Re this:
3. Use a standardized set of classification attributes ("class='standard'"). Help contribute to building a standard library of attribute values. Be willing to compromise in the naming of the attributes; standardization is more important than "correctness".
-----Original Message----- From: gutvol-d-bounces@lists.pglaf.org [mailto:gutvol-d-bounces@lists.pglaf.org] On Behalf Of Lee Passey Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 6:16 PM To: Project Gutenberg Volunteer Discussion Subject: Re: [gutvol-d] Producing epub ready HTML
On Wed, January 18, 2012 9:41 pm, Carlo Traverso wrote:
Jim, none of the submissions that I listed are mine, they have been submitted as PG-RST or PG-TEI master files, from which all the formats have been created by Marcello's software without further manual intervention.
Hey, /you/ asked.
In particular, for RST two different HTML are created in the process, one for browsers and one for epub. So it is unfair to view HTML on a small device.
It is not unfair, indeed it is desirable. What is unfair is to say "this HTML can only be adequately viewed on devices having these characteristics."
In my mind the major flaw in all of the PG HTML files is the inclusion of a <style> block. Individuals who include a <style> block in an HTML file are attempting to create a document that looks "pretty" on
About 10 years or so ago, I remember reading about an initiative to produce a standard set of CSS classes. It may have been aimed at government/business documentation. I don't remember who the initiators were (W3C or whoever), and don't remember ever hearing that anything came of it. Does anyone remember anything like this? Al their
preferred HTML User Agent utterly without regard to the needs or desires of others. It should go without saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that one man's treasure is another man's trash.
The best way to create ePub-ready HTML is to strip out /all/ of the style definitions from the <head> of the HTML files, replacing them with a single link to an external style sheet. The HTML markup should focus on the /structure/ of the document with little or no regard to its presentation; that is the job of the external style sheet.
Standard HTML tags should be used, and should be used appropriately: no marking chapter titles with <p> tags!
A standard set of classification attributes should be used. If I know that a chapter title is always marked with <h3 class="chapter"> then I know I can change the presentation of chapter titles in /my/ version by simply providing a style sheet file with the selector:
h3.chapter { font-size: humongous; text-align: justify; color: stop-light-red; page-break-before: always }
without changing it for anyone else (remember, treasure/trash).
If a user doesn't have a style sheet and can't figure out how to download one of the standard ones from PG, the book will still look pretty good because the file is free from tag abuse.
So the three basic rules for making ePub-ready HTML files:
1. Don't specify styles inside the HTML document, either inline or in the <head>. Do include a link to an external style sheet with the name "pg.css".
2. Use HTML elements only as designed; no tag abuse.
3. Use a standardized set of classification attributes ("class='standard'"). Help contribute to building a standard library of attribute values. Be willing to compromise in the naming of the attributes; standardization is more important than "correctness".
The advice at http://www.pgdp.net/wiki/The_Proofreader%27s_Guide_to_EPUB is all good. _______________________________________________ gutvol-d mailing list gutvol-d@lists.pglaf.org http://lists.pglaf.org/mailman/listinfo/gutvol-d