Epub3 seems to be much closer

[RbnJrg]

Recently I downloaded the last update of the PocketBook app for Android. This new release now has two rendering engines: RMSDK (for epub2) and Webkit (for epub3). The engine to be used is auto-selected by the app, but the user also can chosse what to use to read an epub (so it's perfectly possible to use webkit to read epub2 ebooks and sometimes is better). I was testing the epub3 support and I must say that is impressive (like Sigil or a bit better because it has hyphens and Sigil not); practically all css3 properties supported by webkit have been implemented. I was toying with the property "shape" to see how well was implemented and is perfect. Here there are some screenshots of my phone:



At least, now we have something that supports epub3 and it's a good choice as a reader for those who has e-ink tablets. However, nothing is perfect; I don't know why the support for "page-break-after: avoid" and "break-after: avoid" is not present. But anyway, this is a big step forward.

EDIT: Before this new update of PocketBook, no program could manage the "shape" property. Nor ADE 4.5x, nor Azardi, nor Calibre, only Sigil. Now it is acompanied.

[jackie_w]

Hi RbnJrg,

I'd be interested to see the actual CSS snippet you used to achieve the above results.

BTW, I, too, have been happy with PocketBook's new webkit renderer. It's nice to see the pseudo-elements 'first-letter' and 'first-line' working as well on my Android devices as they do in kepubs on my Kobos

[RbnJrg]

I must said that PocketBook supports pseudo-element, pseudo-classes and css properties "position: absolute", "position: relative", text-stroke, text-shadow, border-shadow, border-radius, "transform: rotate()" and opacity in great shape. Here are new screenshots of my phone:



And PocketBook also sells e-ink devices so if them do have such support for css3, then I think very soon all others e-ink device vendors also will give support for epub3.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by RbnJrg

And PocketBook also sells e-ink devices so if them do have such support for css3, then I think very soon all others e-ink device vendors also will give support for epub3.

All other e-ink device manufacturers? From my point of view, my Kobo e-ink ereaders have had epub3 support since 2012-2013. As for other manufacturers, the possibility of Amazon adding support for epub3, IMNSHO, makes my chances of winning a multi-million dollar lottery jackpot look highly likely.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by RbnJrg

I think very soon all others e-ink device vendors also will give support for epub3.

It seems vanishingly unlikely to me that Amazon will support ePub3 in the foreseeable future (other than as a conversion format).

[RbnJrg]

Originally Posted by DNSB

All other e-ink device manufacturers? From my point of view, my Kobo e-ink ereaders have had epub3 support since 2012-2013.

Yes, but Kobo (as Amazon) only supports partially css3. AFAIK, it doesn't support shapes, hanging-puntuation, regions, etc. and also the support of MathML is not perfect. It would be a pleaseant surprise to me that Kobo can open and read without issues the following files:

epub30-test-0330
epub30-test-0100
epub30-test-0110
epub30-test-0111
epub30-test-0112
epub30-test-0101

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by RbnJrg

It would be a pleaseant surprise to me that Kobo can open and read without issues the following files:

I don't have time to test all of them at the moment but I did try EPUBTEST 0101 as a kepub on the Kobo Forma (which can auto-switch between portrait/landscape).

On the whole it was pretty good. The only failures I noticed were:

• epub-ruby-position: under (style-411)
• epub-ruby-position: inter-character (style-412)
• Alternate style tags: night (style-611)

I have to confess that I'm not sure I fully understand what I ought to be seeing with the epub-ruby-position tests. In all 3 examples what I do see is the same 2 words (Lorum Ipsum) in large bold, with a much smaller non-bold copy of the same word over the top of each. In fact the kepub displays just like the calibre Viewer. I've assumed the 'over' is correct and the 'under', 'inter-character' are incorrect.

I'll follow up with the other test epubs as and when I have some time.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

I don't have time to test all of them at the moment but I did try EPUBTEST 0101 as a kepub on the Kobo Forma (which can auto-switch between portrait/landscape).

On the whole it was pretty good. The only failures I noticed were:

• epub-ruby-position: under (style-411)
• epub-ruby-position: inter-character (style-412)
• Alternate style tags: night (style-611)

I have to confess that I'm not sure I fully understand what I ought to be seeing with the epub-ruby-position tests. In all 3 examples what I do see is the same 2 words (Lorum Ipsum) in large bold, with a much smaller non-bold copy of the same word over the top of each. In fact the kepub displays just like the calibre Viewer. I've assumed the 'over' is correct and the 'under', 'inter-character' are incorrect.

I'll follow up with the other test epubs as and when I have some time.

What you are seeing for ruby is correct. It is often used as a pronunciation guide for logographic languages (Japanese kanji as an example). One horrible example from a article on sorting in Japanese is:

淳子 (Junko)
淳子 (Atsuko)
淳子 (Kiyoko)
淳子 (Akiko)

You will notice that the kanji for all 4 names is the same. The solution would be to write the names in kanji and add the pronunciation in furigana. The positioning would depend on text direction (vertically top to bottom, left to right or horizontally left to right top to bottom). AFAIR, over would position over using horizontal and to the right using vertical and under would position under using horizontal and to the left using vertical. As for intercharacter, that is used in Taiwan with bopomofo (Taiwanese flavour of ruby) and the results are "interesting" when used with non-bopomofo.

The article on Japanese sort order can be found at: Sorting in Japanese — An Unsolved Problem

[RbnJrg]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

I don't have time to test all of them at the moment but I did try EPUBTEST 0101 as a kepub on the Kobo Forma (which can auto-switch between portrait/landscape).

On the whole it was pretty good. The only failures I noticed were:

• epub-ruby-position: under (style-411)
• epub-ruby-position: inter-character (style-412)
• Alternate style tags: night (style-611)

I have to confess that I'm not sure I fully understand what I ought to be seeing with the epub-ruby-position tests. In all 3 examples what I do see is the same 2 words (Lorum Ipsum) in large bold, with a much smaller non-bold copy of the same word over the top of each. In fact the kepub displays just like the calibre Viewer. I've assumed the 'over' is correct and the 'under', 'inter-character' are incorrect.

I'll follow up with the other test epubs as and when I have some time.

Wow, that's very very good!! Forget the "epub-ruby-position" property and the alternate style tag (the code is buggy because the respective .xhtml file doen't have linked the night.css stylesheet) so the supports of Kobo is quite good!!.