[old-topic]ebook-viewer: Open source, crossplatform viewer for EPUB, LIT, MOBI, etc

kovidgoyal · 10-15-2008, 07:16 PM

As of version 0.4.96 calibre has a new Ebook viewer with full support for HTML+CSS. The viewer is capable of displaying all the major ebooks formats: EPUB, LIT, MOBI, FB2, PRC, etc It has support for Table of Contents, Meta information, search, fully customizable fonts, etc. An innovative new feature is the "reference mode" that can be used to generate reference numbers for each paragraph in the the text. These allow for easy and accurate cross referencing of ebooks.

It can be launched from the GUI by clicking the View button or from the command line by the command

Code:

ebook-viewer

Note that the old viewer is still used for LRF files. Also note that the viewer doesn't jump through hoops to emulate "pages". It does however have a progress indicator that tells you both approximately how large the book is and how much of it you have finished reading.

TODO:

* Annotations

wallcraft · 10-15-2008, 08:15 PM

My favorite test ePub is one of the hardest to render. It is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, from the ADE sample ebook library.

At present Calibre is not quite reflowing around images correctly and not getting the tail as text formatting right. There is also miss-rendered punctuation (left and right quotes, mdash, etcetera).

Even so, this is already showing a lot of promise.

kovidgoyal · 10-15-2008, 08:54 PM

The viewer uses the webkit rendering engine to actually render the HTML. As that improves (and it will) these sorts of redering glitches will automatically get fixed.

EDIT: Can you attach the Alice in Winderland book. The link you posted is windows only.

EDIT2: Looking at your screenshots, I actually prefer calibre's reflow around the images. Why do you say it is not correct?

wallcraft · 10-15-2008, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Can you attach the Alice in Winderland book. The link you posted is windows only.

The download requires Adobe Digital Editions (so I suppose it will work on a Mac, but not Linux). The basic contents are obviously in the public domain, but I don't know if the distrubution of the ebook is restricted. In other words what does Adobe mean by "free sample eBooks"?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Looking at your screenshots, I actually prefer calibre's reflow around the images. Why do you say it is not correct?

The problem is that some of the text is missing (behind the image).

jedavis1 · 10-16-2008, 08:42 AM

Thanks for implementing this new viewer, it is great! But like wallcraft, when I view a book, it is cutting off some of the letters at the end of the lines on the right. It is in .lit format, I don't know if this is true for other formats or not.

kovidgoyal · 10-16-2008, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

The problem is that some of the text is missing (behind the image).

Umm maybe I'm being dense, I still dont see what text is missing?

EDIT: Ah I think I see in your screenshots, it works for me in linux. I should try it in windows.

kovidgoyal · 10-16-2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jedavis1

Thanks for implementing this new viewer, it is great! But like wallcraft, when I view a book, it is cutting off some of the letters at the end of the lines on the right. It is in .lit format, I don't know if this is true for other formats or not.

Use the scrollbar at the bottom or make the window bigger. That lit file probably uses some non reflowable tags like <pre>

jedavis1 · 10-16-2008, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Use the scrollbar at the bottom or make the window bigger.

I have tried making the window bigger, but the result is the same and I can't find any scroll bars at the "bottom".

I did try three other .lit files and didn't seem to have trouble with them.

kovidgoyal · 10-16-2008, 03:32 PM

Ah well that is weird, can you open a ticket and attach the lit file.

jedavis1 · 10-17-2008, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Ah well that is weird, can you open a ticket and attach the lit file.

Done.

kovidgoyal · 10-17-2008, 03:51 PM

@wallcraft: I just tested alice in wonderland with calibre 0.4.97 on windows vista and I don't see the image reflow probelm. Is it still happening for you?

wallcraft · 10-17-2008, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Is it still happening for you?

It works using 0.4.98 on Windows XP. The punctuation is working too.

kovidgoyal · 10-21-2008, 10:54 PM

I've been talking for a while about the best way to do referencing in the era of the ebook. Well as of calibre 04.99, the ebook-viewer has my first stab at an answer. You can enter the "reference mode" In that mode mousing over a paragraph will give you a number that you can use as a reference. You can type reference number in the Go to box to navigate to them.

In addition 0.4.99 brings support for bookmarks and user stylesheets.

jbicha · 12-20-2008, 09:04 AM

Do you intend to support (reflowable) LRF with your new ebook viewer? When I try to view LRF, a single page doesn't fit on my limited-resolution-screen without needing scrolling. Is LRF even possible to reflow like this?

I have figured out that epub seems to work better for me on both my Sony Reader & computer viewing and so have switched my default to epub & will be converting my books over to it.

kovidgoyal · 12-20-2008, 01:16 PM

No LRF is not a truly reflowable format, in that each LRF file is for a specific screen size which is hard coded into the LRF file.

10-15-2008, 07:16 PM	#1
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,480 Karma: 24495778 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	[old-topic]ebook-viewer: Open source, crossplatform viewer for EPUB, LIT, MOBI, etc As of version 0.4.96 calibre has a new Ebook viewer with full support for HTML+CSS. The viewer is capable of displaying all the major ebooks formats: EPUB, LIT, MOBI, FB2, PRC, etc It has support for Table of Contents, Meta information, search, fully customizable fonts, etc. An innovative new feature is the "reference mode" that can be used to generate reference numbers for each paragraph in the the text. These allow for easy and accurate cross referencing of ebooks. It can be launched from the GUI by clicking the View button or from the command line by the command Code: ebook-viewer Note that the old viewer is still used for LRF files. Also note that the viewer doesn't jump through hoops to emulate "pages". It does however have a progress indicator that tells you both approximately how large the book is and how much of it you have finished reading. TODO: * Annotations Attached Thumbnails Last edited by kovidgoyal; 10-21-2008 at 10:56 PM.

10-15-2008, 08:15 PM	#2
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	My favorite test ePub is one of the hardest to render. It is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, from the ADE sample ebook library. At present Calibre is not quite reflowing around images correctly and not getting the tail as text formatting right. There is also miss-rendered punctuation (left and right quotes, mdash, etcetera). Even so, this is already showing a lot of promise. Attached Thumbnails

10-15-2008, 08:54 PM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,480 Karma: 24495778 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The viewer uses the webkit rendering engine to actually render the HTML. As that improves (and it will) these sorts of redering glitches will automatically get fixed. EDIT: Can you attach the Alice in Winderland book. The link you posted is windows only. EDIT2: Looking at your screenshots, I actually prefer calibre's reflow around the images. Why do you say it is not correct? Last edited by kovidgoyal; 10-15-2008 at 09:08 PM.

12-20-2008, 09:04 AM	#14
jbicha Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Bahrain Device: Sony Reader PRS-505	LRF with new ebook viewer? Do you intend to support (reflowable) LRF with your new ebook viewer? When I try to view LRF, a single page doesn't fit on my limited-resolution-screen without needing scrolling. Is LRF even possible to reflow like this? I have figured out that epub seems to work better for me on both my Sony Reader & computer viewing and so have switched my default to epub & will be converting my books over to it.

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10-16-2008, 08:42 AM	#5
jedavis1 Zealot Posts: 103 Karma: 148 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Huntington, IN US Device: Sony PRS-505	Thanks for implementing this new viewer, it is great! But like wallcraft, when I view a book, it is cutting off some of the letters at the end of the lines on the right. It is in .lit format, I don't know if this is true for other formats or not.

10-16-2008, 03:32 PM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,480 Karma: 24495778 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Ah well that is weird, can you open a ticket and attach the lit file.

10-17-2008, 03:51 PM	#11
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,480 Karma: 24495778 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	@wallcraft: I just tested alice in wonderland with calibre 0.4.97 on windows vista and I don't see the image reflow probelm. Is it still happening for you?

10-21-2008, 10:54 PM	#13
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,480 Karma: 24495778 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I've been talking for a while about the best way to do referencing in the era of the ebook. Well as of calibre 04.99, the ebook-viewer has my first stab at an answer. You can enter the "reference mode" In that mode mousing over a paragraph will give you a number that you can use as a reference. You can type reference number in the Go to box to navigate to them. In addition 0.4.99 brings support for bookmarks and user stylesheets.

12-20-2008, 01:16 PM	#15
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,480 Karma: 24495778 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	No LRF is not a truly reflowable format, in that each LRF file is for a specific screen size which is hard coded into the LRF file.

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