Capabilities of different formats

[llasram]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If the tool that one uses to create the MobiPocket file understandards CSS, what practical difference does it make whether or not the CSS elements actually end up in the created file or not?

Because by that logic e.g. LRF viewers "understand" CSS because html2lrf understands CSS. Heck, plain text viewers "understand" CSS because lynx can render HTML+CSS to plain text.

[HarryT]

Yes, I agree with you, but I'm not sure what point it is that you're trying to make. As a book creator, all I care about is whether or not I can use CSS in my "source" files. What difference does it make to me whether it's the program that creates the book or the program that displays the book that "understandard" the CSS?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If the tool that one uses to create the MobiPocket file understandards CSS, what practical difference does it make whether or not the CSS elements actually end up in the created file or not?

The tool is not available on all platforms. So it is misleading for people using other platforms then Windows.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, I agree with you, but I'm not sure what point it is that you're trying to make. As a book creator, all I care about is whether or not I can use CSS in my "source" files. What difference does it make to me whether it's the program that creates the book or the program that displays the book that "understandard" the CSS?

It matters for example because of the format supports CSS you can decompile the file and fix problems. Otherwise it is a destructive conversion were you loose a lot of information.

[HarryT]

Do you think that many people "correct" their e-Books? If the e-Book creator wishes to make changes, he or she can simply make the changes in the original source and re-create the book.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, I agree with you, but I'm not sure what point it is that you're trying to make. As a book creator, all I care about is whether or not I can use CSS in my "source" files. What difference does it make to me whether it's the program that creates the book or the program that displays the book that "understandard" the CSS?

Then Mobipocket supports Word, PDF, OpenOffice, nested tables, SVG and whatnot... Some way or other you can find a way to convert any of these to Mobipocket, even if you lose some features.

I do correct Mobipocket files if I can (and if I cannot make the original author to correct them).

Besides, ideally, supporting CSS would mean that there could be a way to override the book-specific CSS with reader-specific CSS (say, I could change "em { font-style: italic }" to "em { font-weight: bold }", or set "img { display: none}").

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Do you think that many people "correct" their e-Books? If the e-Book creator wishes to make changes, he or she can simply make the changes in the original source and re-create the book.

The original source is usually not distributed with an ebook.