KFX Format

[eggheadbooks1]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Yes, that is what it does.

Thank, JHowell, that's what I thought but didn't want to conclude without question.

So now I've been doing tests to see what, exactly, KFX doesn't like. Media queries is the first culprit.

It makes sense that a KFX file would not contain media queries (since KFX files are only sent to newer devices and apps). However, in the KDP publication process, a single ePub file uploaded to KDP is processed into multiple files: mobi7, mobi8, and now potentially KFX. So I wonder why the mere presence of media queries prevents Enhanced Typesetting. They do not interfere with K8. Do you think this has something to do with the way that ePub files are converted to this new format that is not HTML based?

So, if one wants their book to be eligible for Enhanced Typesetting, it appears to be a blanket rule that one must forgo media queries for older devices in any file uploaded to KDP. Yes, mobi7 consumers are few, and in simple ebooks media queries are unnecessary. But if you have a complex ebook, it's now clear that you have to choose between customers of future Amazon products and the existing customers that may have older devices. It seems like just another way to force consumers to upgrade.

Secondly, KP3 does not report on errors unless the conversion process fails. I deliberately created unresolved hyperlinks (one internal, one external) and the book built without any warnings; the links were simply dead. That's kind of a drag. KP2 produced warnings for such errors. Seems like a loss of a helpful feature.

[JSWolf]

I was just thinking. If Amazon was to force Kindle for PC 1.19.x on us, what happens to those who use Kindle for PC to download eBooks and then side load to a device that doesn't support KFX? How will that work?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I was just thinking. If Amazon was to force Kindle for PC 1.19.x on us, what happens to those who use Kindle for PC to download eBooks and then side load to a device that doesn't support KFX? How will that work?

Download for transfer via USB from the web site, of course.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by eggheadbooks1

So, if one wants their book to be eligible for Enhanced Typesetting, it appears to be a blanket rule that one must forgo media queries for older devices in any file uploaded to KDP. Yes, mobi7 consumers are few, and in simple ebooks media queries are unnecessary. But if you have a complex ebook, it's now clear that you have to choose between customers of future Amazon products and the existing customers that may have older devices. It seems like just another way to force consumers to upgrade.

Conversely (if true), I would think many might want to make use of media queries just to actively prevent their books from being eligible for KFX.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by eggheadbooks1

So, if one wants their book to be eligible for Enhanced Typesetting, it appears to be a blanket rule that one must forgo media queries for older devices in any file uploaded to KDP.

I have successfully converted books with amzn-mobi and amzn-kf8 media queries. Perhaps only certain ones are not supported.

Originally Posted by eggheadbooks1

Secondly, KP3 does not report on errors unless the conversion process fails. I deliberately created unresolved hyperlinks (one internal, one external) and the book built without any warnings; the links were simply dead. That's kind of a drag. KP2 produced warnings for such errors. Seems like a loss of a helpful feature.

Missing hyperlink targets are reported as warnings in the Previewer conversion log. (View->Conversion log -or- Ctrl-G)

[eggheadbooks1]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I have successfully converted books with amzn-mobi and amzn-kf8 media queries. Perhaps only certain ones are not supported.

I used the standard ones. The file converted, but when I checked Book Information (Ctrl+I), Enhanced Typesetting was Unsupported. When I removed the mobi7 block of code, I still got Unsupported. I had to remove the media queries from the CSS for the file to report as Supported.

In the files you converted, did they report as Enhanced Typesetting: Supported?

Missing hyperlink targets are reported as warnings in the Previewer conversion log. (View->Conversion log -or- Ctrl-G)

Unfortunately, though, you only know if you check the conversion log. What is better about KP2 is that the file log displays as the conversion takes place, and you get a "File converted but with warnings" warning. KP3 just converts, as if all is well, and unless you know to check the log for warnings, you'll be fooled. Considering that KP is aimed at amateurs, I would think this a step backward.

What I've been doing is adding one more element at a time and seeing what elements show as Enhanced Typesetting: Supported. So far media queries, and now tables and floating frames, have returned Unsupported results.

I asked Amazon about the media queries and am awaiting a response. I'll next ask about the tables and floating frames.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by eggheadbooks1

I had to remove the media queries from the CSS for the file to report as Supported.

In the files you converted, did they report as Enhanced Typesetting: Supported?

Yes. I have attached a simple example.

Originally Posted by eggheadbooks1

So far media queries, and now tables and floating frames, have returned Unsupported results.

Most tables convert fine in my testing.

[eggheadbooks1]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Yes. I have attached a simple example.
Most tables convert fine in my testing.

I'll try again tomorrow (I will be away the rest of the day) and see what I did in my file that is different. It's simple code, validates, displays properly, etc...Maybe it was because I was using classes in my tables to create background shading and colored headings and such? Hmmm...

[AaronShep]

I believe that media queries will or won't work depending on what you're asking for. For instance, if you ask for use of an SVG image, that won't work, because KFX doesn't yet support it. So, that could be used to avoid Enhanced Typesetting.

Or at least, it could before. KFX and Enhanced Typesetting are continually under development, so anything that's not supported at the moment could be supported at any time. And here's the rub: Previewer may not exactly reflect what's done to your file at Amazon. I have found formatting differences between the current Previewer Beta and newly published books with Enhanced Typesetting.

I think it's fruitless to try to pin down Enhanced Typesetting to create complex typography. Whatever you're doing could stop working tomorrow, and you might never know. If you need that kind of solidity, get the Kindle Textbook Creator and output fixed format.

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I was just thinking. If Amazon was to force Kindle for PC 1.19.x on us, what happens to those who use Kindle for PC to download eBooks and then side load to a device that doesn't support KFX? How will that work?

When one downloads a file, a window pops up asking for what device or app it is intended.

[eggheadbooks1]

Hi JHowell,

In my media query test I used Amazon's code for displaying different content based on device:

.defaultcontent
   {display:block;}
.mobicontent
   {display:none;}
@media amzn-mobi {
   .defaultcontent
   {display:none;}
   .mobicontent
   {display:block;}}

This, as opposed to simply styling the same content differently, appears to be the likely culprit. This despite Amazon including the above code in their latest Publishing Guidelines (2017.1). Another death knell for consumers with mobi7 devices?

[eggheadbooks1]

JHowell,

Attached is my test tables file. Not sure why it's not supported in KFX. These are not particularly complex tables.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by eggheadbooks1

Attached is my test tables file. Not sure why it's not supported in KFX. These are not particularly complex tables.

Your book will convert if you eliminate the table captions. For some reason the Previewer doesn't like them.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by eggheadbooks1

In my media query test I used Amazon's code for displaying different content based on device:
...
This, as opposed to simply styling the same content differently, appears to be the likely culprit. This despite Amazon including the above code in their latest Publishing Guidelines (2017.1). Another death knell for consumers with mobi7 devices?

I did some more testing using the latest Previewer release (3.9). Books will fail to support Enhanced Typesetting if the media queries cause the visible content to differ by more than about 5% between the MOBI and KF8/KFX versions.

I have attached a test file to demonstrate this. As is, it will convert properly using Previewer 3.9. But if the second paragraph, with repeated "Mobi only" text, is made about 10 characters longer it will fail to convert.

(Edit fixed minor problem with attachment.)

[eggheadbooks1]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Your book will convert if you eliminate the table captions. For some reason the Previewer doesn't like them.

How bizarre. Will report to Amazon. Thanks for the sleuthing.

I did some more testing using the latest Previewer release (3.9). Books will fail to support Enhanced Typesetting if the media queries cause the visible content to differ by more than about 5% between the MOBI and KF8/KFX versions.

I have attached a test file to demonstrate this. As is, it will convert properly using Previewer 3.9. But if the second paragraph, with repeated "Mobi only" text, is made about 10 characters longer it will fail to convert.

Okay, that's even weirder.