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Note: it's simply the wiki page, but in all my years that I read .epub files I never bothered to check the wiki page. So it is to my surprise I found out that i

Note: it's simply the wiki page, but in all my years that I read .epub files I never bothered to check the wiki page. So it is to my surprise I found out that it's just some XML and HTML/CSS!

sumtechguy 6y ago
I had the same reaction when I found out word docx files are just zip files with a bunch of xml in there.
- doodpants 6y ago
  Docx was Microsoft's answer to the Open Document Format used by OpenOffice, which is also just zipped XML files.
- lucb1e 6y ago
  You might be surprised to learn just how many files are zip files. Java software (jar, war): zip files Android packages (apk): zip files OpenDocument Format (odt, ods, odp): zip files Quake 3 / OpenArena / Urban Terror / etc. (pk3): zip files Firefox/Thunderbird/Chromium extensions (xpi, crx): zip files EPUB: :D
  - ok123456 6y ago
    numpy's npz is also zip.
  - sumtechguy 6y ago
    Just look for that PK in the first 2 bytes of the file and it is a good chance it is a zip file. That jar/war one has saved me a few times in figuring out what exactly the compiler did to a program.
  - Turing_Machine 6y ago
    Yeah, it is surprising at first, but after you think about it, maybe not so much. If you need to cram a bunch of files into one package, zip is the obvious candidate. There are well-tested libraries and apps for dealing with zips for essentially every language and operating system. As the saying goes, "don't mess with success".
rvz 6y ago
cool.
- rvz 6y ago
  To Downvoters: So there is something wrong with saying 'cool'? What is the problem this time? There is nothing malicious or 'offensive' than reacting to something by saying 'cool'. Come on. Care to explain yourselves this time?
  - yakubin 6y ago
    I didn't downvote, but it's a low-effort comment that doesn't really add anything to the discussion. There is no information, no argument, no widening of context, no additional perspective, nothing. It also isn't an acknowledgement-type reply like "I see" ending a discussion. In other words, it decreases signal-to-noise ratio. You can compare it to "congrats" email chains at corps. EDIT: It would be ok in a live discussion. But on a forum, not so much.
  - robin_reala 6y ago
    The HN equivalent of a “cool” response is clicking the upvote button.
    - rvz 6y ago
      Excuse me? Am I 'not allowed' to express my own opinion of this post via typing in text, even if it says 'cool'. I think I am getting tone-policed.

Note: it's simply the wiki page, but in all my years that I read .epub files I never bothered to check the wiki page. So it is to my surprise I found out that it's just some XML and HTML/CSS!

sumtechguy 6y ago

I had the same reaction when I found out word docx files are just zip files with a bunch of xml in there.

doodpants 6y ago
Docx was Microsoft's answer to the Open Document Format used by OpenOffice, which is also just zipped XML files.
lucb1e 6y ago
You might be surprised to learn just how many files are zip files. Java software (jar, war): zip files Android packages (apk): zip files OpenDocument Format (odt, ods, odp): zip files Quake 3 / OpenArena / Urban Terror / etc. (pk3): zip files Firefox/Thunderbird/Chromium extensions (xpi, crx): zip files EPUB: :D
- ok123456 6y ago
  numpy's npz is also zip.
- sumtechguy 6y ago
  Just look for that PK in the first 2 bytes of the file and it is a good chance it is a zip file. That jar/war one has saved me a few times in figuring out what exactly the compiler did to a program.
- Turing_Machine 6y ago
  Yeah, it is surprising at first, but after you think about it, maybe not so much. If you need to cram a bunch of files into one package, zip is the obvious candidate. There are well-tested libraries and apps for dealing with zips for essentially every language and operating system. As the saying goes, "don't mess with success".

rvz 6y ago

cool.

rvz 6y ago
To Downvoters: So there is something wrong with saying 'cool'? What is the problem this time? There is nothing malicious or 'offensive' than reacting to something by saying 'cool'. Come on. Care to explain yourselves this time?
- yakubin 6y ago
  I didn't downvote, but it's a low-effort comment that doesn't really add anything to the discussion. There is no information, no argument, no widening of context, no additional perspective, nothing. It also isn't an acknowledgement-type reply like "I see" ending a discussion. In other words, it decreases signal-to-noise ratio. You can compare it to "congrats" email chains at corps. EDIT: It would be ok in a live discussion. But on a forum, not so much.
- robin_reala 6y ago
  The HN equivalent of a “cool” response is clicking the upvote button.
  - rvz 6y ago
    Excuse me? Am I 'not allowed' to express my own opinion of this post via typing in text, even if it says 'cool'. I think I am getting tone-policed.