Accurate page number

[stanlefor]

Hi,
Is thre still no way to get a real page count for the Aura HD and epubs?
Thanks

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by stanlefor

Hi,
Is thre still no way to get a real page count for the Aura HD and epubs?
Thanks

If by "real" page count you mean the same as the page count in some paper edition of the book, then I believe Kobo devices have always had this capability, but it depends on the publisher including a valid page-map.xml file in the epub.

I just greped through a couple of hundred epubs that I've bought over the last two years, not a single one has a page-map.xml, so I can't test to see if it actually works.

[stanlefor]

What I mean is a page count that shows the number of times you have to turn a page when reading on the kobo to be at the end of the book.
kepub is more acurate I'm pretty sure.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by stanlefor

What I mean is a page count that shows the number of times you have to turn a page when reading on the kobo to be at the end of the book.
kepub is more acurate I'm pretty sure.

The epub reader never counted the number of screens needed to display the whole book, and still doesn't.

The kepub reader used to have an unofficial option to do this but it was removed in the latest firmware, so now it only has a count for the number of screens to display the current chapter. There is a new option to use whole book page numbering (and other options such as % instead of page numbers), but it uses a similar page numbering method as the epub reader.

[stanlefor]

Ok thanks...
It's a shame kobo don't work on those simple things...

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by stanlefor

Ok thanks...
It's a shame kobo don't work on those simple things...

"Simple" Sorry, but it's not simple.

[stanlefor]

If you say so
It may be a hard stuff for developpers, but it's a simple feature for users...

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by davidfor

"Simple" Sorry, but it's not simple.

But it is simple, isn't it?

They already have an algorithm that recalculates pages left in chapter based on your font size, margin and line spacing settings. All they need to do is extend that algorithm to span pages left in the entire book too. Seems simpler than using different algorithms for chapter and entire book.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by stanlefor

Ok thanks...
It's a shame kobo don't work on those simple things...

They have added a lot of new options for showing progress through the book in recent firmware versions:

For epubs you can select from ADE-style page numbers or % complete.

For kepubs you can select from ADE-style page numbers (whole book), screen number (per chapter), % complete or time remaining (whole book or per chapter).

I think the main issue with counting the number of screens for the whole book is that it requires re-rendering the entire book, just to count the screens used, every time any one of the large number of settings such as font size, margins, line spacing, etc. are changed, which compared to the other methods used is CPU-intensive (slow and uses lots of battery power), and can use a lot of memory.

[BryanK]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

But it is simple, isn't it?

They already have an algorithm that recalculates pages left in chapter based on your font size, margin and line spacing settings. All they need to do is extend that algorithm to span pages left in the entire book too. Seems simpler than using different algorithms for chapter and entire book.

The problem is that they would have to load all of the (remaining) chapters and calculate the page count for each one each time a book is opened or the settings are changed. On a device as slow as an e-ink reader, that delay would be significant. (Multiply the time it takes to change to the next chapter by the appropriate number of chapters.)

The reason that the alternate algorithm for calculating the "incorrect" number of pages for the entire book is so fast is that it simply reads the size of the remaining compressed chapter files in bytes and divides by 1024. It doesn't have to load the files themselves.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by stanlefor

If you say so
It may be a hard stuff for developpers, but it's a simple feature for users...

Here's how page numbers work. You have a hardcover and you get a certain page numbering. You have a trade paperback and you get a certain page numbering. You have a mass market paperback and you get a certain page numbering. Every single one of those different editions of the book gives you different page numbers. Now, you have an ePub eBook and you get a certain page numbering. Again, a different edition and a different page numbering. It's haow page numbering works. If you want ever version of a book to have the same page numbers, you are out of luck. It doesn't work that way.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BryanK

The reason that the alternate algorithm for calculating the "incorrect" number of pages for the entire book is so fast is that it simply reads the size of the remaining compressed chapter files in bytes and divides by 1024. It doesn't have to load the files themselves.

It's not incorrect. It's very correct. In fact, it's the most correct way of doing page numbers for an eBook that doesn't require an external file. With ADE page numbering, you can change margins, line height, font size and you will not have your page number change. That's a great way to do it. And once you get used to ADE page numbers, you'll get a good idea of how long the book is.

Kindle page numbers requires an APNX file that contains the page numbering. But, if you make significant enough changes to the Kindle eBook, then you lose that page numbering because the APNX file no longer syncs with the eBook.

[howyoudoin]

How does the ADE system deal with books that have illustrations? Does it simply ignore the sizes of the jpeg files?

[dwig]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Here's how page numbers work. You have a hardcover and you get a certain page numbering. You have a trade paperback and you get a certain page numbering. You have a mass market paperback and you get a certain page numbering. Every single one of those different editions of the book gives you different page numbers. Now, you have an ePub eBook and you get a certain page numbering. Again, a different edition and a different page numbering. It's haow page numbering works. If you want ever version of a book to have the same page numbers, you are out of luck. It doesn't work that way.

+1, also every additional edition of any one type of print version can easily have small typographic changes that alter the page numbering. This is why scholarly quotations always reference the source book's edition with a good deal of precision and why Amazon's Kindle page numbering (not the fake numbering done with calibre, et. al.) contains a reference to the specific printed edition that it matches.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

How does the ADE system deal with books that have illustrations? Does it simply ignore the sizes of the jpeg files?

Yes. The calculation only takes into account the size of the compressed text files.