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Level 1

8 points

[Tips] Writing in RTL

Dear all,

I just started working on a book; this is my 1st time using iBooks Author. Everything is alright except for the Writing Direction.

I find it really annoying from Apple that they do not include the Writing Direction in most of their apps. Which is frustrating!

Anyways, as a temporary solution for writing RTL (for Arabic or Hebrew) writers.

You can use the "Notes" app, Start the Notes app (Right click) and choose "Paragraph Direction"

Write the paragraphs you need; then copy-and-paste them in their appropriate place in iBooks Author.

Hopefully iBooks Author will support changing writing direction soon.

Cheers!

Mohd.

iBooks Author-OTHER, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1)

Posted on Aug 31, 2012 8:43 AM

28 replies

Hollow.eng Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 7, 2012 10:05 PM in response to gptwisted

Yeah, that's the problem I was talking to you about in my previous reply. Numbering too.

We cannot do so much about it, as this should be fixed by apple side by updating iBooks Author to accept "Right-to-Left" writings.

Oct 24, 2012 5:50 AM in response to Hollow.eng

Does anyone know if this was fixed in the new iBooks Author 3 announced yesterday?

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

116,036 points

Oct 24, 2012 6:16 AM in response to korenpublishers

korenpublishers wrote:

Does anyone know if this was fixed in the new iBooks Author 3 announced yesterday?

There is no change in the buggy cursor behavior or the lack of a control for Writing Direction. I don't know about numbering and punctuation.

Oct 24, 2012 7:03 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Tom Gewecke wrote:

I don't know about numbering and punctuation.

No way, it still doesn't work 😠

Hollow.eng Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 24, 2012 8:35 AM in response to korenpublishers

So sad I updated last night, nothing at all.

Hollow.eng Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 24, 2012 8:36 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Apple will not learn, until they start caring about users.

KFAMAS

Level 1

35 points

Nov 22, 2012 7:09 PM in response to Hollow.eng

Greetings,

For the first time in many years I am considering changing platforms due to apple negligence. It's been really frustrating to not see support for a customer base that requires RTL in all its glory.

Please shape Apple.

Nov 23, 2012 12:16 AM in response to Hollow.eng

At the end I've choosed for an alternative to iBook Authors because the missing RTL support: i'll try to write my book using HTML5 and the Bakerframework (http://bakerframework.com).

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

116,036 points

Nov 23, 2012 4:56 AM in response to gptwisted

gptwisted wrote:

i'll try to write my book using HTML5 and the Bakerframework (http://bakerframework.com).

If I understand that correctly, it will produce an app for the app store rather than something for the ibookstore, right?

Apple has recently added explicit support for RTL (and vertical) to the iBooks app and the iBookstore using epub3:

http://m10lmac.blogspot.com/2012/10/ibookstore-adds-language-support.html

KFAMAS

Level 1

35 points

Nov 23, 2012 6:34 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hi Tom,

Thank you for your reply. I followed the blog link you have provided and it mentioned the following:

(Unfortunately neither Pages nor iBooks Author can do the vertical layout and phonetic guides used in Chinese/Japanese books, and both have bugs with RTL scripts that make them normally unsuitable for Arabic, Dari, Hebrew, Kurdish, Pashto, Persian, Sindhi, Urdu, Uzbek, and Uyghur.)

So if my understanding is correct then the issue with RTL has yet to be solved. Am I correct in my understanding?

Thanks

Nov 23, 2012 6:34 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Yes, though the app will be sold in the "books" section of the App Store (inshallah). I've bought some books made with this framework and it think it could be a good idea.

I'm trying this way so that I can add more interactive stuff in HTML5 instead of relying on iBook Authors.

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

116,036 points

Nov 23, 2012 6:53 AM in response to KFAMAS

KFAMAS wrote:

So if my understanding is correct then the issue with RTL has yet to be solved. Am I correct in my understanding?

The RTL issues with iBooks Author and Pages are unsolved, you have to use some other app. But the related issue with iBooks and the iBookstore (they did not really support or usually even accept RTL or CJK books) has supposedly been solved, as long as you use epub3 format.

Hollow.eng Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 23, 2012 7:16 AM in response to Hollow.eng

They will never solve the problem. They are focusing on secondary things (e.g. iphone design) and they are neglecting the main things (e.g. software development and improvement).

I hope I can be proved wrong.

[Tips] Writing in RTL