IDPF epub generator

[n19005336]

Is anyone else unable to load the idpf epub generator? It keeps trying to load and then is unable to open. (link removed by moderator)

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

This isn't a general EPUB forum.

And the question may be sincere, but it looks like spam to me.

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[Derek Cross]

I believe the IDPF ePub validaror has been dropped. A much more useful one, though not free, is Flightdeck: https://ebookflightdeck.com

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

EPUBcheck is free, although it's a bit technical to use (it's a Java app you have to run it from a command line). It's pretty much the only validator I find useful — but only for a final check before upload to the very fussy EPUB services.

https://www.w3.org/publishing/epubcheck/

(I still find the OP... odd and out of place.)

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[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Many years ago, the EPUB format was originally developed by the DAISY Consortium as an alternative to PDF that would be fully accessible to those using screen readers.

Eventually, a new organization was created to manage the file format and standards, the IDPF, but in 2017, it was merged into the W3C (the same organization that manages web standards), so I don't believe the IDPF validator is available anymore.

The EPUB format is now managed by the EPUB Community Group at the W3C, https://www.w3.org/community/epub3/. This should be your first place to look for information about EPUB.  The second place for EPUB info is the DAISY Consortium at https://daisy.org/activities/

A better checker has been developed, EPUB Check at https://daisy.org/activities/projects/epubcheck/  and  https://daisy.org/activities/ https://github.com/w3c/epubcheck/releases

[James Gifford—NitroPress · Accepted solution]

The EPUB format is now managed by the EPUB Community Group at the W3C, https://www.w3.org/community/epub3/. This should be your first place to look for information about EPUB.

As nearly as I can tell, this group is dead as a doornail. The last indication of activity is 2018 and it has posted no reports or summaries. I joined a while back and have never heard a peep.

If there is a good, general EPUB community — neither overrun by GRQ gurus nor composed of those focusing on deep technical details of the standards — I haven't found it. 😛

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[n19005336]

Ok, thank you for your help!!

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

As nearly as I can tell, this group is dead as a doornail.

By @James Gifford—NitroPress

Just like the EPUB format itself, eh?

<Grin>

The DAISY Consortium folks still promote EPUB at accessibility industry events, but practically speaking, the format has a vary narrow niche in publishing — long text-heavy documents with few graphics and tables. Like a $9.95 novel from Amazon or Barns and Noble, where you don't care about fonts, sizes, white space, color, layout, design, or anything else that graphic designers are obcessive about.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Interesting. What other e-book format is there, in wide use and play? All of the indie publication sites use EPUB, the only good route to Kindle is EPUB, etc.

I think the core of the problem is that the right people have lost interest in supporting and progressing with the format (three .1 updates in eleven years, and no sign of a wholesale rev so badly needed?) and the wrong people have overwhelmed it (largely amateurs subject to the whims of the EZ publishing gurus). But I still don't know of a substitute — neither HTML nor PDF come close to a solution.

As for "long text heavy docs"... I must be using EPUB from an alternate universe to create complex, illustrated, tabled, colorful books with advanced typography and good proportional spacing and layout... just not any embedded fonts. :?

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