10 Jul 2009

Use Readability on iPhone to convert web page to text

Using Instapaper's method of creating a Javascript bookmarklet, you can use Readability in Safari on the iPhone. There are two choices. You can use iTunes bookmark sync or create a bookmarklet on the iPhone directly. Bookmark sync is easier, but it copies all of your bookmarks to your iPhone. Mobile Safari really needs a right-mouse, Copy Link Location or Copy Shortcut to make this easier.

Choice 1: Use iTunes Sync

NOTE: This syncs all of your browser bookmarks with your iPhone On a PC or Mac, open your Favorite browser

  1. Enter address: http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/
  2. Follow instructions to add Readability Bookmarklet to your browser's favorites
  3. Connect iPhone and start iTunes.
  4. Under Info Tab, Web Browser, click Sync bookmarks with [choose browser]
  5. Click Apply

Choice 2: Create the Bookmarklet

  1. On a real computer, open your browser and go to http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/.
  2. Select your options. I like Novel, X-Large, Narrow
  3. Right-mouse on the Readability bookmarklet and copy link location
  4. Paste the text into an email and send it to yourself
Or, use the Java Script below.
Get Javascript into Paste Buffer
  1. On iPhone, open the email.
  2. Tap and hold on the text
  3. Tap Select All and then Copy
  4. Alternatively, select this text in Safari to use my settings
javascript:(function(){readStyle='style-novel';readSize='size-x-large';readMargin='margin-narrow';_readability_script=document.createElement('SCRIPT');_readability_script.type='text/javascript';_readability_script.src='http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/js/readability.js?x='+(Math.random());document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(_readability_script);_readability_css=document.createElement('LINK');_readability_css.rel='stylesheet';_readability_css.href='http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/css/readability.css';_readability_css.type='text/css';_readability_css.media='screen';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(_readability_css);_readability_print_css=document.createElement('LINK');_readability_print_css.rel='stylesheet';_readability_print_css.href='http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/css/readability-print.css';_readability_print_css.media='print';_readability_print_css.type='text/css';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(_readability_print_css);})();

Create a Bookmark for Readability
  1. On iPhone, open Safari
  2. Open http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/ in Safari
  3. Tap + 
  4. Tap Add Bookmark
  5. Tap Save
Edit Bookmark to Use Readability's Javascript
  1. Tap Bookmarks icon
  2. Tap Edit
  3. Tap Readability Bookmark
  4. Click URL
  5. Click X to delete URL
  6. Tap and hold to get Paste
  7. Tap Paste
  8. Tap Done and Done 
Using (both Choice 1 and Choice 2)

On a web page, select Bookmarks icon and Readability.