Link to form outside FrameMaker

[gbone2000]

Is there a way to place a link in FrameMaker that when clicked on, can send a predetermined message outside FrameMaker to either a form or database? Example work instruction make up the document, and at certain points along the instructions I wish to collect a message of "completed" from the user, and possibly provide a space for "comments" so the operator can provide me with any issues related to the instruction just completed.

Thanks in advance,

gb

[Arnis Gubins · Accepted solution]

You can use either the "message URL" or "message openfile" hypertext links to trigger an external action to take place. Since the FM marker is limited to 255 characters, the operational details should be specified in the external files invoked by these commands.

[AxialInfo]

Another option would be to do this with either an FDK client or a Framescript, I think either one could do it.

e.g. when the user clicks at the end of the instruction, he/she uses a pre-defined hotkey or selects an option from the FM menu which could bring up a new dialog window to collect the comments. When the user clicks "submit" on the dialog, the two pieces of info (the current instruction identifier and the comments) could be "saved" and  sent to some other Windows app to be submitted to the database. Or, the info could be saved right within the FM file itself, and the submission step might only occur when the FM file is finally saved or closed.

Although one other thought, I'm not clear frm your description whether  the user has to be working within FM -- if not, this sort of a process could also be built around an Acrobat form (which could be  composed in FrameMaker) so the user would be using Acrobat (but not the free Reader, they would need to have one of the paid Acrobat versions in order to submit the forms).

Rick Quatro posted some examples of his new Framescript + Timesavers workflow for creating forms, here:

http://frameautomation.com/2010/06/07/fun-with-acrobat-forms/

Sheila