Confused on new web publishing feature.

[steve.ledger]

DPX9 has all the features of the child apps (Web Designer, Photo & Graphic Designer, Page & Layout Designer).
The pro version has exported websites since version 4.
The web chat section is for Xara web related topics, not just the Web Designer application.

The point of the DTP for the web feature introduced in version 9 is to allow devices to view DTP style publications as a continuous webpage rather than a PDF file which may need a special app installed.

[richinri]

ok, but the necessity to have to left and right scroll to see the page? I never have to left and right scroll to view a PDF on my tablet or Kindle too for that matter. If my choice is to have to left and right scroll AND scroll down to see pages, I will choose PDF in a heartbeat.

[steve.ledger]

That depends on the device's browser default zoom view and screen size I should think.
But yes, you may chose to use PDF instead if you wish.

[gwpriester]

@richinri

The benefit is you can publish a multi-page print document to the web.

And as I remember when I tested this feature, you can swipe to the next page instead of having to navigate using buttons. So you can scroll quickly up and down the document.

On a desktop browser you can scroll though the document with a scroll mouse.

I just previewed a web document with my Nexus 7 tablet. In portrait mode I had to resize the page but in landscape mode the page fit to the width. I would have to resize a website as well. I suspect that the page size has something to do with it as well.

[peter walder]

It does seem to me that the 'web document' format might have some real advantages for creating 'web books' with multimedia integration because of the potential of using placeholders to embed content from web services such as YouTube, ProfProfs, (Quizmaker) etc. Can you embed these in a PDF? (as opposed to linking). I am afraid I am not very familiar with what you can do with PDF other than create clickable/touchable links. If not then the Xara web document does seem to have some real advantages. I have authored a book in Apples iBooks Author (all graphics created in Xara Designer Pro) and it is an excellent program as it does allow a multimedia approach to authoring but the final product is limited to being played in iBooks but a Xara web book would largely be platform neutral. I am aware that epub (without Apples extensions) does also offer a pretty generic format and I was kind of hoping that Xara Designer Pro X9 would have a fixed layout ePub export but it wasn't to be. Maybe the Xara web document route offers a real alternative for mulitmedia books?
Pwalder

[richinri]

Gary, when you use the term swipe when speaking of tablets, I think of a side to side movement. When you say scroll, I assume up and down movement. I believe most that hear you can publish a document where you can swipe in tablets, they will assume the page view will be one page on the screen and you swipe left or right to get to the next page. Apparently this is not the case. I am just trying to see why this was considered a major new feature when all I see the program do is a typical web page that scrolls up and down but shows page numbers.

[gwpriester]

I tend to agree. But to create an app that you can advance from page to page by tapping is a major bit of work. I created three stereogram apps for the iPad and it was not an easy thing to do. The apps also display a different version of the page when the device is rotated. I created these in InDesign with Adobe's Digital Publishing Suite.

[steve.ledger]

I am just trying to see why this was considered a major new feature when all I see the program do is a typical web page that scrolls up and down but shows page numbers.

You can't create such a continuously scrolling multi-page html document without this new feature.
If it's of no use to you then you've no need to use it.
Personally I don't think I'll need it either, there are certain restrictions when choosing this format of a regular website.

[peter walder]

Can I ask what the restrictions (over a 'normal' web site) are when choosing this web document format?
Pwalder