Amazon tech people read this forum!

[impasto]

Recently Hitch asked me why I need fixed layout. As I currently don't use pop-up views, the reading experience was my main issue: you have to double-click an image before pinch-zoom starts working, this gets annoying pretty quick.
Well, today I checked a book in reflowable format on my android phone and Android tablet, and the pinch zoom now work without double-clicking! I'm sure this wasn't the case a few weeks ago. So this is either a coincidence or programmers from Amazon read this forum, and respond constructively, and they updated Android Kindle app. This is actually a very good news.

Now, dear Amazon programmers, could you apply the same fix to e-inks? The problem remains on my Paperwhite with reflowable format.


Another request to Amazon:
Could you enable internal hyperlinks (and htmltoc links) in fixed layout on e-inks? Or at least make the hyperlinks passive, i.e. do nothing in e-inks. Currently, on Paperwhite, clicking a hyperlink in fixed layout moves to the very next page, no matter which item of htmltoc you click. This would be so helpful.

[impasto]

EDIT- I think there is more to it. My sample book in reflowable format still required double-tapping an image before pinch zoom starts working (in Android app), but a book by Charles Spender, which looks reflowable, doesn't require double-tapping on images. I guess I have to figure out how to do it.

[jhowell]

Which book are you referring to?

A pinch gesture in reflowable book text will change the font size in Kindle apps and devices. Is that what you are seeing?

[impasto]

Charles Spindle: 'Children's books and comics'
and
Will Eisner 'Contract with God'
To me they look reflowable, am I right?
Pinch zoom on Paperwhite activates font-size change, but on android app it activates image zoom.

[jhowell]

I tried the pinch gesture on an image in the Android app and I now see what you mean. I agree that it would be nice if that worked more consistently in the Kindle apps and devices.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I tried the pinch gesture on an image in the Android app and I now see what you mean. I agree that it would be nice if that worked more consistently in the Kindle apps and devices.

(sigh). Yes, and I'm SURE that the method and software for making all those various fixed-layout books must ALL BE THE SAME, RIGHT??????

Hitch

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by impasto

Another request to Amazon:
Could you enable internal hyperlinks (and htmltoc links) in fixed layout on e-inks? Or at least make the hyperlinks passive, i.e. do nothing in e-inks. Currently, on Paperwhite, clicking a hyperlink in fixed layout moves to the very next page, no matter which item of htmltoc you click. This would be so helpful.

I reported this to Amazon--directly to Seattle, not "KDP,"--over 18 months ago, so lotsa luck with that.

Hitch

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I reported this to Amazon--directly to Seattle, not "KDP,"--over 18 months ago, so lotsa luck with that.

Hitch

Looking at all of the gizmos they announced today it makes me wonder how many of the Kindle programmers wear two hats; one for Kindle and the other for Echo, Fire Stick, Alexa, etc. If so, I'd imagine that Kindle support gets lower priority.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by hobnail

Looking at all of the gizmos they announced today it makes me wonder how many of the Kindle programmers wear two hats; one for Kindle and the other for Echo, Fire Stick, Alexa, etc. If so, I'd imagine that Kindle support gets lower priority.

They've known that their K4Mac app has a bug--the toc.html doesn't work, past the third entry on the TOC--for 2 years.

I reported the whole, links don't ork in FXL made with KC and some of their other DIY apps, 18-35 months ago (various dates for various apps).

The links don't work thing is pretty simple--the FXL "print replica" is nothing but images. Not searchable text; one image after another. How can a link work in that environment?

In the old KKBC, you could make working links on any page, as long as the link itself wasn't in the popup box. Again, same/similar issue; the json was popping up the page, no linking functionality available AND you can't put a link, in an image, in Kindle. (And only remotely successfully make an image AS a link, in reflow.)

That also, btw--for anybody here that gives a s**t about the actual technology, affects how the images work and zoom--because, if you create an image AS a link--which people do--the activation for the link is DIFFERENT than the zoom functionality.

Hitch

[impasto]

Originally Posted by Hitch

The links don't work thing is pretty simple--the FXL "print replica" is nothing but images. Not searchable text; one image after another. How can a link work in that environment?
Hitch

I tend to do things somehow differently than others, so my ebook is different than what you anticipated: In addition to the images (i.e. normal pages), I have chapter pages containing text (title of the chapter) and some graphics. The htmlTOC has links to these chapter pages (and the title page), but not the normal pages containing a single image only). Example:
htmltoc.html:

...
</head>
<body>
<h2>Table of Contents</h2>
<p><a href="content_title.html#h1-t">Title Page</a></p>
<p><a href="content_chapter1.html#h2-1">Chapter 1</a></p>
<p><a href="content_chapter2.html#h2-2">Chapter 2</a></p>
</body>
</html>

chapter file:

...
<body>
<div id="h2-1"><h2>Chapter 1</h2></div>
<div>
  <p><br /></p>
  <p class="centered"><img width="30%" alt="chapter 1" src="../images/chapterSquare360_ch1.jpg"/></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>

normal-page file:

...
<body>
<div>
  <img style="height:100%;" alt="page 1_2- secondTower" src="../images/SecondTower2_720-WATER.jpg"/>
</div>
...

The code above (with some minor formatting changes) works fine on Android app in both the fixed layout and the reflowable version.

Originally Posted by Hitch

That also, btw--for anybody here that gives a s**t about the actual technology, affects how the images work and zoom--because, if you create an image AS a link--which people do--the activation for the link is DIFFERENT than the zoom functionality.

Hitch

With the code you see above, how would you expect the images in my normal pages to act upon pinch zoom on android app: zoom the image or increase font size only?
Answer: it increases the font size.
What would you suggest to modify to zoom the image instead?
P.s. this is a reflowable version we're talking about now.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by impasto

I tend to do things somehow differently than others, so my ebook is different than what you anticipated: In addition to the images (i.e. normal pages), I have chapter pages containing text (title of the chapter) and some graphics. The htmlTOC has links to these chapter pages (and the title page), but not the normal pages containing a single image only).

No, I am already aware that you are hand-coding the HTML, which means you cannot predict how the file will work now. Amazon has taken very deliberate steps to regulate the FXLs, by issuing their various and sundry DIY programs--KTC, KKBC, KCC, and now KC with the various options. We have hand-coded FXL eBooks out there, ourselves, of course.

With the code you see above, how would you expect the images in my normal pages to act upon pinch zoom on android app: zoom the image or increase font size only?
Answer: it increases the font size.
What would you suggest to modify to zoom the image instead?
P.s. this is a reflowable version we're talking about now.

You misunderstand me. You seem to think that you can control how an image zooms from the HTML. That's hard-coded, part of the device firmware.

Hitch

[impasto]

Originally Posted by Hitch

.
You misunderstand me. You seem to think that you can control how an image zooms from the HTML. That's hard-coded, part of the device firmware.

Hitch

Ok, considering the two books I quoted above have zoom enabled without double clicking, and these books imo are reflowable, is it a fair assumption that this behavior happens on kindle app on ALL reflowable ebooks?

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by impasto

Ok, considering the two books I quoted above have zoom enabled without double clicking, and these books imo are reflowable, is it a fair assumption that this behavior happens on kindle app on ALL reflowable ebooks?

Each software version on each kindle app or device is a thing unto itself.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by impasto

Ok, considering the two books I quoted above have zoom enabled without double clicking, and these books imo are reflowable, is it a fair assumption that this behavior happens on kindle app on ALL reflowable ebooks?

No, not remotely.

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Each software version on each kindle app or device is a thing unto itself.

^ Exactly what he said. This is, by the way. also true for pretty much any other kind of reader on earth, too. The Kobos work differently than Boox which work differently than Nooks (whatever's left there) and the like.

And honestly, testing on the APPS, which have the most functionality...you're lying to yourself. All the phone apps have that zoom, but my PPW, my Voyage and my Oasis surely don't. Nor does my Fire. It's tap-zoom.

Hitch

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I reported this to Amazon--directly to Seattle, not "KDP,"--over 18 months ago, so lotsa luck with that.

Hitch

And if it is fixed by some miracle, it won't be fixed in older Kindles that will no run the firmwarw the fix was made.

It's a similar issue with Apple when you try to code for an older version of iBooks/Books but the new version has the fix and any workaround won't work on the new version.