EPUB and FB2 e-book formats are among the most popular. What are the features of each of them?
Facts about EPUB
An e-book presented in EPUB format has a structure similar to a website with links, but all its pages are somehow combined into one file, which is actually a special kind ZIP archive. These pages can be presented in HTML, XHTML, PDF formats, supplemented with graphics, various fonts, styles. However, the EPUB standard uses XML scripts to provide communication between the different types of files that make up the content of an ebook.
The EPUB format is most commonly used by e-book publishers when the work is primarily text - with few graphic elements to complement it. This is due to some difficulties in recognizing large EPUB files (their size is determined by the very presence of graphics) on a number of devices.
At the same time, the EPUB format, developed by Western programmers, is one of the most universal. It is supported by e-readers from most modern manufacturers.
The EPUB format provides for copy protection of digital works using DRM technology. Many e-book stores, as well as private authors selling their literature on the Internet, take advantage of this opportunity. A digital work that is protected by DRM will only open on certain devices - for example, those used by the person who bought the work online.
Facts about FB2
An electronic book presented in FB2 format, as well as executed in the form of an EPUB file, is an XML document of a special structure. Each of its elements has its own tags. In the book, which is made in the FB2 format, both text and graphics can be successfully placed. In the XML-code of the FB2 file, you can also write various metadata - for example, the content of the book, the title of the work, ISBN, information about the author. The corresponding documents are packed in ZIP archives to save disk space.
The FB2 format was developed by Russian programmers, so it is not supported by all foreign e-book manufacturers by default. However, there are a large number of reader applications that can recognize this standard. They are available for download from major stores like Google Play.
Comparison
The main difference between EPUB and FB2 is the variety of XML algorithms used to format the text, as well as supplement it with graphics and other multimedia components. The EPUB standard has traditionally been viewed by experts as more powerful because the XML algorithms it provides can be used to format complex elements such as formulas. However, EPUB files are larger than similar eBooks in the FB2 standard.
Another significant difference between EPUB and FB2 is that the first format allows you to protect a digital work from unauthorized copying. The FB2 standard does not provide such an opportunity.
Having defined what is the difference between EPUB and FB2, we will capture the main conclusions in a small table.
Table
| EPUB | FB2 |
| What do they have in common? | |
| Both file formats are used to create electronic books | |
| Both formats assume the use of XML algorithms, support placement in electronic books of text and graphic content | |
| What is the difference between them? | |
| Provides for the use of relatively more complex XML algorithms | Provides for the use of relatively less complex XML algorithms |
| Allows to protect a digital work from illegal copying | Does not allow to protect electronic books from copying |
| Developed in the West, supported by most foreign manufacturers of "readers" | Developed in Russia, supported by default mainly by manufacturers of "readers" from the Russian Federation and Russian-speaking countries |
