Highlighting on mobile content server browser fails

cdrch · 06-12-2022, 10:48 AM

So after a lot of research into highlighting and annotations of both ePubs and PDFs that will sync two-way between PC and mobile (preferably while keeping Calibre as my content manager), it seems I can get pretty much everything I want simply by using Calibre and its content server. I like the desktop reader, and the web interface is also pretty nice. The web interface is almost usable for my purposes on mobile, with the glaring issue of highlighting being a massive pain.

Unlike normal webpages on Chrome for Android, a simple touch-and-hold to highlight does not work. It either requires holding down for much longer, or fails to work at all - and worse still, will register the end of that touch as a command to turn the page if I'm in the right zone. I suspect the browser-based client for the content server does something to intercept touch events, but I'm not certain.

Is there a way around this, or some other way to highlight more easily on mobile? Is this a bug? Any suggestions for alternatives are welcome as well. Thanks in advance.

kovidgoyal · 06-12-2022, 12:24 PM

Touch and hold on a word you will get a popup bar and draggable handles. Drag the handles to adjust the selection. Works perfectly smoothly on chrome for android.

cdrch · 06-12-2022, 02:01 PM

My issue is that the popup bar + handles only appear perhaps 1 out of 5 times I perform a long press in Chrome for Android. When I do this on any other website, it appears to work perfectly well, every time, so it appears to be an issue with Calibre specifically.

I've made sure my Android is updated (running Android 12) and Chrome is on the latest stable version.

Since the first response was to say it works fine, is this a bug rather than a feature with problems? Anyone else having this issue?

kovidgoyal · 06-12-2022, 02:10 PM

DO you tend to inadvertantly move your finger about while holding? Its possible the swipe detection threshold is too small for you.

cdrch · 06-12-2022, 02:20 PM

I've adjusted the touch sensitivity and it gives no improvement in Calibre. And as mentioned, no other webpages have this issue.

I managed to luck into the right combination of keywords to find others with a possibly related issue: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh....php?p=4153779 (related bug report: https://bugs.launchpad.net/calibre/+bug/1943517)

Like them, I'm running a Samsung device, and like them, I was able to get it working on Firefox (though, also like them, I greatly prefer Chrome on Android and it is a more convenient experience for Calibre use). However, whereas they appear to find their highlights working but causing errors, any of my highlights that do work are perfectly fine, and sync just fine. It's just that I usually can't make a selection in the first place.

kovidgoyal · 06-12-2022, 04:50 PM

Sorry I have no idea what samsung does to screw up its chrome and I dont have any samsung devices to test with.

cdrch · 06-12-2022, 04:58 PM

Unfortunate, and I'm afraid I couldn't find any details about the differences Samsung applies to Android. I'll post again if it starts working after any future updates. Thanks for the responses.

nqk · 06-14-2022, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Sorry I have no idea what samsung does to screw up its chrome and I dont have any samsung devices to test with.

I don't know if it's a screen related issue or not, but I'm pretty sure it's not a brand issue, because I also have a Samsung Tablet (Galaxy S7), and it works just fine. My friend, however, can't select texts on his Samsung A51 phone. And I can't select texts myself using Vsmart Live (local brand, just to say it is wierd, nobody cares about it anyway). Those are the two cases that have failed to make text selection.

Sent from my GM1910 using Tapatalk

WHY · 07-17-2022, 11:05 AM

My workaround FYI.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WHY

I have the same problems with my both Samsung phone and tablet.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=338540

My current workaround is using firefox mobile instead. I tried Chrome, Safari and many other browsers on my Samsung devices, highlighting does not work reliably with any of them. Only firefox does!. But on the ios device, there is no issue at all. Still don't know why...

nqk · 07-06-2023, 01:15 AM

With the new "Touch behavior" setting, it is now possible to highlight on my Huawei Matepad Paper by stetting tapping to "Highlight or inspect" and flicking to switch screens.

It should be noted that 'long tap' works now to finalize the highlights. (tap to start selection, long tap to finish selection). Long tap doesn't do anything without the "normal tap" being activated first.

I don't have any Samsung devices now, so I can't test.

WHY · 10-19-2023, 01:52 PM

Unfortunately, the issue is still there on my Samsung phone; the highlighting option does not pop up consistently with a long tap on the Chrome/Edge browsers. However, it works normally only in the Firefox browser on all my Samsung devices.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nqk

With the new "Touch behavior" setting, it is now possible to highlight on my Huawei Matepad Paper by stetting tapping to "Highlight or inspect" and flicking to switch screens.

It should be noted that 'long tap' works now to finalize the highlights. (tap to start selection, long tap to finish selection). Long tap doesn't do anything without the "normal tap" being activated first.

I don't have any Samsung devices now, so I can't test.

06-12-2022, 10:48 AM	#1
cdrch Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2022 Device: Calibre	Highlighting on mobile content server browser fails So after a lot of research into highlighting and annotations of both ePubs and PDFs that will sync two-way between PC and mobile (preferably while keeping Calibre as my content manager), it seems I can get pretty much everything I want simply by using Calibre and its content server. I like the desktop reader, and the web interface is also pretty nice. The web interface is almost usable for my purposes on mobile, with the glaring issue of highlighting being a massive pain. Unlike normal webpages on Chrome for Android, a simple touch-and-hold to highlight does not work. It either requires holding down for much longer, or fails to work at all - and worse still, will register the end of that touch as a command to turn the page if I'm in the right zone. I suspect the browser-based client for the content server does something to intercept touch events, but I'm not certain. Is there a way around this, or some other way to highlight more easily on mobile? Is this a bug? Any suggestions for alternatives are welcome as well. Thanks in advance.

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06-12-2022, 12:24 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Touch and hold on a word you will get a popup bar and draggable handles. Drag the handles to adjust the selection. Works perfectly smoothly on chrome for android.

06-12-2022, 02:01 PM	#3
cdrch Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2022 Device: Calibre	My issue is that the popup bar + handles only appear perhaps 1 out of 5 times I perform a long press in Chrome for Android. When I do this on any other website, it appears to work perfectly well, every time, so it appears to be an issue with Calibre specifically. I've made sure my Android is updated (running Android 12) and Chrome is on the latest stable version. Since the first response was to say it works fine, is this a bug rather than a feature with problems? Anyone else having this issue?

06-12-2022, 02:10 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	DO you tend to inadvertantly move your finger about while holding? Its possible the swipe detection threshold is too small for you.

06-12-2022, 02:20 PM	#5
cdrch Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2022 Device: Calibre	I've adjusted the touch sensitivity and it gives no improvement in Calibre. And as mentioned, no other webpages have this issue. I managed to luck into the right combination of keywords to find others with a possibly related issue: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh....php?p=4153779 (related bug report: https://bugs.launchpad.net/calibre/+bug/1943517) Like them, I'm running a Samsung device, and like them, I was able to get it working on Firefox (though, also like them, I greatly prefer Chrome on Android and it is a more convenient experience for Calibre use). However, whereas they appear to find their highlights working but causing errors, any of my highlights that do work are perfectly fine, and sync just fine. It's just that I usually can't make a selection in the first place.

06-12-2022, 04:50 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Sorry I have no idea what samsung does to screw up its chrome and I dont have any samsung devices to test with.

06-12-2022, 04:58 PM	#7
cdrch Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2022 Device: Calibre	Unfortunate, and I'm afraid I couldn't find any details about the differences Samsung applies to Android. I'll post again if it starts working after any future updates. Thanks for the responses.

07-06-2023, 01:15 AM	#10
nqk Fanatic Posts: 516 Karma: 32106 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Onyx Boox Leaf	With the new "Touch behavior" setting, it is now possible to highlight on my Huawei Matepad Paper by stetting tapping to "Highlight or inspect" and flicking to switch screens. It should be noted that 'long tap' works now to finalize the highlights. (tap to start selection, long tap to finish selection). Long tap doesn't do anything without the "normal tap" being activated first. I don't have any Samsung devices now, so I can't test.