Make an stand alone windows epub3 reader( supports MathML)

[wzhsunn]

I want to make a windows epub3 reader.
I found CEF + readium-js-viewer is a more better choice, because cef is simple and smaller than node-webkit .
But CEF dose not supprt chrome app(is it?).
How to build a custom readium-js-viewer , so that it adapt to cef that can open epub books just like a windows native app ?

Thank you !

[danielweck]

Have you considered Apache Cordova? There's an existing feature branch in the Readium repository ( https://github.com/readium/readium-js-viewer/tree/feature/ApacheCordova ) that explores how to "port" the cloud reader to a native app for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, but bear in mind that this is a simple experiment that does not include a "proper" ebook library (just like the cloud reader: there is a static list of pre-loaded EPUBs, but no possibility to add new ebooks). You would have to write additional code in order to support read/write ebook storage, like in the Chrome app/extension.
I hope this helps. Daniel

PS: as this is not a specific bug against the readium-js-viewer codebase, please allow me to close the issue. Feel free to re-open it if you wish to, or to open a new / more specific bug report. The discussion thread is still open, so feel free to comment further :)

[wzhsunn]

Yes, It's very helpful.
Thank you for your reply !
I want the epub (epub3 supported special mathml ) reader works on win7 desktop and it can add books. Maybe it is like ibooks on mac .
any better idea :).
Thank you !

[danielweck]

There's a ReadiumSDK -based app "launcher" available in this branch:
https://github.com/readium/SDKLauncher-Windows/tree/feature/feature_revised_launcher
... but this is work-in-progress, the code is native C++ (not managed .NET C#, VB# etc.), and the basic user interface is implemented in MFC (not WinForms or WPF).

If you want to stick to ReadiumJS (no native code, pure HTML + CSS + Javascript), then your best option is indeed a WebView host, such as CEF, etc. (I don't think Cordova supports Windows 7 classic desktop, only "modern" Windows 8+ touch-oriented apps). At any rate, you would need to implement the read/write storage backend specifically for your target platform (there are file size restrictions with web storage such as IndexedDB, so I would recommend using a platform-specific service). With Apache Cordova you can write an interface between the Javascript and the native runtimes, for example to bind the "add ebook" command to platform-specific filesystem access. Let us know how you get on!

[wzhsunn]

I do not want to stick to ReadiumJS.
But I want a webkit-base render and make a windows 7 epbu3 reader, supports mathml.
Is SDKLauncher-windows a better choice ?
Is it support cef as render ( I do not like IE as render) ?

:)

[danielweck]

Note that the C++ ReadiumSDK has different licensing terms than the Javascript source code (aka ReadiumJS). I believe that there is a member of the Readium Foundation (Learning Ally) who built a ReadiumSDK application for Windows desktop, using a Chromium shell instead of a IE WebView.

You can also use ReadiumJS inside CEF (or other Chromium / WebKit / Blink shell) but we do not have a working example. Let us know if you succeed :)

[wzhsunn]

OK ，Thank you.
I will try it .
I think ReadiumJS is more convenient , but it dose not support add books.
ReadiumSDK is more faster, but it dose not support MathML.
Also the licence is notable .
:)

[danielweck]

Just to clarify: ReadiumSDK-based apps do support MathML rendering (via MathJax, just as any other Readium app). However, the current Windows launcher (written in C++, MFC user interface, IE / Trident web browser control) is behind the other platforms due to the lack of developers time, so MathJax is currently missing.

[wzhsunn]

If I want to do an support MathML rendering via MathJax with SDKLancher-Windows ,
is there some documents for what should I do ?
Also some documents what I can make a replace IE/Trident for CEF/Webkit(I have build an CEF recently on version 2272 and it has clear API ) .
Or may you give me some suggests?
Thank you so much !
:)

[danielweck]

SDKLauncher-Windows is still in early development stages, in a feature branch: https://github.com/readium/SDKLauncher-Windows/tree/feature/feature_revised_launcher

Here are useful pointers to see how MathJax gets "injected" into EPUB3 HTML documents:

Script to inject in html>head>script@src
https://github.com/readium/SDKLauncher-OSX/tree/develop/LauncherOSX/ReaderScripts/mathjax

Where the script reference is injected:
https://github.com/readium/SDKLauncher-OSX/blob/develop/LauncherOSX/PackageResourceServer.mm#L188

Where the actual script is supplied:
https://github.com/readium/SDKLauncher-OSX/blob/develop/LauncherOSX/LOXWebViewController.mm#L112

[wzhsunn]

Very useful .
I will make a try.
Thank you very much!
:)

[danielweck]

Cross-reference: https://github.com/readium/SDKLauncher-Windows/issues/8
(actual "support MathML" issue)