Thank you, Richard, for your enlightening discussion on the ePub format
and that we should start thinking that direction.
> Given PDF's role as a delivery vehicle, it's most commonly an extra
step
> added to the end of a publishing process.
> Have you asked that data provider if they have the data available in
the
> format it was in before they went to that extra final step to convert
it
> to PDF?
Sure, but it is rarely possible to receive such lists in table format (PDF)
or in any other format unless specially authorized and getting in contact
with developers. So, more often than less, all that is available are PDF's
when it comes to the corporate world. As long as there is a structure in
the PDF documents helping to identify for example columns and rows,
paragraphs, and chapters, it can still be part of a workflow. Otherwise,
pull your hairs. )
And otherwise, even with a lot of clutter in the output of such pdf to
text, LiveCode came to help to add some more extraction and formatting
logic -- and here LiveCode is really worth using. It can detect spaces and
easily create rows and columns for example.
> Postel's Law is worth quoting here:
> "Be liberal in what you accept,
> and conservative in what you send."
Exactly
Then, fully accepting your logic, would it not be conceivable that LiveCode
would support a native production of ePub documents? And also convert it to
printable formats?
Since ePub is responsive, the user would have to define the output page
format when printing. Because in our world printing will continue at least
to the remaining days of my life.
We would currently have to instruct receivers of such documents to install
an ePub reader (if browsers do not yet support it) -- the Adobe Reader is
freely installed on almost every system and printing is part of the
printing process when printing to PDF as a standard.
For printing ePub, we convert ePub to PDF? Right? So, again, PDF?
Maybe invent something new for printing ePub?
I found one link that goes into more details here:
https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/conversion.html#converting-to-pdf
I even think after having a brief look at "heuristic processes" in this
article, that whatever is done here, could be done using LiveCode.
Using LESS paper, saving trees (which would otherwise be cut to burn them
as fuel?), but I still can not really get away with some paper and still
like to read books that give a tactile feeling and paper that is on your
"desktop" to consult. Old books even have a "smell", a history, a
tradition. Right? Mimic that through an electronic device?
But of course, we use our mobile phone to read and need to adjust to that
common usage today.
Roland
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