Trying to write a simple tutorial

[JSWolf]

What is good code for dealing with a dropcap that needs to be two characters such as a quote and the following letter?

[Arios]

Hi Pablo!

Just a few words to thank you for your Quick and dirty ePub tutorial. When I began to learn epub file format around 9 months ago, your guide was the one I looked first.

After a while, we forget rapidly where we started and it's nice that someone take care of newbies.

Can I suggest you 2 little things?

Your guide has 3 main sections:
1) general informations about Html, CSS and ePub format;
2) Which is related to Sigil and;
3) Advanced formatting tasks.

So I think it would be more logical to keep the subsection "Back to Sigil: Code View vs. Book View" with the main Sigil section.

My other suggestion is: why not create an ePub version of your Guide? I understand easily that pdf format allows a more precise presentation of the informations, but an epub file could show directly the code you are using for, by example, a Drop Cap.

Anyway thanks again Pablo!

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Arios

Hi Pablo!

Just a few words to thank you for your Quick and dirty ePub tutorial. When I began to learn epub file format around 9 months ago, your guide was the one I looked first. After a while, we forget rapidly where we started and it's nice that someone take care of newbies.

I'm glad you found it useful! This guide is my way of giving back something in return for all the help I got here.

Originally Posted by Arios

Can I suggest you 2 little things?

Your guide has 3 main sections:
1) general informations about Html, CSS and ePub format;
2) Which is related to Sigil and;
3) Advanced formatting tasks.

So I think it would be more logical to keep the subsection "Back to Sigil: Code View vs. Book View" with the main Sigil section.

That section is there on purpose: the idea was , first, to show that you really need to write HTML code to format your book and after that, show how inadequate is BV for even the simplest tasks.

Originally Posted by Arios

My other suggestion is: why not create an ePub version of your Guide? I understand easily that pdf format allows a more precise presentation of the informations, but an epub file could show directly the code you are using for, by example, a Drop Cap.

That's a good idea, I will have a look at it and maybe post an epub version in 30-45 days.

[Arios]

Wonderful Pablo!

If time allows me, I could make a French version (if you want).

¿Y por qué no una versión en español también?

¡Buenas noches!

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Arios

Wonderful Pablo!

If time allows me, I could make a French version (if you want).

Sure, why not? Go ahead!

Originally Posted by Arios

¿Y por qué no una versión en español también?

¡Buenas noches!

Hace tiempo que tengo ganas de hacer una versión en mi idioma, ahora que tenemos un foro en español, tal vez sea el momento adecuado.

¡Gracias por tu interés y aportes!

[Big Kev]

Hi Pablo

Great tutorial. Thanks for the time and effort you have put into its development.

As a complete newbie I wish I had found your tutorial prior to undertaking the w3 courses. It would have made things a lot easier.

Regards
Kevin

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Big Kev

Hi Pablo

Great tutorial. Thanks for the time and effort you have put into its development.

As a complete newbie I wish I had found your tutorial prior to undertaking the w3 courses. It would have made things a lot easier.

Regards
Kevin

I'm glad you like it!

[Pablo]

As per Arios request, I have generated an ePub version of the tutorial (see first post of this thread for the file).

[Arios]

Pablo,

I have had a really quick glance to the epub, but it looks very fine: gracias!

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Arios

Pablo,

I have had a really quick glance to the epub, but it looks very fine: gracias!

Thanks, now you can make your French version...

[Arios]

Sorry Pablo, I'm late.

Ok, I'll try to do it, insofar as I have some free time. BTW, I've already started...

Have a nice day!

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Arios

Sorry Pablo, I'm late.

Ok, I'll try to do it, insofar as I have some free time. BTW, I've already started...

Have a nice day!

Thanks!

[ecbritz]

Thanks for this "guide for dummies". The author can be assured that especially new Sigil users need and appreciate this. So any new editing or development of the pdf or epub is going to be read and used widely.

[dgatwood]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What is good code for dealing with a dropcap that needs to be two characters such as a quote and the following letter?

As far as appearance?

Specifying a negative left margin so that the quote mark approximately falls in the margin would be best for printing, but that sucks for onscreen viewing because of the need to waste space with a positive left margin on every page to accommodate it.

If you're really enterprising, this is where an "@media print" comes in handy. Just do it in a separate css file, since ADE vomits on media queries, IIRC.

Beyond that detail, there's not really any difference between a single-character drop cap and a multi-character drop cap. I size the leading quotes the same as the drop cap, but that's a question of personal preference. Others may prefer to make them smaller or specifically design a font with narrow quotation marks so that they take up less horizontal space.

[Toxaris]

Can I place a vote that this thread should be a stickie? It really helps new people getting around and I find myself directing people to this thread regularly.