Why I like EPUB

So I really like and appreciate the EPUB format for e-books for a number of reasons.

One it holds out the hope for becoming the standard format for e-books. For a former web site designer who recalls too well the efforts of Microsoft and Netscape to develop there custom version of HTML, JS, and DOM, and the contorted code that was required to design pages that would look and behave the same in both browsers, the advantages of a universal e-book format seem obvious. Of course the big if for there ever being one format, or at least one overwhelmingly predominate format, is whether or not the big ugly gorilla in the room (aka Amazon) will want to keep a separate format for their e-books and Kindle.

Another reason is that editing an EPUB version book is something almost anyone can do. I know that a lot of people here with Sony devices still prefer LRF files, but personally I always convert even these to EPUBs. Once in that file format anyone with a program to decompress the file (and who doesn't have one of these) and enough basic knowledge of HTML and CSS can reformat the the book however they please.

Reason three is that when the formatting is done with the proper use of CSS, thus achieving the intent of XML—separate content from formatting—it is easy to take the actual content and reformat it at will.

[AlexBell]

And another reason is that those of us who are trying to learn how to create ePub books can go into books prepared by experts to check out how the experts do it.

Regards, Alex

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

Another reason is that editing an EPUB version book is something almost anyone can do. I know that a lot of people here with Sony devices still prefer LRF files, but personally I always convert even these to EPUBs. Once in that file format anyone with a program to decompress the file (and who doesn't have one of these) and enough basic knowledge of HTML and CSS can reformat the the book however they please.

Yes, almost anyone can do it... yet there are a few of readers who are willing to dig into it. No hard feelings about it, but it looks to me that Sigil and other self-contained tools have a chance of capturing (at least) 90% of ePub editing/fixing.

I have no idea why it is so. It is so easy that it is laughable. But mention command line zip/unzip utilities and (oh, horrors!) editor, and the big chances are that you lost them, right there.

BTW, I love the format. It is standard, simple, and holds a solid potential to evolve to whatever is/will be needed.

[andyotter]

Originally Posted by Ankh

Yes, almost anyone can do it... . It is so easy that it is laughable. But mention command line zip/unzip utilities and (oh, horrors!) editor, and the big chances are that you lost them, right there.

OK, I'll take the bait!
I've just dragged an ePUB created by Calibre onto StuffitExpander and lo! there's my folder with all the gubbins in.
Two starting q's

1. do I just use Stuffit/et al and put the extension ".epub" on it to make an epub?
2. have you got a link where i can read about the relationship between the component html files and the others like content.opf, mimetype, titlepage.xhtml, toc.ncx & META-INF>container.xml?

[pholy]

You can start by reading through this thread: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43230

And don't neglect the wiki How-To that you will find (t)here.

And then, of course, this whole branch of MR is all about epub. It really isn't too hard. I've done one book scan, and have two more teed up, just waiting for a few spare hours.