Create an interactive cookbook

Question

Create an interactive cookbook

Hello People,

I'm a beginner in ibooks author and I'd like to create an interactive cookbook (already all written, in French).

1) What I'd like to create is that inside of each recipe, one can enter the number of people, and this produces the ingredient quantities to be adapted in the ingredient zone of the corresponding recipe.

The way I imagine would be that I pre-enter the results in a hidden part of the ibook (is it possible?), and according to the number of people typed by the reader for the recipe, the right quantities appear from the hidden part in the ingredients' column (another way would be to apply a mathematic formula, but for certain products like spices, the quantities are not exactly proportional to the quantity of people, at least for small number...)

What would be a way to create these possibilities?

2) How to obtain a Buying List that could be edited or printed, built from the ingredients of the recipes the reader decides to cook and the number of people he entered before ?

3) I'd like to add the possiblity for the reader, inside of the buying list to be edited, to erase manually some ingredients in case he(she) already has it ?

I thank you very much in advance for providing me solutions and for your time !

Philvegetarian

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.2)

Posted on Apr 7, 2014 2:59 PM

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Answer 1

vinnyvg

Level 4

1,880 points

Apr 7, 2014 8:14 PM in response to Philvegetarian

I'm a beginner in ibooks author

I suggest before you ask about or start any project - you spend time learning about iBooks Author and what it can and cannot do, that way you gain knowledge about the application and do not ask questions here that can be found by use and practice with the application and its included Help files.

I suggest you choose any template and then open every menu option to learn what is offered.

Try reconfiguring the content and learn how to modify the template to customise to youyr requirements.

To start with, you cannot print anything from iBooks Author - unless you export as a PDF.

Your Number 2 list seems to requires a spreadsheet or a widget tailored to suit your purpose. Have you check the included widgets to see if they meeet your needs?

Your number 3, requires user interactions and again IMO, it would need a widget from a source like Bookry .com, unless you are capable of programming and use the HTML widget.

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Answer 2

Apr 8, 2014 1:18 AM in response to vinnyvg

Hello Vinnivg,

Thank you for your answer, the fact is that I'm not capable of programming and I didn't find the mention of the possibilities I want in the general presentation of ibooks author, but anyway I've the idea that my wishes are not so weird...

I'll look for the widgets at Bookry.com.

Have a nice day

Philippe

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Answer 3

vinnyvg

Level 4

1,880 points

Apr 8, 2014 5:23 PM in response to Philvegetarian

You should also check teh iBooks store for iBooksAuthor "manuals" this is free and one of the best.

Look for "Create your first interactive book, using iBooksAuthor" or check at:- iBook-Widgets.com

If you have a books account and can open iTunesConnect > Delivery your Content - you will find top right, a bunch of PDFs to download and further down a video which is very informative.

If you do a web seearch for "iBooks widgets" you should find many more who may ber able to crreate a custom widget for you.

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Answer 4

Apr 8, 2014 6:00 PM in response to vinnyvg

One more time Thank you very much Vinnyvg, I'll download the manuals you told me and I'll learn all that.

Thanks for your good ideas, I'll check if this give me the possibilities to create the functions I want for my ibook.

Kind Regards

Philippe

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