The FB2 format is one of the most popular today. It is supported both by programs for reading texts on a computer and by all kinds of mobile devices, including e-books. FB2 is especially common in the CIS and has a number of distinct features that make it popular.
FB2 features
At the heart of FB2 is a file created on XML markup, which is often used in the preparation and structuring of all kinds of electronic documents. The file code contains meta information. It contains all the data necessary to identify the program in the reader window. For example, information about the author, the date of writing, the number of pages, the copyright holder, the title of the publication, etc. is encoded in XML.
Based on XML, FB2 can be converted to any other format without loss of information. Another feature of the format is that it is not tied to a specific platform, which means it can be opened on almost any device that is used to read books. This format is open.
FB2 integrates illustrations and can apply markup according to a CSS style sheet to preserve the formatting of the original book, not just plain text. This allows you to read, for example, the type of font, its size, position relative to other elements, etc.
The format has some disadvantages. FB2 does not support numbered and bulleted texts and it is impossible to create any footnotes or notes to the text within it. You cannot make vector graphics, which makes it difficult to use the format for displaying scientific books, textbooks and publications. However, documents with this extension work well for fiction.
The use of XML slows down the speed of opening the desired document, since the program must immediately read the entire file and all stylesheets to further display the elements on the screen.
FB2 support
FB2 is supported mainly by readers that are produced or assembled in the Russian Federation. These include devices from manufacturers such as PocketBook, TeXet, Explay, etc. For Android devices, the FBReader utility can be used, which is also distributed in Windows and Linux, i.e. can be installed in the desktop version as well. For Windows 8, Fiction Book Reader is installed, capable of displaying text in the Metro interface; you can also download a version of the utility for Windows Phone 8.
It should be noted that not all e-books made abroad display this format correctly.
For phones that only have JAVA support, Foliant is a popular program. TequilaCat Book Reader can be a good application for quickly opening FB2.
Readers from foreign manufacturers that have adapted their firmware for reading FB2 can also reproduce books in this format. For example, most devices from Iriver have support for reading files with the.fb2 extension.
