Which Reader for which Platform to support?

[JSWolf]

You should not be using any sort of webkit code in your ePub. That makes it not ePub compliant. Also, some programs don't have anything to do with webkit.

[Amalthia]

I wouldn't mind recommendations for windows 11. What I'm looking for is an epub reader that shows what the ebook is going to look like on my Pocketbook device.

So far I've been using Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), however it's kind of buggy and the fonts are sometimes weirdly blurred around the edges.

I haven't looked in years to see if there is a better piece of software...

[Falkor]

Originally Posted by RbnJrg

You are right regarding the fonts and indeed, you need to use "-webkit-column-break-before" (or to use "-webkit-column-break-after") for page breaks; all programs based on Readium must do it. But that is not an issue.

It's another thing to add.. although I found "break-before: column" also does the trick in the apps that support "-webkit-column-break-before"

Getting page breaks to work across all reading applications is a pain, though. The order in which the different css properties are arranged matters – and the order that works in Thorium and ADE doesn't work in Books... although maybe I'm missing some crucial detail to make it work.

Originally Posted by Slevin#7

Is it enough to go with this kind of solution of fallbacks?:

  -webkit-column-break-before: avoid;
    -webkit-page-break-before: avoid;
            page-break-before: avoid;
                 break-before: avoid;

Just try it and see if it works everywhere

[RbnJrg]

Originally Posted by Falkor

It's another thing to add.. although I found "break-before: column" also does the trick in the apps that support "-webkit-column-break-before"

Getting page breaks to work across all reading applications is a pain, though. The order in which the different css properties are arranged matters – and the order that works in Thorium and ADE doesn't work in Books... although maybe I'm missing some crucial detail to make it work.

Just try it and see if it works everywhere

The property "-webkit-page-break-before" doesn't exist. See https://webkit.org/css-status/#

[Falkor]

Ah, good catch!

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Falkor

Getting page breaks to work across all reading applications is a pain, though. The order in which the different css properties are arranged matters – and the order that works in Thorium and ADE doesn't work in Books... although maybe I'm missing some crucial detail to make it work. )

A new HTML file always starts at the top of the screen. (epubs converted to old mobi KF7, azw3/KF8 and KFX by Amazon or locally, and any epub renderer doing pages not continuous scrolling)
In such a case "padding-top: <value>em;" seems to always work for the first item, while some renders will remove margin-top at start of a screen and some may remove margin-bottom at the bottom of the screen.

Don't use any webkit or adobe or media queries if you want 100% compatibility, because even "fall back" code might fail.

[Falkor]

Originally Posted by Quoth

A new HTML file always starts at the top of the screen. (epubs converted to old mobi KF7, azw3/KF8 and KFX by Amazon or locally, and any epub renderer doing pages not continuous scrolling)
In such a case "padding-top: <value>em;" seems to always work for the first item, while some renders will remove margin-top at start of a screen and some
may remove margin-bottom at the bottom of the screen.

Wait, that's a problem from another thread. I'll reply there..
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...=368530&page=7

Originally Posted by Quoth

Don't use any webkit or adobe or media queries if you want 100% compatibility, because even "fall back" code might fail.

It seems no matter what I do, I'll never be able to achieve 100% compatibility. Adding properties for different renderers seems to increase compatibility rather than breaking it in most cases.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Falkor

It seems no matter what I do, I'll never be able to achieve 100% compatibility.

Yes, you can for novels, though after over 12 years of making ebooks I now won't bother checking mobi/KF7 compatibility. Only the Kindle K1, K2 and all the DX/DXG variants have to use mobi (encrypted version is azw without a digit) rather than azw3 or KFX on Amazon.

The secret is to realise that the ebook specs started out simply for simple novels with either images in their own paragraph and centred, or small. In both cases no frame in MS Word/LO Writer and "anchor as character". Superscript and subscript work if carefully styled. Forget things like SMALL CAPS, raised caps, drop caps; anyway many readers don't like them they reduce reading comprehension and have erratic support. Accessibility is important, so alt text for every image and not trying to be clever or fancy.

If you are doing a text book, or fancy stuff in epub3, accept that it won't work for many and widespread commercial distribution will either be rejected or cause problems for purchasers.

Fixed layout suits more people as a PDF, but has to be avoided unless the content is only for large tablets. Most people want to read a novel on a phone. Personally I prefer a Kobo Sage for novels.

Graphic Novels / Comics / Picture books etc are better on large tablets. There are now ones with almost ebook battery life (if only reading) and non-glare screens as good as eink with a front light on. Drop caps, small caps, and other decorative devices can be appropriate in a picture book.