The World Wide Web Consortium (WC3) has come up with the EPUB 3.3 recommendation, which will be the newest version of EPUB. This news came into effect on Thursday, May 25, 2023. As per the officials, the latest version of EPUB is similar to the International Web standard.
EPUB, short for electronic publication, is an Ebook file format offered by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). It’s denoted with the file extension .epub and supported by many software and e-readers. Amazon Kindle also supports EPUB for a better reading experience. The newest recommended version of the EPUB is dedicated to Garth Conboy, one of the original designers of EPUB.
No Changes Required
Despite the new updates, WC3 states that the current workforce would remain the same once you update it to the latest version. Put, the update wouldn’t act as a hindrance to the operations. It’s a backward-compatible update, which means the documents you could access in 3.2 will be available in the 3.3 version as well.
Additionally, improvements were made to the EPUB 3.3 documents, like reorganization and editorial changes, for a better user experience. Also, the content specification has been separated from the reading system specifications, and multiple renditions are now being published individually. Updates were also made to the EPUB accessibility, and it’s now compatible with the European Accessibility Act.
W3C to the Rescue
Amidst the updates, W3C takes the initiative to maintain the EPUB even more in the future. There is likely to be a dedicated working group that will look after the submission of EPUB 3.3 to ISO for an update (based on 3.0.1). They will also be responsible for handling/managing the features that were postponed or are in consideration.
W3C is a responsible international community that works to ensure the web’s long-term (and efficient) growth. It aims to help the world wide web reach its maximum potential through efficient guidelines and protocols.
Speaking of the W3C standardization process includes an in-depth analysis of specifications, like security, privacy, and accessibility. Additionally, the Member experts also look for the impact on implementations for internationalization and conformity to the Web Standards. The thorough analysis has successfully resulted in multiple changes. Technical customization like features to address bidirectional text and guidelines on privacy/security issues have also been added.
They have also created a test suite that checks for any normative features of the specification. As this was done along with the EPUBcheck developers, its 5.0.1 version is compatible with EPUB 3.3.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.
