Adding a button that opens a webpage in the topic window.

[mariaw46098905]

I am needing to add a button to the toolbar that will open a webpage in the topic window. I know how to add a button and have it link to the external webpage by opening a new window but I am wanting to use the topic window as the target. Is there a library of JavaScripts where I can find the correct code to add?

Thanks

[Peter Grainge]

You haven't said which version of RoboHelp you are using or, if 2019, Classic or new UI. Also you haven't said whether you are using a responsive layout or traditional web skin.

I am going to assume you are using a web skin in a Classic layout. Create a topic with an iFrame in it and link to that. I think that will do what you want.

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www.grainge.org

[mariaw46098905]

Sorry, I'm using Robohelp 2019 and this would be for a Responsive Layout.

[Peter Grainge]

Content removed as it was a response to a post that seems to have been an attempt to post a link to site to gain traffic.

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www.grainge.org

[Peter Grainge]

Content removed as it was a response to a post that seems to have been an attempt to post a link to site to gain traffic.

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www.grainge.org

[mariaw46098905]

We use Robohelp for online manuals for our case management systems. In previous versions, (which I wasn't involved in), they included a button on the toolbar that would open our eService webpage in the topic window.  I was able to figure out how to add an iFrame housing that webpage in a topic, (thank you!), that might suffice for the option of linking to our eService page for now. Is there a way to have the iFrame fill the entire topic window without the scrollbars so that it looks like the webpage is the topic and not nested in a frame? (if that makes sense)

[mariaw46098905]

I should add that I understand how to specify the dimentions of the frame, I was just wondering if there is a setting for size relating to percentage rather than pixels in order for the frame to be responsive.

Thanks

[Peter Grainge]

Not that I know of. Sorry.

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www.grainge.org

[mariaw46098905]

I'm a little rusty on my coding but I took a stab at it and was able to edit the HTML to specify percentages and was able to get it to fill the contents of the topic window, at least for the width, and it responds to the tablet and mobile sized windows. I'm still going to be looking for a solution for linking from a toolbar button but for now this will work fine. Thanks for your help 🙂

[Peter Grainge]

You can add a button in the skin editor.

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www.grainge.org

[mariaw46098905]

Yes, I'm able to add a button and have it open the webage in a separate window but I am wanting the webpage to open in the topic window so it doesn't take the user out of the robohelp document. When I look at the options for adding the button I see that there are options for JavaScript to execute onclick. I'm assuming there is code that can be added that specifies the topic window as the object but that is the step that I don't know.

[Peter Grainge]

I have spent a bit of time trying to figure this out and I'm not getting too far.

I went back to 2017 and added a button for a web skin that worked exactly as you want. It opened my site in the topic area.

What appears to be the same method in 2019 doesn't work at all. That made me wonder if you are using 2019 Classic or 2019 New UI as asked earlier?

Please clarify what you are using and exactly how you are getting it to open the target, albeit not as you want.

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www.grainge.org

[mariaw46098905]

Sure,

I'm using the new 2019 UI. The steps I've taken are:

1. Edit the Azure_Blue Skin

2.Under 'Custom Buttons' add new button and icon

3. Under 'Link' I add the url

That successfully adds a button that links to the external site in a new window. This functionality works for our purposes in terms of sending the user to the desired page. Being the problem solving troubleshooter that I am, I am wanting to solve the mystery of how to make the topic window the target for the link. I still think there must be JavaScript code that can do that.

[Peter Grainge]

Interesting. That's exactly what I did and it would not open anything. I added http://www.grainge.org and nothing happens when I click the button. I'll try some more tomorrow.

That method works in Classic without any javascript and opens my site in the topic area without needing to use an iFrame.

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www.grainge.org

[Sudhanshu Monga]

Hi Peter,

Selecting the appropriate button and then adding the URL in ‘GENERAL’ ==> ‘Link’ is working fine and opens the given URL in new tab. 

[Sudhanshu Monga]

Hi mariaj46098905,
Please follow the below steps to open the desired URL in the same window as the topic: 

1. Under 'Custom Buttons' add new button and icon.
2. Select the new button to change its properties.
3. Under ‘JAVASCRPIT’ ==> ‘OnClick’ add the JavaScript Code: window.open("https://google.com","_self")
   Since by default the target is "_blank", the URL is opened in a new tab, changing it to "_self" would open the URL in the same tab.

[mariaw46098905]

I tried it and what that does is override the whole Robohelp window thus requiring the user to click the back button to get back to the online manual. The goal is for the target to just be the topic window and not the entire webpage. Painting the picture: I want a button on the toolbar (not the table of contents) that will open a webpage in the topic window allowing the user to access a webpage while still in the Robohelp environment where the skin remains the same with the toolbar on the top and the table of contents on the left.  We have current manuals that were created in previous versions that have this option and I was able to open up Robohelp Classic to see how it was done. The 'button wizard' automatically programmed the button to open the webpage in the topic window.

[Sudhanshu Monga · Accepted solution]

Hi mariaj46098905, 

I believe that your problem could be solved by changing the "_self" to "rh_default_topic_frame_name". 

1. Under 'Custom Buttons' add new button and icon.
2. Select the new button to change its properties.
3. Under ‘JAVASCRPIT’ ==> ‘OnClick’ add the JavaScript Code: window.open("www.your_url_here.com", "rh_default_topic_frame_name") 
   This should open the specified URL in the topic IFrame.

[Peter Grainge]

Maria

I was adding the link exactly as you describe and it failed every time. Then I tried another site and it worked. I went back to the first site and that then worked!

I tried Sudhanshu1996Monga's script and got the same as you and understand that is not what you want. I have asked Adobe if there is a solution for this version and will post back with whatever they advise.

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www.grainge.org

[Peter Grainge]

Maria - The revised script does work but be aware some web sites do not allow their site to be displayed in a frame. In Firefox you would then get a white area but Edge gives the reason.

I hit this when I tried www.adobe.com. With my own site it worked fine.

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www.grainge.org

[mariaw46098905]

YES!!!! It works. Thank you soooooo much Peter and Sudhanshu1996Monga. At first try it opened the link and it did open the webpage in the topic window but it also opened in a new tab. After removing the web address under 'Link' and clearing chaches it only opened up in the Robohelp program. Thanks again, mystery solved, feeling triumphant 😄