Wikisource talk:EBook

WS Export[edit]

This tool needs to be covered on the page too. It powers our current "Download as EPUB" link and produces better output than the book tool (which is meant for Wikipedia and has problems with Wikisource). There's documentation at Oldwikisource:Wikisource:WSexport. The tool itself is at WMF labs. - AdamBMorgan (talk) 13:36, 5 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Added for EPUB 2 as others are either beta or in development. Figuring beginners will not be challenged by unrefined tools and experienced will probably go check it out themselves after seeing the entry on EPUB 2 (especially if they know there is an EPUB 3). JeepdaySock (AKA, Jeepday) 16:36, 5 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I'd point out that the author of WSexport does have plans to do a Kindle version but he's an 18 year-old Frenchman and who knows what his attention span is.

I personally have downloaded plenty of books using WSexport and convert them to Kindle using Calibre - which is a perfectly easy to use tool which will convert a large number of formats (16?) in quite a friendly way. But it seems to me that EPUB and MOBI cover 95% of what people typically use, so why not go to the French ws and try and encourage our friend there to do some more? Chris55 (talk) 22:49, 7 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Also, I'm not sure why you separate EPUB2, EPUB3 etc. These are just different versions of the same format and largely compatible with each other. e.g. EPUB3 adds audio capability (and EPUB4 is on the way!) and also MathML. These are evolutionary and largely invisible to the user. Chris55 (talk) 11:52, 8 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I separated the different EPUB3 because the tools do, one seems to only do EPUB1 and the other EPUB2 (as a finished product). If Book Creator does EPUB2 or 3 then a change would be in order. Jeepday (talk) 12:07, 8 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Help:Reading offline[edit]

I know this page is under development, but is above now redundant to this page? It is linked from Help:Contents. Moondyne (talk) 01:29, 7 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think Help:Reading offline should be replaced by Wikisource:EBook. I'd say it should be about all the different ways of reading WS texts offline (including printing them), and certainly link to this page — which should be about ebooks and how to get WS content onto them. Hmm... I guess it depends on how much there is to say about these things, as to whether they warrant two separate pages, or can fit together on one? Whichever way, WS certainly needs to make it easier and clearer to people (i.e. non-editors) how to get books onto ereaders! Help:Project Gutenberg is still the go-to place for PD books, I think, and it'd be nice to have WS thought of as as useful. — Sam Wilson ( Talk • Contribs ) … 11:34, 7 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Not disagreeing, but we should be conscious of instruction-creep and unnecessary duplication. Moondyne (talk) 14:40, 7 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Actually that page seems more about policy than instruction. Are you referring to an older version? Moondyne (talk) 14:46, 7 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I just now came on-line and in reading the above I immediately notice something that catches my attention. I notice the wording of Wikisource:EBook a lot quicker than the wording of Help:Reading offline. In fact, as I think more on this, I pay almost no attention to the wording of Help:Reading offline. I suppose that is because the wording of eBook, E-Book, &c., is so prevalent in many advertisements and sales. Too, I read paperbacks and hardcopies "offline" but EBook has a special place in the human psyche. "Reading offline" just does not catch the attention. It doesn't "cut it." I have never paid any attention to "help reading offline" whereas EBOOK immediately catches my attention and is a lot stronger whether it is Wikisource:EBook or any other EBook. Help:Reading offline sounds like a paper book library or a bookstore. "EBook" = electronics = digital formats.—Maury (talk) 07:01, 8 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with you that "Ebook" is a catchier title than "reading offline". But as Samwilson points out, that help file also covers printing as well as PDFs which may not traditionally be associated with ebooks. I can only think of printing being used on short items such as poems, but it's still important. If you can think of a better catchall title, we'll change it. Maybe we could add "and ebooks". Chris55 (talk) 11:22, 8 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

PC Epub vs Kiwix[edit]

Has anyone used w:Kiwix for Wikisource works on the PC? It seems to be specifically designed for off line reading of Wikipedia articles. Before I research and added it, wanted to check if anyone has preexisting experience with it. JeepdaySock (AKA, Jeepday) 11:50, 7 December 2012 (UTC) figured it out. JeepdaySock (AKA, Jeepday) 22:16, 7 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Mobi and PDB file types[edit]

Mobi - So far my research is indicating that the only device that will only take MOBI is the Kindle, if that is the case then directions for moving a book to a Kindle are sufficient. If anyone knows different please leave a note here. Amazon also has a free tool for conversion but it is part of and intended for book sellers. JeepdaySock (AKA, Jeepday) 22:22, 7 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

PDB - So far my research is indicating that any device that wants PDB will also take EPUB, so conversion is not required. If anyone knows different please leave a note here. JeepdaySock (AKA, Jeepday) 22:22, 7 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Most popular ebook formats?[edit]

It's not easy to get reliable statistics on what people mostly use to read ebooks, because there's a lot of vested interests. But here is an interesting pair of samples, because it shows how volatile the market still is. Compare the difference between a 2009 and 2010 survey.

Format	2009	2010
EPUB	28%	22%
PDF	19%	35%
MOBI	16%	15%
TXT	17%	9%
LRF	6%	8%
RTF	8%	9%
PDB	5%	4%

My guess as to why PDF has suddenly risen from the dead is one word: iPad. Whether it will continue at the top is anyone's guess because it's very inflexible, but it's also very popular for scanned documents. Probably more significant is the decline of TXT from 17% to 9%. Users are getting more sophisticated and the apps are available to read these formats.

Of course this survey doesn't represent what people are actually reading - in particular it will underestimate mobi/Kindle. (AZW=Mobi+DRM, LRF=EPUB+DRM.) Chris55 (talk) 23:31, 7 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Kindle support[edit]

I know it's been a bit of time, but maybe it's time to add Kindle support. First, mobi isn't only used by Kindle, it just happens to be the most popular. Second, mobi is XHTML so the conversion from HTML to mobi is actually quite simple, which is why it's the preferred submission filetype for Amazon. And, the Kindle (one of the most popular eReaders), also handles straight up HTML files as well, with full chapter support, etc. With most older Kindles you have to change the file extension to .txt or .nownow but leaving it as HTML is fine and it will read it the same as it does mobi.

It's just on my mind because I had such a fun time today realizing that the standard book maker on the left and the supposed WS one listed in Prefs/Gadgets weren't able to make epub, odt, or pdf of the few books I tried. However, I should note that the epub link on the left menu did work well.

Anyway, I'm just thinking that we could install an already-made script to handle this if any admins feel similarly. $The Haz talk$ 05:08, 3 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]