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How to use ebooks in your enterprise (continued)
These days, you don't need to know HTML to create it. You can simply use a word processor and save the results as HTML. When you do this, you need to keep the following in mind:
- At the head of your document, include the line <META NAME="PalmComputingPlatform" CONTENT="true"> in the HTML source between the <HEAD> and </HEAD> tags. This line tells the Palm MIK viewer that the HTML is suitable for the Palm handheld.
- Keep your text layout relatively simple. Use a minimum of fonts and styles to get your point across. This is good advice anytime you're writing, by the way.
- You can link multiple documents and include images by using the file:// URL. Most HTML editors will let you add links to other documents by selecting the text to link and entering the URL, while adding an image is often as easy as pasting it into your document.
- Use images sparingly. Images consume a great deal of memory on the device.
To make the ebook, you use the Palm Query Application Builder (shown in Figure A), which collects your HTML and image content and converts it into a special Palm database that the Mobile Internet Kit shows as formatted text.
FIGURE A
 
Here is the Palm Query Application Builder. Roll over picture for a larger image.
You begin by selecting "Load HTML…" from the File Menu and selecting the HTML document you created. If your ebook contains more than one HTML document, you should choose the top-level document that links to all of your other content. From there, you can add GIF images with your small- and large- sized icons by pressing the "Large Icon" or "Small Icon" button respectively. I urge you to create a distinctive icon for your ebook, at least removing the three lines that indicate an over-the-air transmission. You should also enter a unique Launcher name for your ebook.
Once you've selected a name and icons for your ebook, it's time to use the PQA Builder to build the ebook itself. To do this, press the "Build" button. PQA Builder prompts you for the name of the file to create (it should end in ".pqa") and builds the PQA, reporting any errors it may find.
You can install the resulting ebook on your handheld using the Palm Install tool or by ensuring that the PQA Builder's Auto Install option points to your Palm handheld's HotSync name. The resulting ebook is installer's Palm.Net category, but of course you can file it elsewhere. Figure B shows our ebook on the Palm handheld as seen in the Web clipping application viewer.
FIGURE B
My HTML ebook is shown on the Palm handheld.
More about ebooks
While it's quick and easy to use the Palm MIK to create short ebooks, doing so has several drawbacks:
- The Palm MIK doesn't support annotations, bookmarks, or document searches;
- Palm MIK ebooks aren't viewable on platforms other than Palm OS handhelds running the MIK;
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