Skip to main content
adrianaharper
Known Participant
December 17, 2008
Question

Hypertext - how to?

  • December 17, 2008
  • 13 replies
  • 1570 views
I want to do two things:

1-link words in my FM document to my TOC in the same FM document

2-link external files to my FM document (i.e. have a word that says Conversion Table and when you click on it, it opens an excel spreadsheet or PDF of conversion table)

I am trying to insert hypertext markers to accomplish this. However, I am getting the error: specify named destination when I try to link to an external PDF (I am entering Open Document as my hypertext command, and openlink Import demographic Codes.pdf as the text in the syntax box) it also tells me that the document is not a FM document which I am well aware of. Even if I change the filename to a FM document, it then tells me the document does not exist (which it does).

I do not know how to begin accomplishing my #1 goal (of linking within my document to the TOC, for example).
    This topic has been closed for replies.

    13 replies

    Known Participant
    December 18, 2008
    This is purely a guess, but maybe the file name can have no spaces in it.
    adrianaharper
    Known Participant
    December 18, 2008
    Thanks - but I'm not having any luck.

    I copied exactly: message openfile ../Import demographic Codes.pdf (Import demographic Codes.pdf is the name of the file I am trying to link to). Command autopopulated to: Message Client (when I typed in the above)

    I hit "Edit Hypertext Marker", and save. When I create PDF, I can click on the name of the text where I inserted the hypertext, but nothing happens- no warning, nor does my file open. Any other suggestions that I'm doing wrong?
    Inspiring
    December 18, 2008
    As to #1:

    You can create a cross-reference to the "ContentsTitle" (or similar) paragraph, or you can add named destination to the ContentsTitle paragraph, and then add hypertext links pointing to that destination in the TOC file.
    Adding direct links (cross-references or hypertext markers) to TOC entries is not recommended, as the supporting markers in the TOC will be deleted when you update/regenerate.

    Have you considered including a bookmark to the Contents, so that it is available at the top of the list of bookmarks in the PDF?
    [ a better yet approach is to provide direct access to related topics, as demonstrated in http://www.microtype.com/showcase/NavigationAsst/PopUpMenus.pdf , but this is not supported natively with FM->PDF conversion ]

    As to #2:
    [Yesterday, I responded to a similar question in the FrameUsers list]

    In the Special > Hypertext dialog box, type
    message openfile
    followed by the file name (or path/filename).

    For example:
    message openfile name.doc
    message openfile path/name.tif
    message openfile ../name.pdf

    Important: use a forward slash (and not a backslash) when specifying path.

    Upon conversion to PDF, these markers will create "Launch File" links.
    Unless pointing to PDF files, these links trigger the corresponding security alert message (which can be suppressed by clicking the "Do not show this message again" box, effective until Acrobat or Reader are restarted).

    Note: target PDF will open at the default opening page (typically the first page).
    (With the FM-to-Acrobat TimeSavers add-on, you can define links/bookmarks that control the opening location and the new window property, see http://www.microtype.com/ImprovePDF17.html for examples)

    Shlomo Perets

    MicroType * http://www.microtype.com
    FrameMaker training & consulting * FM-to-Acrobat TimeSavers

    "Improve Your FrameMaker Skills" live web-based training sessions