Project Aon is very keen on platform independance, so really, PDF is the best format to bundle everything.
-- David Davis
The following was sent from the Project Aon contact form From: Ben Tilbury bentilbury2002@xxxxxxxxxxx Date: 14:24:57 on Tuesday, June 6, 2006 Subject: Book distribution suggestion: Compiled HTML ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi!
I've been a fan of the Lone Wolf books for many years and I have a (hopefully helpful) suggestion for you. I don't know if this has already been considered, but would you be interested in distributing the books in a compiled HTML format - i.e. as a single file?
I can take the source files for a gamebook and quickly compile them into a single .CHM format file. The CHM format is the file format for Windows Help files - i.e. what you usually get when you select Help from the menu bar of Windows software. It doesn't take long - I just tried it with The Caverns of Kalte and it took about 40 minutes. The file size is about 1.5mb.
Advantages:
Can distribute using a single file instead of hundreds of individual files
As far as HTML style and tagging issues as concerned, the browser a reader might use to view a book is irrelevant - the compiled file opens in its own window and doesn't use a browser
Compiled HTML files cannot be edited without access to the source files and the right software (though this is freely available from Microsoft)
Anyone running Windows can view a CHM file without having to install anything
Can optionally include a facility to search the entire book for any word or phrase and return a linked list of topics that include it
Disadvantages: Only runs on Windows
Of course I'm offering this free of charge! I'm a great fan of your project and would like to help. If you're interested, I can send you the example file I've compiled if you give me an e-mail address.
Yours, Ben.
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