MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Why no discussion of HTML as a book format?

pittendrigh · 08-28-2020, 08:12 AM

A few new replies have rolled in to this (embedded multimedia) topic that started almost a year ago.

I mentioned I have written software (python and php) that presents book-like content on a web server. I have Next Page, Prev Page and Return to Last Read buttons. A collapsible table of contents. Next winter (my programming season) I'll add an index-like keyword search using mysqlite. For long pages the Return to Last Read button will be enhanced to remember the Y-scroll position as well as the (cookie based) last read page URL.

My work also embeds video. Seamlessly. Beautifully. No one needs video for reading Moby Dick. But I teach people how to build boats. Video is essential for that (and for many other such tasks).

My daughter is a young tenure-track professor suddenly thrust into a distance learning brave new world. Teaching English Writing doesn't necessarily benefit from embedded video. But, for instance, physics sure does. When I learned calculus-based physics the professors ran projection video frequently. In the distance learning context--which is suddenly, pandemicly the show we all now have--it is indispensable.

PDF is a horror show on anything less than a desktop monitor, because it does not flow. And also because it does not embed video.

Finally. Gutenberg would have embedded video too. If it existed then and if his printing press could have included it.

08-28-2020, 08:12 AM	#26
pittendrigh Connoisseur Posts: 78 Karma: 1332336 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: montana Device: none	A few new replies have rolled in to this (embedded multimedia) topic that started almost a year ago. I mentioned I have written software (python and php) that presents book-like content on a web server. I have Next Page, Prev Page and Return to Last Read buttons. A collapsible table of contents. Next winter (my programming season) I'll add an index-like keyword search using mysqlite. For long pages the Return to Last Read button will be enhanced to remember the Y-scroll position as well as the (cookie based) last read page URL. My work also embeds video. Seamlessly. Beautifully. No one needs video for reading Moby Dick. But I teach people how to build boats. Video is essential for that (and for many other such tasks). My daughter is a young tenure-track professor suddenly thrust into a distance learning brave new world. Teaching English Writing doesn't necessarily benefit from embedded video. But, for instance, physics sure does. When I learned calculus-based physics the professors ran projection video frequently. In the distance learning context--which is suddenly, pandemicly the show we all now have--it is indispensable. PDF is a horror show on anything less than a desktop monitor, because it does not flow. And also because it does not embed video. Finally. Gutenberg would have embedded video too. If it existed then and if his printing press could have included it. Last edited by pittendrigh; 08-28-2020 at 08:17 AM.