Trying to Understand Hyperlinking

Report · May 31, 2007

OK, now I'm using RoboHelp HTML.

First a little background, which might help someone in understanding what I'm trying to do...

At my company, we're trying to create a Help type system for our Data Center. On one network drive, we have a specific
folder for oncall people. Those folders are then broken down by departments. Each department keeps their folder updated
with the correct info (an Excel spreadsheet).

The hiearchy might look something like this...

\oncall (folder)
---Mainframe (sub folder)
----mainframeoncall.xls
---Network Support (sub folder)
----networkoncall.xls

I created a Word document with the list of those departments. Then I'd like to hyperlink to that department's Excel spreadsheet
(which contains the oncall info).

For example: Network Support - That would hyperlink to: c:\oncall\network\callme.xls.

I can get that to work fine if the xls file is in the Baggage folder. The problem is, if Network updates their spreadsheet, I'm still
pulling in the old data from the Baggage file. Of course, thats no good.

Reading the Help, I got the impression that an external document didn't have to be in the Baggage file. Either I misintrepreted
or I'm doing something wrong (probably both with my luck).

So basically I guess the question is, is it possible to link to an external file at its original location?

Geez, I hope this makes some sense.

Thanks (again)

Doug

Report · Jun 02, 2007

Just a quick update...

It seems I end up with 3 of every file?

Please tell me there's a way to link to a spreadsheet file and open it from its
default folder...or maybe a way to specify different paths for baggage files
(which in our case would be close to 100 different folders)?

Thanks
Doug

Report · Jun 04, 2007

Hi Doug. I'm wondering if you can get around this by providing a "link" to the file without actually importing the file inside your RH project. For example in the same way you would provide a URL. I assume the Excel file is located on a network drive. Can you add a link (e.g. click here to access the spreadsheet) but the link is a URL type path. I can't remember the syntax but you used to be able to use something like //file:pathname\excel.xls to link to a file. This appears as a link which when clicked would open the file. Perhaps someone who has a better memory can provide the syntax if I'm wrong.

Report · Jun 04, 2007

Unfortunately, thats what I'm trying.

For example, I have the text: Excel.

I highlight that and click on Hyperlink.

The box that opens up includes a Link To and a drop down box that opens up. Among the choices is file. Once I find
the file, the actual syntax will look similiar to this:

file://C:/Documents and Settings/Doug/My Documents/finance.xls

I click OK.

I'm then given an option to copy that file to the RoboHelp folder where my project is stored.

If I click on No....The text Excel shows up as a link in WYSIWYG. I publish. The link still shows up, but when I click on it, I'm
told the file doesn't exist...its looking in my RoboHelp folder. If I go back to RoboHelp and double click on the
word Excel, the link now shows up as: ../../../../Florida Lodging.xls

If I click on Yes...The file is copied to the Baggage Folder and everything works...which of course I don't want.

So I'm open to suggestions. I just can't believe that everything would have to be in this Baggage folder to work.

Thanks
Doug

Report · Jun 04, 2007

I might have just found the workaround.

Whenever I look at the link using RoboHelp's way (for example, Insert->Hyperlink), it shows the url as that .../../.
and I'm always asked if I want to copy that file.

But.

If I select my file and copy the original link, chose No to copy, but go to the True Code tab, I remove the ../../ reference
that RoboHelp uses, and paste my original link and save...RoboHelp remembers that just fine. Everything works
fine.

Kind of weird, but I guess if it works, it works.

Doug

Report · Jun 04, 2007

You might not be consciously aware of the logic behind your solution: RoboHelp establishes an absolute initial link to such "external" files based on where the target file resides on your local machine. If you're adding links to "internal" topics, on the other hand, RH creates relative links because it knows and recognizes them as "family."

Yes, you do have to go back and fix the link when working with external files.

Good luck,
Leon