Online content

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Hello, is it possible to display online content in an epub3 file?

For example, we would have content on a webpage updating regularly, and when in the epub3 file (which we have already distributed), the reader goes to the particular chapter, and if their device is connected to the internet, then they would see the updated content.

I'd like to know first if this is possible at all. If yes, then could you provide a clue / breadcrumb pointing to what I should learn to make this happen?

If there is a roundabout way, like the reader pressing a button or clicking a link to fetch the updated content on demand, or to download the latest version of the epub3 file, then please suggest how to go about that also.

Thanks in advance!

It is not required for EPUB viewers to be connected to internet or to display external content.
All relevant content has to be inside the archive.
Of course, you can provide optional content outside.
You can simply set a link to the optional or additional online content.
If a connection to internet is available, it can be expected, that the link is followed, maybe displayed in another viewport, environment or program.

I was hoping for the same as nikhilvj. The idea being to have an epub product catalogue that is never out of date.
The nearest I found to this was years ago a guy called Josh Anderson created an application called ebook creator whereby the pages could be made up of live and static content. The trouble with it was it was based around Internet Explorer using active x and such stuff that wasn't compatible with any other browser.

With EPUB 3.1 we have made it technically feasible to achieve this by loosening the restrictions on what JavaScript can do in terms of fetching content.  However, we (the EPUB WG) were/are very concerned about the security aspects of this.  In order for this to be safe, the Reading System (e.g. Readium or iBooks) has to be very careful not to allow JavaScript to access anything outside the EPUB container itself.  Turns out that this is very difficult to block (some have suggested nigh impossible).  So, AFAIK, no Reading System has implemented support for this feature yet.  Certainly Readium has not.

Ah JavaScript, everyone's friend, but so easy to be made into an enemy.

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