Epub 3.3 standard from W3C supporting highlights/notes compatibility between devices?

aferrol · 07-23-2024, 03:51 AM

Dear forum,

After skimming through the standard and navigate several resources online (youtube videos, forums...) I am not sure whether the new standard finally allow for highlights/notes compatibility between devices/programs. Can anyone shed some light on it?

Thanks!

JSWolf · 07-23-2024, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aferrol

Dear forum,

After skimming through the standard and navigate several resources online (youtube videos, forums...) I am not sure whether the new standard finally allow for highlights/notes compatibility between devices/programs. Can anyone shed some light on it?

Thanks!

https://epubsecrets.com/epub-3-3-is-here.php

https://w3c.github.io/epub-tests/results

aferrol · 07-23-2024, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

https://epubsecrets.com/epub-3-3-is-here.php

https://w3c.github.io/epub-tests/results

Yeah, Already seen this but not able to interpret it. Is is possible, with the new standard, to see the highlights taken in kobo/kindle in calibre when loaded the epub file?

JSWolf · 07-23-2024, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aferrol

Yeah, Already seen this but not able to interpret it. Is is possible, with the new standard, to see the highlights taken in kobo/kindle in calibre when loaded the epub file?

Not possible at all. Just because It's specified in ePub 3.3, that does not mean it will be supported. Besides, it's too new and a lot of software doesn't get updated to the latest spec.

As for Amazon, it's not ePub. So that's out 100%.

Turtle91 · 07-23-2024, 04:44 PM

What Jon means to say is that it’ll take awhile before apps are updated to conform to the new spec. Once done, you should be able to read these standard-format highlights/notes across any/all apps that support the new spec. But it may take awhile before you’ll see this widely adopted.

JSWolf · 07-23-2024, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle91

What Jon means to say is that it’ll take awhile before apps are updated to conform to the new spec. Once done, you should be able to read these standard-format highlights/notes across any/all apps that support the new spec. But it may take awhile before you’ll see this widely adopted.

Years upon Years.

Most ePub apps for Android/iOS are never going to be ePub 3.3 compliant.

Turtle91 · 07-24-2024, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Years upon Years.

Most ePub apps for Android/iOS are never going to be ePub 3.3 compliant.

lol

Probably. But the threads in MR can last an amazingly long time. Future readers could be confused if they see you say it’s “not possible at all”, when by that time it actually can.

JSWolf · 07-24-2024, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle91

lol

Probably. But the threads in MR can last an amazingly long time. Future readers could be confused if they see you say it’s “not possible at all”, when by that time it actually can.

I cannot see existing apps having how they store highlights being changed any time soon. There are currently no ePub 3.3 compliant apps and I don't see this happening in my lifetime.

I don't see my comment as an issue. I think by the time it is possible, MR will be no more.

KevinH · 07-24-2024, 02:07 PM

Thorium e-reader is now available for Android. It is epub3 compliant with lots of nice features.

j.p.s · 07-24-2024, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Not possible at all. Just because It's specified in ePub 3.3, that does not mean it will be supported. Besides, it's too new and a lot of software doesn't get updated to the latest spec.

So new features should never be added because implementation can't be instantaneous?

Quote:

As for Amazon, it's not ePub. So that's out 100%.

Well, we can hope that someday KindleUnpack will support it, since some kindle owners would like a standard way to export their personal highlights and notes. EPUB would make a good intermediate or final step for that.

Also conversion by calibre could eventually support conversion of EPUBs with this new scheme to kindle format complete with highlights and notes.

Yes, it will take time, and even maybe might never happen. That doesn't mean it is 100% impossible and it certainly doesn't mean it shouldn't be discussed.

Bertrand · 07-25-2024, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinH

Thorium e-reader is now available for Android. It is epub3 compliant with lots of nice features.

Hi,

Sorry to interfere in this thread, but do you have a link for the Android version ?
I searched through their website and on Google Play but didn't find anything, except an old apk (2021) on github.

DNSB · 07-25-2024, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bertrand

Hi,

Sorry to interfere in this thread, but do you have a link for the Android version ?
I searched through their website and on Google Play but didn't find anything, except an old apk (2021) on github.

There is an old version from 2022 at /readium/r2-testapp-kotlin/releases/.

You can also take a look at the Other toolkits related to Readium page which lists quite a few apps based on the Readium Mobile toolkit.

JSWolf · 07-25-2024, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.p.s

So new features should never be added because implementation can't be instantaneous?

How many Readers/programs are ePub 3.2 compatible?

Quote:

Well, we can hope that someday KindleUnpack will support it, since some kindle owners would like a standard way to export their personal highlights and notes. EPUB would make a good intermediate or final step for that.

Also conversion by calibre could eventually support conversion of EPUBs with this new scheme to kindle format complete with highlights and notes.

Yes, it will take time, and even maybe might never happen. That doesn't mean it is 100% impossible and it certainly doesn't mean it shouldn't be discussed.

If Kindle owners want a standard way of exporting highlights, they will need to drop the Kindle and get an ePub 3.3 compatible device. Amazon is not going to do anything to be ePub 3.3 compatible.

KindleUnpack has nothing to do with highlights.

DiapDealer · 07-25-2024, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

KindleUnpack has nothing to do with highlights.

They meant they hope KindleUnpack would support extracting highlight/notes from KindleBooks, Jon. It wasn't all that difficult to understand.

KevinH · 07-25-2024, 11:35 AM

The most recent thing for Thorium on Android see:

https://github.com/Alex313031/Thorium-Android

Its last release was on May 17th of this year.

There is also the main repo at:

https://github.com/Alex313031/Thorium

as well.

07-23-2024, 03:51 AM	#1
aferrol Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2024 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, PRS-T1	Epub 3.3 standard from W3C supporting highlights/notes compatibility between devices? Dear forum, After skimming through the standard and navigate several resources online (youtube videos, forums...) I am not sure whether the new standard finally allow for highlights/notes compatibility between devices/programs. Can anyone shed some light on it? Thanks!

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07-23-2024, 04:44 PM	#5
Turtle91 A Hairy Wizard Posts: 3,219 Karma: 19000635 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Charleston, SC today Device: iPhone 15/11/X/6/iPad 1,2,Air & Air Pro/Surface Pro/Kindle PW & Fire	What Jon means to say is that it’ll take awhile before apps are updated to conform to the new spec. Once done, you should be able to read these standard-format highlights/notes across any/all apps that support the new spec. But it may take awhile before you’ll see this widely adopted.

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KevinH Sigil Developer Posts: 8,156 Karma: 5450818 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: many	Thorium e-reader is now available for Android. It is epub3 compliant with lots of nice features.

07-25-2024, 11:35 AM	#15
KevinH Sigil Developer Posts: 8,156 Karma: 5450818 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: many	The most recent thing for Thorium on Android see: https://github.com/Alex313031/Thorium-Android Its last release was on May 17th of this year. There is also the main repo at: https://github.com/Alex313031/Thorium as well.

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