font mis-representation in Mobipocket Reader

[cyberbaffled]

I've posted the following in the Mobipocket corporation's forum, but thought I'd give this forum a shot at it as well.

I've 'built' a book using Mobipocket Creator, 'importing' a html file. The html file incorporates many mathematical symbols that display correctly when the html file is a component of an .epub file displayed using Adobe Digital Editions; or is a component of a .lit file displayed using Microsoft Reader. However, when displayed using Mobipocket Reader many unicode characters display using oddly substitute characters. Such oddly displaying characters include Greek letters and triple equality signs signifying identity, plus glyphs used to avoid confusion when used for footnotes. How can I expand the font set used by MP Reader installed on a PC. Also, how can I be certain that the aforementioned troublesome characters will display correctly when Reader is installed on the panoply of phones and tablets now available.

[susan_cassidy]

Have you tried specifying the characters (when possible) using html entities? Mobipocket is based on HTML, and the oddball characters tend to work better when translated into HTML entities, rather than just leaving the characters as is. Also, when you convert, make sure to change the encoding to UTF-8, instead of the default, which is, I believe, Windows 1252.

[cyberbaffled]

You were precisely right, Susan. My html file began as an export from MS Word whose initial purpose was incorportion within a .lit file for MS Reader. Therefore, I didn't change the encoding from Windows 1252 because that didn't cost me anything. I did change the .opf file to utf-8, but that didn't mitigate my eventual problem.

Changing the html encoding -as you suggested- to utf-8 in the meta-data section solved my problem. I had used html entities from the beginning, so those didn't need to be changed.

Let's see now if I can give you 100 karma points. I forget exactly how that works.

Thanks again.