The Reading Vent & Rant Thread - Page 5

Quoth · 07-10-2022, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Another vent/rant is when the formatting gets in the way of reading because the formatting is that bad. It's very easy to make eBooks with good formatting. So why is it the big publishers have no idea what they are doing?

Yes, baffling. Hence I suppose some are very keen on KOReader here or brain-dead Android apps that ignore the CSS.

I fix the ebooks, which wife appreciates (though she could do it if she wanted to). Most people have no idea that the formatting can be fixed. A bit of HTML and CSS isn't as hard as learning C, C++, Java etc. Mostly fixing is deleting stupid stuff.

JSWolf · 07-10-2022, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

Yes, baffling. Hence I suppose some are very keen on KOReader here or brain-dead Android apps that ignore the CSS.

I fix the ebooks, which wife appreciates (though she could do it if she wanted to). Most people have no idea that the formatting can be fixed. A bit of HTML and CSS isn't as hard as learning C, C++, Java etc. Mostly fixing is deleting stupid stuff.

Fixing is replacing stupid stuff with not stupid stuff for the stuff that you want to work. The rest is deleting the junk like the excessive amount of CSS classes not used in the CSS and HTML, unused IDs, unused internal page numbers, etc.

Depending on the eBook, sometimes I will convert ePub 3 to ePub 2 because the ePub 3 is a right mess. or sometimes things are done that may not work in RMSDK on a Kobo so I go back to ePub 2 with code that works.

Renate · 07-10-2022, 08:42 AM

I go for the "nuclear" option when things get bad.
I just delete all .css files from the .zip
You can do this to DRM'ed books without touching the DRM.
I call my Windows executable that does this "unduke.exe".
That's because those crap Duke publications with the stupid dog in the corner.

JSWolf · 07-10-2022, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

I go for the "nuclear" option when things get bad.
I just delete all .css files from the .zip
You can do this to DRM'ed books without touching the DRM.
I call my Windows executable that does this "unduke.exe".
That's because those crap Duke publications with the stupid dog in the corner.

But then you have just 100% defaults that are also not good for reading. Sorry, but that doesn't work either (IMHO).

Renate · 07-10-2022, 09:40 AM

No, not defaults, just my global settings which are adjustable.
Font, font size, line spacing, justification, margins.
What else do you need?

ownedbycats · 07-10-2022, 08:03 PM

I once borrowed an Overdrive book that had awful fixed formatting that ignored my reader settings entirely. It was... frustrating.

Renate · 07-10-2022, 08:31 PM

Well, if you want you can use this. It just strips all .css files from an .epub
It may be that some reader doesn't like that the files are missing, save a copy of the original.

Code:

L:\Digital Editions>unduke 1848.epub
Removed 1 items

Just rename the file from .prc to .exe

Uncle Robin · 07-10-2022, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

Yes, baffling. Hence I suppose some are very keen on KOReader here .

I have poor motor skills, so using KOReader to override those settings it can is easier, faster and safer than editing CSS files. That requires typing, something I do as little of as possible. When I make typos here, it's no biggie, but making a typo in a file intended to be actioned in some way can matter.

JSWolf · 07-10-2022, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

No, not defaults, just my global settings which are adjustable.
Font, font size, line spacing, justification, margins.
What else do you need?

Indent.

DNSB · 07-10-2022, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Font, font size, line spacing, justification, margins.
What else do you need?

Centering, right alignment, header styling, verses, text messages, block quotes, etc.

Sirtel · 07-10-2022, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Centering, right alignment, header styling, verses, text messages, block quotes, etc.

Section breaks

Renate · 07-10-2022, 10:21 PM

Well, I like illuminated initial letters too.

We're not going for most desirable here, we're going for least obnoxious.
I'm not going to sweat CSS for books that I don't own.

DNSB · 07-10-2022, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Well, I like illuminated initial letters too.

Drop caps in any form are a total pain to have look good over a variety of devices. I worked on one ebook for an author who want to use images of illuminated letters for the first letter of each chapter. I sweated blood trying to make those suckers look good on multiple platforms given that most of the renderers he wanted to target did not under media queries and many of them had trouble understanding basic CSS. There was also the joy of learning how to wrap text around an L-shaped graphic. It was definitely a learning experience though of what I learned, the lesson that stuck was to run screaming the next time someone wanted those embellishments.

Sirtel · 07-10-2022, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

We're not going for most desirable here, we're going for least obnoxious.

Why? Of course I'm going for what I like the most. Why should I go for less?

Quote:

I'm not going to sweat CSS for books that I don't own.

Well, I own all my ebooks. So yeah, I want them to look as good as possible.

Fbone · 07-10-2022, 11:38 PM

Went to my library's Overdrive to borrow a title I was previously interested in but waited until I finished current read.

"Not available. License expired"

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07-10-2022, 08:42 AM	#63
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 3,176 Karma: 12537601 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	I go for the "nuclear" option when things get bad. I just delete all .css files from the .zip You can do this to DRM'ed books without touching the DRM. I call my Windows executable that does this "unduke.exe". That's because those crap Duke publications with the stupid dog in the corner.

07-10-2022, 09:40 AM	#65
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 3,176 Karma: 12537601 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	No, not defaults, just my global settings which are adjustable. Font, font size, line spacing, justification, margins. What else do you need?

07-10-2022, 08:03 PM	#66
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 9,569 Karma: 64960981 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	I once borrowed an Overdrive book that had awful fixed formatting that ignored my reader settings entirely. It was... frustrating.

07-10-2022, 10:21 PM	#72
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 3,176 Karma: 12537601 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	Well, I like illuminated initial letters too. We're not going for most desirable here, we're going for least obnoxious. I'm not going to sweat CSS for books that I don't own.

07-10-2022, 11:38 PM	#75
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,231 Karma: 101696762 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	Went to my library's Overdrive to borrow a title I was previously interested in but waited until I finished current read. "Not available. License expired"

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