Some tricks with ePub 2.x (wanted)

[Ghitulescu]

I wonder whether it is possible to implement a sort of history.back(-1) in an ePub, as not all eReaders allow such a functionality?
This would allow me to simplify multiple references to a single note (then, of course, the return to the right passage).

Second:
Is there any possibility of a "status line", displaying the page number and other infos, or a frame, that would of course keep account of resizing and screen sizes?
Yes, I know ePub has no pages, but the eReaders do

I could not find any info concerning the two.

[Turtle91]

Both of those are implemented (or not) by the reading device or app. The ePub format doesn't support either.

...at least, not that I'm aware of.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Ghitulescu

I wonder whether it is possible to implement a sort of history.back(-1) in an ePub, as not all eReaders allow such a functionality?
This would allow me to simplify multiple references to a single note (then, of course, the return to the right passage).

All the good ereader software already has a back button, there is no need to duplicate the functionality in HTML.
And there is absolutely no support in the EPUB spec for any such functionality, on the assumption I guess that there is no need but of course any ereader that uses a web engine for rendering will support it anyway. Which means a bare handful of ereaders (i.e. a subset of smartphone/tablet apps) will support it, and it will break everywhere else.

Why not trust the ereader to do its job?

Second:
Is there any possibility of a "status line", displaying the page number and other infos, or a frame, that would of course keep account of resizing and screen sizes?
Yes, I know ePub has no pages, but the eReaders do

I could not find any info concerning the two.

Once again, that is the job of the ereader itself.

Not only is it impossible to do in HTML, it is also the kind of thing that some people will like and some people will hate, so it needs to be able to be disabled.

[Ghitulescu]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Why not trust the ereader to do its job?

Because exactly the one I use has no such facility, or I am too stupid to discover it. It's the Gitden I use on my Androids.

[eschwartz]

Then use a different ereader...

[theducks]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Then use a different ereader...

There is no Back on my Astak.

Lots of dedicated devices saved a button

[Ghitulescu]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Then use a different ereader...

This is the best choice, balancing all the advantages and disadvantages.

But I am open to suggestions. Maybe there are "new kids on the block" since the last round-up, some years ago.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by theducks

There is no Back on my Astak.

Lots of dedicated devices saved a button

Your Astak is also quite old, isn't it?

Originally Posted by Ghitulescu

This is the best choice, balancing all the advantages and disadvantages.

But I am open to suggestions. Maybe there are "new kids on the block" since the last round-up, some years ago.

I'm afraid I don't know much about what smartphone/tablet ereader apps are out there, or how they compare.

But I am convinced at least one of them has both a back button and a pagenumber indicator. It is inconceivable that you are the only one who wants a standard feature.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Your Astak is also quite old, isn't it?

An Antique, c 2010 , but it fits my hand , light weight e-ink

I'm afraid I don't know much about what smartphone/tablet ereader apps are out there, or how they compare.

But I am convinced at least one of them has both a back button and a pagenumber indicator. It is inconceivable that you are the only one who wants a standard feature.

I can jump to a RMSDK block...If I know it in advance. I can even put a bookmark, If... there are no spaces in the section names

The K4 is sort of OK, but I hat that it ignores (by design) some of my CSS choices. If I am smart enough to code a CSS... Let it be ugly, if that is what I get

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Your Astak is also quite old, isn't it?

Wiseguy. (waves at eschartz)

I'm afraid I don't know much about what smartphone/tablet ereader apps are out there, or how they compare.

But I am convinced at least one of them has both a back button and a pagenumber indicator. It is inconceivable that you are the only one who wants a standard feature.

You know what? I'd LIKE it if this could exist. It would solve what is a fairly consistent problem for us, which is making clients happy that want internal linking, for this or that, for "many to one" (anchor/target) linking scenarios.

We have one in, right now. GREAT client, been a delight to work with (would that I could clone this guy and his sister), a book I believe in (non-fiction about saving/finding/etc. lost pets), etc. In the course of the book, they have numerous "see XXXX" links. And they are the many to one type. Many "See XXX," with a shared target. Not all, of course, but if there are 10 target resources, let's say there are 50 departure points. The client happens to have a reader that, lo, does not have a "back" button. (n.b.: not all that we have here, do either).

They asked me for this x-refs, and we obliged. In testing them, he realized that no matter how many times he clicked "back" the back link wouldn't go to the 2nd, 3rd, etc., in sequence. I wish I could make it so. I do.

BTW: This, along with font-embedding, seems to be one of those things that I don't explain well. The many-to-one linking problem (for glossaries and the like).

AND, may I add, many of the desktop software readers don't have BACK buttons, either.

Just sayin'.

Hitch

[mattmc]

Originally Posted by Hitch

In the course of the book, they have numerous "see XXXX" links. And they are the many to one type. Many "See XXX," with a shared target. Not all, of course, but if there are 10 target resources, let's say there are 50 departure points. The client happens to have a reader that, lo, does not have a "back" button. (n.b.: not all that we have here, do either).

Given that the shared targets are footnotes or other not-humongous content that is not in the normal flow of the book, I wrote a script for my current project that clones the 10 target resources out so that there are 50 target resources to match the 50 departure points, and each target is given a backlink that corresponds to the departure point. Adds a bit of bloat to the footnote section, for sure, but handles the situation of the device/software having no back button.

[jbacelar]

Originally Posted by mattmc

Adds a bit of bloat to the footnote section, for sure, but handles the situation of the device/software having no back button.

For me, this great solution is the perfect egg of Columbus.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Wiseguy. (waves at eschartz)

My specialty.

You know what? I'd LIKE it if this could exist. It would solve what is a fairly consistent problem for us, which is making clients happy that want internal linking, for this or that, for "many to one" (anchor/target) linking scenarios.

We have one in, right now. GREAT client, been a delight to work with (would that I could clone this guy and his sister), a book I believe in (non-fiction about saving/finding/etc. lost pets), etc. In the course of the book, they have numerous "see XXXX" links. And they are the many to one type. Many "See XXX," with a shared target. Not all, of course, but if there are 10 target resources, let's say there are 50 departure points. The client happens to have a reader that, lo, does not have a "back" button. (n.b.: not all that we have here, do either).

They asked me for this x-refs, and we obliged. In testing them, he realized that no matter how many times he clicked "back" the back link wouldn't go to the 2nd, 3rd, etc., in sequence. I wish I could make it so. I do.

BTW: This, along with font-embedding, seems to be one of those things that I don't explain well. The many-to-one linking problem (for glossaries and the like).

AND, may I add, many of the desktop software readers don't have BACK buttons, either.

Just sayin'.

Hitch

From your perspective, I get why you want the option.

But from my perspective, every software that doesn't have a back button should be set on fire and dumped in a black hole, quickly before anyone notices it exists and tragically decides to try using it.
This is the ideal solution, because ideally no reader apps/devices are missing such important functionality. Of course, we don't live in a perfect world and regarding ebooks you are the one to suffer for a lack of ideal solutions in real life... I do feel for you, don't worry.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by mattmc

Given that the shared targets are footnotes or other not-humongous content that is not in the normal flow of the book, I wrote a script for my current project that clones the 10 target resources out so that there are 50 target resources to match the 50 departure points, and each target is given a backlink that corresponds to the departure point. Adds a bit of bloat to the footnote section, for sure, but handles the situation of the device/software having no back button.

Hi:

Indeed--I'd considered this sort of idea. Create a bunch of duplicate landing points that are effectively invisible, but that work. For this particular project, however, they are actual large sections of the book. e.g., "See Resources/Veterinarians," with 100 listings, and the like. It wouldn't be a trivial amount of repetitive content--and out of curiosity, how are you then "hiding it" from those paging through? Are you assuming that folks won't read the footnotes sequentially, or? Where are you putting them that's hidden from the casual thumber?

(I'm one of those. Yes, it's true, I confess--I tend to read footnotes by themselves! The Horror, I know, but...)

Hitch

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I'm one of those. Yes, it's true, I confess--I tend to read footnotes by themselves! The Horror, I know, but...

You mean everyone isn't one of us - I often photocopy/print the endnotes.

BR