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Interactive e-books on Aakash Tablet
M.Tech. Dissertation
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
Master of Technology
in
Computer Science and Engineering
Submitted by
Prashant Kumar Singh
Roll No. 123050078
Under the Guidance of
Prof. Deepak B. Phatak
Department of Computer Science and EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology Bombay
Powai, Mumbai, India 400076
June, 2014
Figure 1:ii
Figure 2:iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my sincere gratitude and whole hearted thanks to my Guide Prof.
Deepak B. Phatak for his guidance and constant encouragement. I am greatly in-
debted to him for guiding me whenever I faced difficulty regarding the topic.
I would like to thank Mr. Nagesh Karmali for his valuable suggestions during meetings
and discussions.
Prashant Kumar Singh
M.Tech. Second Year
Computer Science and Engineering
Department, IIT Bombay
iv
Abstract
We are living in an age of science and technology which has made a huge impact in every
aspect of our life. The field of education does not remain untouched. Use of Information
and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing an important role in changing the way
of teaching and learning.
This report describes various methods by which we can add interactive features to e-
books. These features may provide a better learning environment to the reader. At the
end we will discuss about an e-Pub authoring tool (ePubCreate) that helps in creating
interactive ePub e-books.
Contents
1 Introduction 4
1.1 Learning by e-books: Possible shortcomings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 Interactive e-books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2 Literature Survey 6
2.1 What is learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.1.1 Learning Hypothesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.1.2 Cone of Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1.3 Forgetting Curve[1, 2] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.2 Effect of Interactivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.2.1 Experiment of Evans and Gibbons[3] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.3 Animation in Learning[4] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.4 Spoken Tutorial[5] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3 Interactivity and ePub 13
3.1 ePub[6] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.1.1 Features of ePub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.1.2 Evolution of ePub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.1.3 Comparison of ePub and PDF[7, 8] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.1.4 Tools for creating e-books[9] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.2 Interactivity in e-Pub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.2.1 e-book with Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.3 Structure of ePub[6] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4 Tools and Technologies 19
4.1 Tools and Technologies Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.2 Specifications and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.3 Python . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.4 Qt and PyQt[10][11] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.5 Qt 4 Designer[12] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4.5.1 Installing Qt 4 Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1
5 ePubCreate : ePub Authoring Tool 22
5.1 Menubar Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.2 Steps of creation of e-book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6 Future Work 27
7 Conclusion 28
Appendix:
A ePubCreate 29
A.1 Installation on Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
A.2 Source Code Files and Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
A.3 General Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2
List of Figures
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
2.1 Cone of experience[13] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2 Forgetting Curve[2] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.3 Demonstration for Non Interactive Group[3] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.4 Demonstration for Interactive Group[3] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.5 Time spent on learning and time spent on test[3] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.1 A book having embedded animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.2 Directory Structure of ePub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.1 Version of Python . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.2 Installing Qt Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.1 GUI of ePubCreate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.2 Menubar Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.3 Input and Output Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.4 ‘Input Author Name’ dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.5 ‘Input Chapter Name’ dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.6 ‘Deployment Successful’ Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.7 ‘Book Generated’ Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
A.1 Installing Qt on Ubuntu using terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
A.2 Running tool using terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3
Chapter 1
Introduction
We are living in an era of science and technology. Technology has made a huge impact in
every aspect of our daily life. Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
is playing an important role in changing the way of teaching and learning. Traditional
classrooms are becoming smart classrooms, books have become digital and the concept
of e-learning is growing among youths.
Use of portable hand-held devices like tablets, smartphones and PDAs (Personal dig-
ital assistant) have enabled us to read e-books anywhere and at any time. We don’t need
to carry heavy books with us. All we need is a small tablet device and an e-book.
Effects of technology in the field of education.
1. Development of smart classrooms
2. Online courses (Coursera and NPTEL)
3. Course Management Systems (Moodle)
1.1 Learning by e-books: Possible shortcomings
Learning by e-books is a growing trend now-a-days, but it has certain limitations. We
can summarize these limitations through following points.
1. There are more chances of distraction while reading e-books, as children may get
attracted towards playing games and watching videos (stored in the tablet). There
must be some provision that engages them to the content of e-book.
2. According to ‘Cone of Experience’(Figure 2.1), verbal symbols provide most ab-
stract experience[14], while the involvement of both verbal and visual symbols like
television, provides a better experience. If there is any method that makes it possi-
ble for students to listen and watch the course content, then it will be far better to
grasp the concept.
4
3. It is very difficult for the teacher to explain concepts without any illustrative demon-
stration. If it is possible to get demonstrations along with reading material, it will
lead to a better understanding of the course-content.
1.2 Interactive e-books
Interactive e-books are traditional e-books with some additional features. These features
may be multimedia objects (like audio, video and animation) embedded within the book.
Interaction means exchange of instructions (or commands). Traditional e-books are
also interactive but with very limited functionalities, for example we can scroll the pages
or can go to any particular page. All these actions require human intervention. The main
aim of making interactive e-books is to harness the facilities of various hand-held devices
(like Smartphones and Tablets) which are available in abundance and thus providing a
better learning environment to the reader.
5
Chapter 2
Literature Survey
This chapter explains the process of learning. We will discuss the effects of interactivity
on learning and will study Mayer’s rule for representing animations, to create maximum
positive impact on the students.
2.1 What is learning
Learning is a process of acquiring knowledge and involves use of sensory organs. We
learn something when we understand the underlying concept and we understand the
concepts by seeing, listening, smelling, feeling or tasting[15]. The more sensory organs
are involved, the better is our experience. Reading involves visual sensory organ (i.e. eye)
while listening involves use of auditory sensory organ (i.e. ear). Demonstration involves
use of auditory as well as visual sensory organ so we can say Demonstration is a better
way of learning in comparison to reading or listening.
2.1.1 Learning Hypothesis
There are two possible hypothesis of learning[3]. Active learning hypothesis believes, the
way of teaching is a factor in learning, while passive hypothesis denies its role.
1. Passive Learning Hypothesis[3]
According to passive learning hypothesis, learning will remain same till the content
to be taught is same. This hypothesis denies any role of interactivity in learning.
2. Active Learning Hypothesis[3]
According to it, learning should increase if the learner is engaged with the informa-
tion content.
6
2.1.2 Cone of Experience
Edgar Dale, an American educationist, studied audio visual media and their concreteness
in terms of experience. He displayed results in the form of a pyramid, having several
layers[14]. The lower layer represents most concrete experience, while upper layer repre-
sents most abstract experience.
Figure 2.1: Cone of experience[13]
We can observe from the Figure 2.1 that, direct purposeful experience is most concrete,
while verbal symbol provides most abstract concept[14].
7
2.1.3 Forgetting Curve[1, 2]
Figure 2.2: Forgetting Curve[2]
Hermann Ebbinghaus, a German psycholo-
gist, performed several experiments to study
memory. He plotted a graph, popularly
known as ‘Forgetting curve’ to explain how
fast the process of forgetting takes place in
human beings. It shows an exponential loss
in information (Black curve). Figure 2.2 dis-
plays the forgetting curve. It shows relation-
ship between memory and time. It shows
that forgetting begins as soon as we learn.
Grey lines represent that if we revise the same
thing each day, it becomes permanent in our
memory[2].
2.2 Effect of Interactivity
2.2.1 Experiment of Evans and Gibbons[3]
• The aim of this experiment was to analyze the effect of interactivity on students.
2.2.1.1 Experimental Setup
• Environment
– No of students 33 (22 male and 11 female)
– Undergraduate students at a university in London
– Topic Taught: Working of a Bicycle Pump
– None of them had background in physics
• Procedure
– Students were randomly divided in two sub groups
1. Interactive Group (I Group, 16 students)
2. Non Interactive Group (NI Group, 17 students)
– Both groups were taught 12 stages of ‘Working of a bicycle pump’
– Lesson was followed by two tests
1. Memory Test/Retention Test (2 question, Total 14 marks)
2. Transfer Test (3 question, Total 6 marks)
– One hour duration for completing Lesson and quiz in a computer laboratory
8
2.2.1.2 Test
• Memory Test (14 marks)
Aim of Memory Test was to evaluate memory by recalling facts. There were 2
questions asked in this test. Question-1 carried 12 marks while Question-2 carried
2 marks.
• Transfer Test (6 marks)
Aim of Transfer Test was to check thinking power (deep learning) of students. There
were 3 questions, each carrying 2 marks, asked in this test.
2.2.1.3 Screen for Non Interactive Group[3]
For non-interactive group the screen contained a diagram of pump with a description of
each stage in down phase and up phase. There were six stages in up phase and six stages
in down phase.
Figure 2.3: Demonstration for Non Interactive Group[3]
9
2.2.1.4 Screen for Interactive Group[3]
Figure 2.4 shows the screen used for interactive group. The first screen had a pump dia-
gram and a next button, which when pressed repeatedly, shows various stages of working
of pump.
Interactivity was provided in three ways:
• Pace control (Learning at your own pace)
• Inclusion of two interactive self assessment questions
• Interactive simulation to inflate a balloon with the help of pump
Figure 2.4: Demonstration for Interactive Group[3]
2.2.1.5 Test Result
1. Marks (Transfer Test)
Transfer Test Mean
I Group 2.5 (out of 6)
NI Group 1.8 (out of 6)
2. Time taken (Test Time)
Mean Test time
I Group 785.5 seconds
NI Group 1160.8 seconds
10
2.2.1.6 Observations and Conclusions
• In transfer test, Interactive group gained good marks as compared to Non-interactive
group.
• Interactivity helps in increasing depth of understanding.
• Interactive group took less time for attempting quiz.
• Figure 2.5 shows the interactive group took more time for lesson, but took less time
for Test, as compared to non interactive group.
Figure 2.5: Time spent on learning and time spent on test[3]
2.3 Animation in Learning[4]
Animation may work as a great tool in the field of education. Richard E. Mayer, a famous
educationist, proposed seven principles for representation of animations so that maximum
learning can take place[4]. These principles are as follows:
• Multimedia Principle
Animation presented with narration is more effective way of teaching, rather than
narration alone. If a teacher is narrating some abstract concept, it takes a lot of
imaginative power to understand the idea. Animation makes it possible to visualize
the situation, and hence, students can grasp the concept very well.
• Spatial Contiguity Principle
Animation should be close to relevant text. This helps in establishing a connection
between animation and text, so that students can grasp the concept better.
11
• Temporal Contiguity Principle
According to this principle, animation and narration should be presented simulta-
neously. If we are presenting animation followed by narration or vice versa, student
will find it difficult to understand the concept.
• Coherence Principle
According to this principle, sound, video and words that are irrelevant to topic,
should be excluded, as learner may focus on these and may miss the actual content
that needs attention.
• Modality Principle
According to this principle, animation presented with narration is a more effective
way of teaching, rather than using animation with text, as the former involves the
use of both auditory and visual sensory organs, while the latter needs just visual.
• Redundancy Principle
According to this principle, animation should be presented with narration, rather
than presenting animation, narration and text simultaneously.
• Personalization Principle
The narration in class should be in conversational style (e.g, using I and We) rather
than formal style. With conversational style, student feel engaged with the course
content.
2.4 Spoken Tutorial[5]
Spoken tutorials are video lectures with audio narration of the slides (related to some
particular topic). The audio can be changed to any language. These tutorials are like
capturing a slide-show, used by teacher in class, in video mode. Following are the main
points:
• Small size
• People with poor English will be able to learn
• Narration in Indian accent makes it easy to understand
12
Chapter 3
Interactivity and ePub
With the growth of technology, the number of people reading e-books has also increased.
Today, most of the e-books provide the facility of text and images, but there is no feature
of rich media content like audio, video, and interactive demonstrations. Technology has
progressed a lot in the past few years, but the education system is still based on ‘chalk
and talk’ method. With the passing of time, there is a need of interactive e-books, to
make the learning more interesting and enjoyable. This was the main concept behind the
evolution of interactive e-books. Interactive e-books are traditional e-books with some
additional features. These features may be embedded multimedia objects like audio, video
and animations.
While reading e-books, only visual sensory organ is involved, and thus, students do
not feel deeply engaged with the course content. Interactive e-books have an upper hand
in this case.
Features provided by interactive e-books are as follows:
1. Support for audio content
2. Support for video content
3. Support for animation
4. Support for reflowability of content
5. Better educational environment
6. Interesting to read
13
3.1 ePub[6]
ePub is an open standard e-book format. It was developed by International Digital
Publishing Forum (IDPF). File extension for ePub is .epub.
3.1.1 Features of ePub
1. Reflowability of Content
ePub provides the feature of reflowability i.e. an ePub document can adjust its
content as per size of display of any device. For example, it will display the same
content differently on mobile phone and a tablet.
2. Free and Open
• ePub is free
• It is an open standard e-book format
3. Support for interactive features
ePub provides support for
• Audio Files
• Video and Animation Files
4. Support for MathML
ePub provides support for MathML which is helpful in writing mathematical equa-
tions. It is a part of HTML5. MathML makes it possible to display mathematical
equations in the form of text in the book, and thus, we do not need to use images
for representation.
5. Styling based on CSS
CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) is used for managing the design of HTML page.
3.1.2 Evolution of ePub
ePub is the official standard of IDPF since 2007. In 2011, there came another improved
version of ePub.
3.1.2.1 Versions of ePub
The current version of ePub is 3, known as ePub3. The previous version 2.0.1 had certain
limitations and was not interactive as ePub3.
1. Version 2.0
The main feature of this version was reflowability of content.
14
2. Version 3
It is the current version of ePub. It came to existence in 2011. It has certain
additional features as compared to the previous version. The features are listed
below[16].
• Support for audio and video
• Support for MathML
• Support for CSS3
• Support for HTML5
3.1.3 Comparison of ePub and PDF[7, 8]
PDF ePub
Developed by Adobe Reader IDPF
Rights Open standard Open standard
Text Reflowability Not automatic automatic
Popularity More popular still in development phase
3.1.4 Tools for creating e-books[9]
1. iBooks Author[17][18]
• e-book authoring tool
• Organization : Apple
• Year : 2012
• License : Proprietary
• Anyone having a Mac can create e-books with help of iBooks Author
2. Pubbsoft[19]
• online website (http://pubbsoft.com/) for creating animated books for i-pad
and i-Phone
• Interface based on drag and drop
• No programming required, designed for non technical users
3. Sigil[20]
• Open-source
• Supports ePub-2 specifications
• Supports WYSIWYG as well as code-based editing of the e-book
15
3.2 Interactivity in e-Pub
ePub allows use of HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. All these can be used for creating
interactive ePub e-books.
3.2.1 e-book with Animation
Figure 3.1 shows a snapshot of a created book, which has an embedded animation (Source
of Animation displayed in image 3.1 is ‘Wikipedia page of Bubble Sort’)
Figure 3.1: A book having embedded animation
3.3 Structure of ePub[6]
Epub is a zip archive that contains various files. It mainly contains a ‘mimetype’ file and
two directories ‘OEPBS’ and ‘META-INF’. Figure 3.2 shows the structure of this archive.
1. mimetype[21]
mimetype, also known as Internet media type, is used for identifying a file format
over Internet. epub format has ‘application/epub+zip’ as mimetype. This file must
be the first file in the zip archive in uncompressed form.
16
2. META-INF Directory
This directory contains only single xml file named as container.xml. container.xml
gives the path of a file, content.opf, which contains the address and mimetype of all
the files contained in OEPBS folder.
Figure 3.2: Directory Structure of ePub
17
3. OEPBS Directory
This directory contains all the data files like audio, video, images, html, and CSS
in respective directories. It also contains two other files namely content.opf and
toc.ncx.
• content.opf
It contains the details like author name, title and date in metadata section.
It also gives the address of all the files contained in OEPBS directory, inside
manifest section. It contains a spine section that tells the order in which the
files have to appear in the book.
• toc.ncx
It is an xml file that gives details like book title and author. It contains table
of content.
18
Chapter 4
Tools and Technologies
4.1 Tools and Technologies Used
ePubCreate is developed using python programming language and Qt (pronounced as
‘cute’) Framework. Python is a high level Programming language while Qt is a framework
for developing applications.
• Technology
– Python Version 2.7.4
– PyQt4
• Tools
– Qt Designer Version 4.8.4
4.2 Specifications and Features
• Platform : Ubuntu
• Format generated : ePub
• Input : Text (in form of HTML)
• Support : ePub2 and ePub3
• WYSIWYG creation of e-book
• 2-click ePub creation
• Provision of default HTML text, so that even naive users can use
• Allows embedding of Audio, Video and Animation files
19
4.3 Python
Python is a high level programing language. Python programs can be written in object-
oriented as well as functional style. It is an interpreted language. Features of python[22]
are summarized as below
• High level language
• Object Oriented as well as Functional Paradigm
• Extensive Libraries
• More readability as indentation is must
We can check the version of python using the following command on python interpreter
Figure 4.1: Version of Python
4.4 Qt and PyQt[10][11]
Qt is a popular application development framework. Qt uses c++ but we can use it with
other programming languages with the help of language bindings[10]
PyQt is the python binding for Qt Library. With the help of PyQt, we can develop
GUI applications. ePubCreate uses PyQt framework version 4 (PyQt4). PyQt4 contains
various modules and classes. Some of the important modules are[23]
• QtCore
– Contains details about non-gui functionalities
– e.g. Time, strings, directories, threads etc.
• QtGui
– Details about graphical components
– e.g. button, windows, tool bar, dialog box etc.
20
• QtNetwork
– Contains details about classes used for networking
• QtSql
– Details about classes used for working with data bases
• QtXml
– This module provides classes for working with XML Files
• QtOpenGL
– Contains details about OpenGL Library
4.5 Qt 4 Designer[12]
Qt Designer is a tool that can be used for creating the GUI. We have used Qt 4 Designer
for creating the GUI. Following are some of the salient features of Qt 4 Designer.
• It can be used for creating dialog box, Main-Window etc.
• It creates .ui files.
4.5.1 Installing Qt 4 Designer
• By Ubuntu Software Center
– Search ‘Qt 4 Designer’ in Software Center.
– A list will appear, choose ‘Qt 4 Designer (Interface Designer)’
– Click ‘Install’.
• By Terminal
– We can also install by running following command on Terminal
Figure 4.2: Installing Qt Designer
21
Chapter 5
ePubCreate : ePub Authoring Tool
ePubCreate can be used for creating ePub ebooks. It allows WYSIWYG creation of e-
book. It takes the input in form of HTML and since, HTML5 is required for ePub3 books,
it comes with some default HTML5 text. This tool is divided into two panels. The left
panel is used for taking input from user while the right panel displays the output.
Figure 5.1: GUI of ePubCreate
22
5.1 Menubar Options
The following image displays the Menu-bar options of the tool. It contains two main
options namely
• Deploy
• Generate ePub
These two options are required for creating ePub e-book. The only requirement is that
the the ‘Deploy’ Button must be pressed before pressing ‘Generate ePub’ button.
Figure 5.2: Menubar Options
23
5.2 Steps of creation of e-book
The user has to perform following steps (in sequence), to create book.
• STEP-1 : Input Text
– Input the text in the form of HTML on left panel. The tool comes with some
default HTML text. The following image shows the input panel, where the
user can provide input and the output panel, where the output is displayed.
The tool-bar contains buttons for inserting code of image and video. The user
can also view the output on Firefox using ‘Open With Firefox’ button.
Figure 5.3: Input and Output Panel
• STEP-2 : Press ‘Deploy’ Button
– After entering all the text through the input panel, we have to press the ‘De-
ploy’ Button from the Tool-bar, which will put all the files required for ePub,
in their respective directories.
– Before pressing the ‘Deploy’ Button, we must have to ensure that all the images,
videos and audios that are required by the e-book are placed in the required
directory. If it is not the case, deployment will not be successful.
24
• STEP-3 : Enter Author Name
– After pressing ‘Deploy’ button, a dialog box will open where the user will have
to enter the name of the author.
Figure 5.4: ‘Input Author Name’ dialog box
• STEP-4 : Enter Chapter Name
– After entering author name, a dialog box will automatically appear, where the
user will have to input the name of the chapter. The final ePub book will be
having the same name as that of chapter’s name.
Figure 5.5: ‘Input Chapter Name’ dialog box
– If their is no error in placement of files, a dialog box showing message ‘Deploy-
ment Successful’ will appear.
Figure 5.6: ‘Deployment Successful’ Message
– If the above dialog box doesn’t appears (within few seconds), check if all the
images, audio and video files are placed in proper directory.
25
• STEP-5 : Press ‘Generate ePub’ Button
– If deployment is successful, press ‘Generate ePub’ button, after that a dia-
log box will appear with the message ‘Book Generated’. If the name of the
chapter was ‘My Chapter’ then the name of the generated ePub book will be
‘My Chapter.epub’.
Figure 5.7: ‘Book Generated’ Message
26
Chapter 6
Future Work
Software creation is an evolutionary process. We can add newer and newer function-
alities to a software whenever we feel a need. The following are some of the possible
enhancements that can be done in ePubCreate
• Adding Hindi Transliteration Button
– Hindi Transliteration will help in porting Hindi e-books on Aakash Tablet.
• Suggestion of HTML Tags
– Currently, there is no provision for suggestion of HTML tags, as we type code
on input panel. This feature can be added, so that it can provide help to ePub
developers.
• Matching of closing and ending tags
– Currently there is no feature that matches starting and ending of tags. This
feature can be added.
• Feature for adding mathematical notations using MathML
– Currently there is no feature which can help developers in writing math equa-
tions. A feature can be added that allows embedding of some common equa-
tions of mathematics using MathML.
• Porting Application on Windows OS
– Currently, the tool is working fine on Ubuntu, but it will be helpful for devel-
opers if it works good on Windows as well.
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Chapter 7
Conclusion
Today, most of the e-books provide the facility of only text and images. They lack
interactive feature like audio, video, and animation. Interactive e-books are needed to
make the process of learning more enjoyable and interesting.
ePub brings interactivity to e-books and provides certain interesting features that can
be helpful in understanding complex concepts. Its automatic reflowability feature allows
text to be displayed on devices of all screen sizes. ePub is still in development phase, and
thus, many more features may be added in future.
ePubCreate tool helps in creating ePub e-books. It can be helpful in porting NCERT
books on Aakash Tablet. Currently this tool has limited set of features, some additional
features may be added to make it more user-friendly.
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Appendix A
ePubCreate
A.1 Installation on Ubuntu
ePubCreate uses PyQt modules, so PyQt must be installed.
• Step-1 : Install PyQt4 (If Not already installed on system)
– Ubuntu software Center :
∗ Search ‘PyQt4’ in Software Center
∗ A list will appear, choose ‘Development tools for PyQt4 (pyqt4-dev-tools)’
∗ Click ‘Install’.
– By Terminal : We can install PyQt by running following command on terminal
Figure A.1: Installing Qt on Ubuntu using terminal
• Step-2 : Run makefile for running the tool. Figure A.2, shows how to run the tool.
Figure A.2: Running tool using terminal
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A.2 Source Code Files and Directories
Following are the list of files that are required for running the program. Final Source
Code can be found on ‘Fundamental Research Group1’ website of IIT-Bombay.
1. mainprogram.py2
2. utility.py3
3. defaultweb
4. Icon Directory4
5. defaultcontainer5
6. defaultcontent6
7. defaulttoc7
A.3 General Instructions
• The Audio, Video and Images must be present at the path (given by user)
• The ‘Deploy’ Button must be pressed before ‘Generate ePub’ button.
• If ‘Deployment Successful’ message does not appear after some time, it means there
is some problem in placement of data (that is required for the book). We have to
recheck whether all files are placed at their proper place.
1current URL : http://www.it.iitb.ac.in/frg/wiki/index.php/Fundamental Research Group2created with help of Qt Designer (for GUI), book[12] and [23]3generates content.opf file, as per Wikipedia article[6]4contains icons used for tool-bar, downloaded from Internet5created with help of Wikipedia article[6]6created with help of Wikipedia article[6]7created with help of Wikipedia article[6]
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