Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#1

Post by joshuacc » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 1:40 PM UTC

Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore
pigsgourdsandwikis.com

Re: Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#2

Post by justincormack » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 1:57 PM UTC

Previously, in a kind of reverse thing, any booklike app that didn't have interactivity was refused as a normal app and had to go in the iBook store. But interactivity ie Javascript in iBooks did not seem to be allowed.

The ePub committee spent a lot of time trying to decide if ePub was just a browser and what an eBook was, but maybe Apple have decided.

Not sure they would accept an HTML5 game as an iBook though. A kids book with puzzles in might work though and still sell as a book not an app.

Re: Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#3

Post by joshuacc » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 1:57 PM UTC

This brings a lot of interesting possibilities to technical books. End-of-chapter review questions that are automatically graded being the most obvious.

Re: Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#4

Post by lucaswoj » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 1:59 PM UTC

As a web developer who specializes in JavaScript, I'm really thrilled -- but as a person who reads books, I'm a little worried. What does the iTunes approval process for iBooks look like? Will any kind of HIG be enforced on the books? Do book publishers have good taste in interactivity? If I wanted interactivity, I would go to the internet.

Re: Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#5

Post by rakkhi » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 1:59 PM UTC

Hm... interesting security implications depending on how the code executes, what external info/code it can call

Re: Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#6

Post by rm-rf » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 2:04 PM UTC

rakkhi wrote: post #5

Hm... interesting security implications depending on how the code executes, what external info/code it can call

So my ebooks can now contain executable root kits.

Cool.

Re: Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#7

Post by MatthewPhillips » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 2:06 PM UTC

I had no idea epub allowed js in the spec. My reactionary opinion on this is negative. Why do we need this? What reason is there to have js in epub when we already have js in html? What distinction will there be between html and epub if they are both just document formats that can also execute js?

Re: Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#8

Post by tjogin » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 2:21 PM UTC

MatthewPhillips wrote: post #7

I had no idea epub allowed js in the spec. My reactionary opinion on this is negative. Why do we need this? What reason is there to have js in epub when we already have js in html? What distinction will there be between html and epub if they are both just document formats that can also execute js?

So the good thing about ePub was that it was less capable than HTML, and now they've made ePub worse by making it better?

Re: Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#9

Post by mofle » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 2:28 PM UTC

MatthewPhillips wrote: post #7

I had no idea epub allowed js in the spec. My reactionary opinion on this is negative. Why do we need this? What reason is there to have js in epub when we already have js in html? What distinction will there be between html and epub if they are both just document formats that can also execute js?

JavaScript isn't in the current ePub 2.0 spec. Though it is suggested in the 3.0 draft. Like Apple extended ePub 2.0 with audio/video support, they seem to either support it or not prevent it.

Re: Apple accepts Javascript in EPUB ebooks in iBookstore

#10

Post by nivals » Fri, Jun 17, 2011, 2:29 PM UTC

This is fantastic. I'm glad to see Apple doing what they do best... enabling content developers to be creative. Adobe has a long way to go.