3

I'm teaching a Year7 class via Zoom on writing HTML, and I have one student on an iPad (the rest are on desktops/laptops), and they're not able to get their webpage to open in Safari (I'm using Chrome on Windows, which of course is simply a matter of double-clicking on the file). I'm trying to see what she sees, but I think Zoom is possibly not showing me the pop-up dialogues. She is using Notes to write the page (which looked to be the closest iOS equivalent to Notepad).

I Googled and sent her a few blogs, but still not working. I said she needs to click on Share and look for something like "copy path to file" or "copy link", and then paste that into the Safari address bar. She said when she did that Safari was showing the source code, not the rendered page. When she just taps the file it opens in Notes, not Safari. That made me suspect her file was actually index.html.txt (she tells me she has extensions switched on), but when I sent her my own file, which is definitely only index.html, she says the same thing is happenning.

Is anyone able to give me some definite step-by-step instructions (this is for a Year 7 student) on how to open their local HTML page in Safari?

thanks, Donald.

donaldp
  • 220
  • 1
  • 3
  • 15
  • Ok, I've found the issue, but not a solution. It turns out that, even though I sent the student a blog about turning on filename extensions and she said she'd followed it, it's still not showing filename extensions, so the file is actually index.html.txt, not index.html (we found out by tapping on "info"). Is there any native way to rename the extension? Or any recommendations for the best (preferably free) app for this? It looks like GoodReader can do it, but it costs $5-$10, and the student is worried about paying the money and it doesn't work. – donaldp May 21 '21 at 02:37

4 Answers4

2

I had the same issue today on ios15.

There is a free app called Koder available on the App Store which will let you edit and view the HTML file. I’m no expert but the editor looks pretty fully featured at first glance.

screenshot of Koder

hisspott
  • 416
  • 6
  • 18
  • They did not ask for an editor. They want to open the HTML file in a browser. – Karatekid430 Nov 30 '21 at 08:01
  • I found this post while looking for the same solution. While Koder is not a browser it does fulfil the required need to view a local html file in ios. – hisspott Nov 30 '21 at 10:50
  • Does it run js? If not, then it is no better than just previewing the file in the iOS HTML previewer. The user specified running in Safari so they clearly need js. Why else would the iOS previewer be no good but Safari required? – Karatekid430 Dec 01 '21 at 06:27
2

Turns out Microsoft Edge, unlike Safari, can still open local html files. Discovered in this answer. To wit:

  1. Install Microsoft Edge from the App Store
  2. Open Files (or whatever file browsing app you like).
  3. Open the file, then tap the Share button to send to another app.
  4. Scroll across to "More...", choose Edge, and voila!
Heath Raftery
  • 3,643
  • 17
  • 34
1

Sorry to say but an iPad is obviously not the best place for simple HTML editing. At least not with the default apps available on iOS.

Given an existing HTML File one can use Files app to navigate to it and open it with double click. This will open the file in a very simple viewer wich is at least able to render the HTML. As a developer i bet its using WKWebView which is basically Safari's HTML View.

mbi
  • 581
  • 5
  • 13
  • Yeah, have multiple issues with iPads. Doesn't play nice with other things. Next term we're gonna say iPads not allowed for Computer Science (unfortunately previously they've been told "you can use any device", so thankfully that message will change next term). I'll get her to try what you said and see how she goes with that (I think she may have been in the Files app, but I can double-check). – donaldp May 18 '21 at 11:43
1

Safari iPad no longer supports access to local or iCloud files. A number of iPadOS apps will however allow a user to view, edit, and test html code in files stored in local iPad, iCloud, or third party (e.g. Google or Dropbox) storage folders. One needs only to search in the App Store for “html editor” to see the list. Some of the apps have features that rival or exceed those found in tools on desktop (laptop) systems.

Jeffrey J Weimer
  • 134
  • 4
  • Ok, thanks for the info. She ended up just using her brother's Mac for the project. – donaldp Jul 17 '21 at 10:11
  • I hope the insight may encourage you to accept this as a solution. It seem otherwise that you are essentially throwing up your hands and treating the iPad as an entirely unworkable option, which is an unfair approach IMHO. – Jeffrey J Weimer Jul 17 '21 at 15:10