Building a Web-based Manga Reader

1. Project Setup

Start by creating a new folder for your project. Inside it, add the following structure:


manga-reader/
├─ index.html
├─ reader.html
├─ chapter.html
├─ css/
│   └─ styles.css
├─ js/
│   └─ app.js
└─ assets/
    └─ images/

Copy the header, footer, and style blocks from index.html to the other pages to keep the UI consistent.

2. Creating the Chapter Page Skeleton

The chapter.html file should include semantic sections: a header with navigation, a main content area, and a footer. Here's the basic skeleton:


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>Manga Reader – Chapter</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/styles.css">
</head>
<body>
  <header>…</header>
  <main>…</main>
  <footer>…</footer>
</body>
</html>

Use the same header and footer markup for navigation consistency.

3. Rendering Manga Pages

Each manga page is an image. We'll fetch these images from the assets/images folder (or an API if you have one).


<section id="manga-pager" aria-label="Manga Pages">
  <img src="assets/images/page-1.jpg" alt="Manga Page 1">
</section>

Use alt attributes to describe each page for screen readers. For a responsive layout, set the image width to 100%.

4. Navigating Between Pages

Add “Previous” and “Next” buttons. They should be keyboard accessible and announce changes to screen readers.


<nav aria-label="Page navigation">
  <button id="prevBtn" aria-controls="manga-pager">Previous</button>
  <button id="nextBtn" aria-controls="manga-pager">Next</button>
</nav>

JavaScript example to change images:


const pages = ['page-1.jpg', 'page-2.jpg', 'page-3.jpg'];
let currentIndex = 0;
const img = document.querySelector('#manga-pager img');
document.getElementById('nextBtn').addEventListener('click', () => {
  currentIndex = (currentIndex + 1) % pages.length;
  img.src = `assets/images/${pages[currentIndex]}`;
  img.alt = `Manga Page ${currentIndex + 1}`;
});
document.getElementById('prevBtn').addEventListener('click', () => {
  currentIndex = (currentIndex - 1 + pages.length) % pages.length;
  img.src = `assets/images/${pages[currentIndex]}`;
  img.alt = `Manga Page ${currentIndex + 1}`;
});

5. Accessibility Enhancements

Use aria-label on navigation controls.
Ensure focus styles are visible.
Use role="img" for decorative images if necessary.
Provide a "Skip to content" link at the top.

6. Making It Responsive

The CSS already sets images to max-width:100% and centers content. For larger screens, you might want to display two pages side by side.


@media(min-width: 900px) {
  #manga-pager {
    display: flex;
    gap: 1rem;
  }
  #manga-pager img {
    flex: 1;
  }
}

7. Final Touches

Test the page across different browsers and devices. Use the browser’s accessibility inspector to catch issues. Once satisfied, host your files on a static server or platform like GitHub Pages.