Endnotes

[Siam]

I was able to link my notes to the end notes perfectly but what if i want to go back to the exact same paragraph on the chapter after viewing the notes? how do i go back?

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Siam

I was able to link my notes to the end notes perfectly but what if i want to go back to the exact same paragraph on the chapter after viewing the notes? how do i go back?

Example:

In file Section0001.xhtml we have the following text:

The spanish word gratis[1] is sometimes used to refer to free software.

And in Section0010.xhtml

Notes
[1] Gratis: free of charge.

In Section0001.xhtml:

<p>The spanish word <i>gratis</i><a id="goback_1"></a><a href="../Text/Section0010.xhtml#note_1">[1]</a> is sometimes used to refer to free software.</p>

In Section0010.xhtml:

<p><a id="note_1"></a><a href="../Text/Section0001.xhtml#goback_1"> [1]</a> Gratis: free of charge.</p>

[Toxaris]

You can also combine the two <a> tags into one. That also works.

[exaltedwombat]

You link back to a marker in the body text in exactly the same way you linked to the note.

Or you don't bother, and realise that most readers have a "Back" function.

They also have a "Search" function. So a simple word list can be as useful as a linked Index.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

You can also combine the two <a> tags into one. That also works.

I didn't know that one. Thank you!

[mrmikel]

Not all readers have a back button, so please make it possible to jump back without having to memorize the page number you jumped from.

[phossler]

Sigil User Manual:


http://web.sigil.googlecode.com/git/...ial_links.html

Bottom of the page talks about Reverse Linking

Right now it seems to be manual and requires addinig 2 anchors and 2 corresponding links to connect.

Paul

[mrmikel]

It may have to stay so. There may be a rare occasion when you don't want the reader to jump back.

[st_albert]

Also, it's been my experience that sometimes I don't want the back-link to go to the footnote number itself, but rather to the beginning of the paragraph that the footnote is in (or some other appropriate place). Otherwise, some readers will jump back with the footnote itself on the first line of the display. Putting the back-link a little earlier in the text preserves some context for the footnote.

And in that case you would need both <a anchors in the body of text, nacherly.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by st_albert

Also, it's been my experience that sometimes I don't want the back-link to go to the footnote number itself, but rather to the beginning of the paragraph that the footnote is in (or some other appropriate place). Otherwise, some readers will jump back with the footnote itself on the first line of the display. Putting the back-link a little earlier in the text preserves some context for the footnote.

Indeed, although then you have the potential problem of linking back to a page where the beginning of the paragraph (or the appropriate place) is at the bottom, and the footnote does not appear until next page. No case is perfect, but I prefer to link back to some meaningful place, where the portion the footnote refers to starts.

And in that case you would need both <a anchors in the body of text, nacherly.

Actually, you don't need <a> anchors, all you need is an "id", and that can be attached to any other tag (like <p>, <em>, <span>...). I don't know if Sigil allows that with the GUI, though.

[exaltedwombat]

Originally Posted by mrmikel

Not all readers have a back button, so please make it possible to jump back without having to memorize the page number you jumped from.

Though portability between readers is important, there's also a degree of responsibility on the owner to choose the right one. We talk sometimes as if ownership of computer platform and software is a God-ordained absolute! No, every consumer has a choice between Kindle and Kobo, between Sony Reader and iPad. If one doesn't have the required range of functions, don't buy that one!

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by exaltedwombat

No, every consumer has a choice between Kindle and Kobo, between Sony Reader and iPad.

That's true for the US market and maybe some parts of Europe, but not for the rest of the world. So, when editing a book, it is best to assume a low tech device will be used and code accordingly.

[st_albert]

Originally Posted by Pablo

That's true for the US market and maybe some parts of Europe, but not for the rest of the world. So, when editing a book, it is best to assume a low tech device will be used and code accordingly.

Good point! And if you do provide it, it's belt-and-suspenders. No loss to those that have a "back" button, but a boon to those who don't. No one should be annoyed. (Hmmm, isn't "minimal annoyance" a UI design principle?)

[Jellby]

A back link in notes has the added functionality of being able to see where a note was referred to, even if you didn't follow it. Say you are paging through the notes section of a book and find one that says "please don't try this at home", wouldn't you be curious about what you shouldn't try?

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by st_albert

Good point! And if you do provide it, it's belt-and-suspenders. No loss to those that have a "back" button, but a boon to those who don't. No one should be annoyed. (Hmmm, isn't "minimal annoyance" a UI design principle?)

In a book I recently bought, for some reason it took ages for the "history" button of my Sony T2 to take me back to the text, but using the "go back link" was much faster.