Project Baker

The HTML5 ebook framework to publish interactive books & magazines on iPad & iPhone using simply open web standards
http://bakerframework.com

WHAT IS BAKER

To this day, ebooks have been limited by an old standard created in the pre-Kindle and pre-iPad era. Baker is the first stepping stone to show that we could already be using the powerful HTML5 language to create books with real typography, real layouts and high-quality design.

HOW TO USE BAKER

Creating an ebook in HTML5 to be used with Baker is a three-steps operation. It's easier done than said! ;)

1. DESIGN

   • Create you publication as one or more HTML5 files
   • Design your publication to fit multiple screen (if you want to target iPad: 768px for portrait, 1024px for landscape)
   • You can use any feature in WebKit: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (video, audio, fonts, jQuery, Google Maps, etc)
   • On iPad/iPhone you can constrain the height to match the page size or make it scrollable if you need longer pages
   • Consider having 1 HTML for each chapter/section/article and use the native vertical scrolling.
   • ...remember: it's a publication. If you want to build an app, check PhoneGap. ;)

2. PACKAGE

   • The publication must be contained in a single "book/" folder
   • Each chapter/section/article (horizontally swiped on the iPad) should be a single HTML file inside the "book/" folder
   • Create a Hpub book.json file: title, author, pages, etc. (see below)
   • The assets must be contained within the "book/" folder or its subfolders
   • Check the example book from the website for an hands-on example

3. PUBLISH

   • Download the Baker Framework Xcode project from http://bakerframework.com (or GitHub).
   • Download Xcode 4.2 from the Mac App Store or from the Apple Developer website.
   • Open Baker in Xcode.
   • Add all the files of your publication from your "book/" folder to the "book/" folder inside Baker.
   • Rename the project to the name of your publication: click on the "Baker" name in the leftmost column of the project navigator.
   • Replace the icon files (ios-icon-*.png, check the Apple Guidelines for reference).
   • Change the bundle identifier in the plist file to the one you are going to use for your app.
   • Select the Baker Scheme (Simulator or Device) from the toolbar dropdown.
   • Run and check that everything works correctly both on simulator and device.
   • Create an Apple iPhone Developer account to publish on the App Store.
   • Follow the instructions on the Apple iPhone Developer website to submit your book to the app store.

BOOK.JSON

This is an example of a minimal book.json file:

{
  "title": "The Study in Scarlet",
  "author": "Arthur Conan Doyle",
  "url": "book://bakerframework.com/books/arthurconandoyle-thestudyinscarlet",
  
  "contents": [
    "Article-Lorem.html",
    "Article-Ipsum.html",
    "Article-Gaium.html",
    "Article-Sit.html",
    "Article-Amet.html"
  ]
}

For all the details and the advanced options, check the Hpub specification on the wiki.

CREATE A BOOK FOR BOTH IPAD AND IPHONE

With Baker Framework you can create books and magazines for the iPhone too.

To compile your application for iPhone follow these steps:

• Open the Baker Framework Xcode project with Xcode.
• Click on the "Baker" project in the leftmost column of the project navigator.
• On the column just left, click under Projects on "Baker"
• In the "Build Settings" tab locate the section Deployment for the configuration you would like to use for compiling.
• Under the Deployment section change the Target Device Family entry to match the devices you would like to target (only iPhone, only iPad or iPhone/iPad).
• Compile and test the application.

DOWNLOADABLE BOOKS

From inside an existing book you make with Baker you can download other books, in the HPub format.

A book in the HPub format is like the default book that's inside Baker:

• All the HTML files must be at root level (not in a subfolder, otherwise you'll get an empty book).
• Each chapter/section/article (horizontally swiped on the iPad) should be a single HTML file inside the "book/" folder
• Create a Hpub book.json file: title, author, pages, etc. (see below)
• The assets must be contained within the "book/" folder or its subfolders

When it's ready:

1. Zip all the files (not the folder, remember, its content).
2. Change the extension of the file from ".zip" to ".hpub".
3. Upload the .hpub file on a server.
4. Link to the publication on the server, using the Hpub book protocol: book://example.org/path/bookname
   (with or without extension, Baker will add ".hpub" by itself).

BUGS AND FEEDBACK

• Submit your bugs here: http://github.com/simbul/baker/issues
• Give us your feedback at: [email protected]
• Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BakerFramework

CHANGELOG

• 3.2 (20/03/2012)

  • iOS 5.1 and Retina display support
  • External links now open in internal browser, see referrer=Baker (thanks to @steiny2k)
  • Custom events fired on window blur and focus
  • Book.json parameters to disable tap and swipe: -baker-page-turn-tap/swipe
  • Index bar dynamically sized from index.html size. Use viewport meta property to configure
  • Change: referrer=Baker variable now not passed to destination website
  • Fix: "white flash" workaround found
  • Fix: solved issue with pre-compiled screenshots and books with more than 50 pages
  • Fix: rare bug of content loaded into index view instead of page

• 3.1 (20/12/2011)

  • Newsstand basic support
  • iOS5/iCloud data storage guidelines support
  • Pre-build screenshots in screenshot mode using -baker-page-screenshots in book.json
  • Retina display support in screenshot mode (thanks to @zenz)
  • Manga support: start from the last page, or any arbitrary page using -baker-start-at-page in book.json
  • Email protocol support
  • Change JSON library to JSONKit (thanks to @zenz)
  • Fix: block idle when downloading
  • Fix: spinner color and iOS4.x support
  • Change: -baker-background-image-* properties are now relative to ./book/ folder, see Issue #247

• 3.0.2 (29/10/2011)

  • Fix: iOS 4 support for the spinner feature available only in iOS 5

• 3.0 (18/10/2011)

  • Two rendering modes to improve performances: screenshots (thanks to @pugpig) and three-cards
  • index.html view on double-tap to manage navigation and menu
  • Full Hpub 1.0 support
  • Improved rendering speed and responsiveness
  • Improved handling of internal and external links
  • Memory optimization
  • iOS 5 and Xcode 4.2 compatibility
  • Minimum supported version: iOS 4.0
  • Minor fixes and improvements
  • Thanks to @francesctovar @therabidbanana @eaglejohn @ffranke for the great support

• 2.0 (28/04/2011)

  • Multi-orientation books support: portrait, landscape, both (thanks to @svdgraaf)
  • iPhone support
  • Xcode 4 compatibility
  • Added support to open a specific page of a downloaded book
  • Added support to remove vertical bounce (for non-scrolling books)
  • Added support to enable automatic media playback
  • Changed the gesture to open the status bar to the more reliable doubletap
  • Fix: page anchors now handled in internal links
  • Fix: orientationchange event now fires
  • Minimum supported version: iOS 3.2
  • Minor fixes

• 1.1 (19/01/2011)

  • Added book:// protocol to allow downloadable HPub books
  • Support for zipped HPub books (to allow downloading)
  • Link support (internal/external)
  • Multitap page navigation
  • Alphabetical ordering (WARNING: breaks previous books, check before upgrading)
  • Statusbar on tap
  • Full screen swipes
  • Fix: now the previous page doesn't flash anymore when you change page
  • Minor fixes

• 1.0 (03/11/2010)

  • First release

LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2010-2011, Davide Casali, Marco Colombo, Alessandro Morandi
Licensed under BSD Opensource License (free for personal and commercial use)

Elementary, my dear Watson.