Interactive JavaScript in iBooks 2

Jim McKeeth considers the potential of Interactive JavaScript Widget Support in iBooks 2. Could make for room really interesting textbooks!

One overlooked but powerful feature of Apple’s new iBooks 2 and iBooks Author is the interactive JavaScript powered widgets. Through the combination of HTML5, Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript, interactive widgets are easily embedded in books published for the new iBooks 2 platform. Not only are these widgets capable of programmatic interactivity with local elements, but they can also collect and deliver user feedback to remote internet servers and retrieve updated data from other web services.

Example uses include providing updated stock information in a book on the stock market; updated crime information in books on law enforcement; collecting and displaying feedback in through a user survey; company financials in a corporate prospectus; or any time a book would benefit from updated and interactive data. Books with interactive and updating content truly take advantage of the potential of the iPad platform and represent the future of publishing.