"Footnote" location - Page 2

HarryT · 06-16-2011, 12:54 PM

The "hover text" of links won't work on any eInk device, I'm afraid.

BKh · 06-16-2011, 01:18 PM

I thought that was the case as I had never noticed the hover text on the Kindle. It would be great, though, if it worked like the dictionary look-up putting the first few lines from the link destination like a word definition.

I did realize a reason for having footnotes link backwards to the original link. If you happen to shut off the Kindle while you are looking at a foot note I believe the "back" button will no longer take you to the original link.

GMcG · 06-17-2011, 04:14 PM

@BKh
Today I got a Sony flyer about their Readers. One photo shows the use of a dictionary.
It looks like a frameset construction as it would be like:
<frameset rows="80%,*">
<frame src="intro.htm" name="psalms">
<frame src="footnotes.htm" name="footnotes">
</frameset>

I tried a simple frameset which worked in the browser and it was shown in the Calibre viewer too,
the windows showing 'intro.htm' and 'footnotes.htm' in the their frames.
But when I clicked in the 'psalms' window on the link to the footnote to be opened in the 'footnotes' window the viewer closed.

I don't know if ebooks support framesets, perhaps it is a problem with the navigation. But when Sony and others can do it, it should be possible somehow.

George

Jellby · 06-18-2011, 03:08 AM

I'm aware of no ebook format that supports framesets, and certainly ePUB doesn't. What you are seeing in the flyer is probably the application in the reader that looks like framesets, but that's a reader functionality, outside of the ebook itself.

DaleDe · 06-18-2011, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

I'm aware of no ebook format that supports framesets, and certainly ePUB doesn't. What you are seeing in the flyer is probably the application in the reader that looks like framesets, but that's a reader functionality, outside of the ebook itself.

The ePub recommended way is to use the title attribute for short footnotes but then I know of no eBook reader that can display this method either. Making a block of text floated right could also serve as a method for footnotes. I have tried, on a recent book, to use smaller text after the paragraph containing the note reference. It actually works fairly well. Fairly easy to ignore, does not interrupt the sentence flow but readily available. It works less well for longer footnotes. There are too many readers out there that do not support links, such as Kobo.

Dale

weatherwax · 06-18-2011, 01:29 PM

Not sure if there is one right way to handle footnotes. In paper books you'll also find them at the end of the page, at the end of the chapter or in a separate section at the end of the book.
With ebooks it might be the same. My personal preference:
- if the book has few short footnotes, they may be placed at the end of a paragraph as mentioned by DaleDe,
- if they are a bit longer but there are not too many per chapter, I'd put them at the end of the chapter, if they are still not disruptive to the reading
- many footnotes or very long footnotes: I'd put them at the end of the book
In the last 2 cases, linking to the footnote and back to the text are a must.
But that is just my preference, I have seen from other dicussions that quite a few people have different preferences.
It's the same with many of the other formatting issues which are frequently discussed around here (indent or extra space to mark a new paragraph, serif or not, font size, ...).
So feel free to do what you like best, some people will like it and some will not.

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06-16-2011, 12:54 PM	#16
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The "hover text" of links won't work on any eInk device, I'm afraid.

06-16-2011, 01:18 PM	#17
BKh Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle	I thought that was the case as I had never noticed the hover text on the Kindle. It would be great, though, if it worked like the dictionary look-up putting the first few lines from the link destination like a word definition. I did realize a reason for having footnotes link backwards to the original link. If you happen to shut off the Kindle while you are looking at a foot note I believe the "back" button will no longer take you to the original link.

06-17-2011, 04:14 PM	#18
GMcG Writer Posts: 101 Karma: 590630 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Munich, Germany Device: none	@BKh Today I got a Sony flyer about their Readers. One photo shows the use of a dictionary. It looks like a frameset construction as it would be like: <frameset rows="80%,*"> <frame src="intro.htm" name="psalms"> <frame src="footnotes.htm" name="footnotes"> </frameset> I tried a simple frameset which worked in the browser and it was shown in the Calibre viewer too, the windows showing 'intro.htm' and 'footnotes.htm' in the their frames. But when I clicked in the 'psalms' window on the link to the footnote to be opened in the 'footnotes' window the viewer closed. I don't know if ebooks support framesets, perhaps it is a problem with the navigation. But when Sony and others can do it, it should be possible somehow. George

06-18-2011, 03:08 AM	#19
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,516 Karma: 18512745 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	I'm aware of no ebook format that supports framesets, and certainly ePUB doesn't. What you are seeing in the flyer is probably the application in the reader that looks like framesets, but that's a reader functionality, outside of the ebook itself.

06-18-2011, 01:29 PM	#21
weatherwax Guru Posts: 904 Karma: 5921577 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: South of Germany Device: PRS650 (red), Kindle PW2, Galaxy Note 8	Not sure if there is one right way to handle footnotes. In paper books you'll also find them at the end of the page, at the end of the chapter or in a separate section at the end of the book. With ebooks it might be the same. My personal preference: - if the book has few short footnotes, they may be placed at the end of a paragraph as mentioned by DaleDe, - if they are a bit longer but there are not too many per chapter, I'd put them at the end of the chapter, if they are still not disruptive to the reading - many footnotes or very long footnotes: I'd put them at the end of the book In the last 2 cases, linking to the footnote and back to the text are a must. But that is just my preference, I have seen from other dicussions that quite a few people have different preferences. It's the same with many of the other formatting issues which are frequently discussed around here (indent or extra space to mark a new paragraph, serif or not, font size, ...). So feel free to do what you like best, some people will like it and some will not.

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