11 October 2011 and still it seems to be ignored. While the everybody still has the 'wait and see' attitude, Apple seems to be pushing it with a passion. In essence this means that rich eBooks seem to be dominated on Apple devices leaving all other platforms behind.
On Android (and iPad) there is Gitden reader which supports ePUB3 and possibly a bunch of others too.
So, what are your opinions on ePUB3 and its support on different readers? Should ePUB3 be at least possible to create using open source applications? Are you personally interested in the possibility? Should ePUB3 be ignored? Do you see yourself needing an ePUB that has audio and video and needs to pass the ePUB validators?
I'm curious about your opinions.
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