Linking to topics not in the current dynamic filter

[CletusQMaggot]

Hi all,

We're redesigning our Web Help (long overdue) and we'd like to provide dynamic filtering, because this help is vast and covers a wide variety of topics.

The filtering works great with one possible show-stopper: if you set a filter, and a link in a topic is to another topic that falls outside the filter, the link takes you to a blank page.

I assume the blank page is configurable, but we'd like to figure out how to let them jump to content in the same project that might be related to what they're reading but doesn't quite fall into the selected filter.

For example, a topic could be part of the Getting Started filter, Daily Operations filter, and Administration filter. The links in there could take them quickly to content that's not in the selected filter.  Does that make sense?

The only thing I can think to do is replace all the relative paths in each project with absolute URLs, but that would be a nightmare.

Can anyone think of a workaround?

Thanks!

[Captiv8r]

Why is the answer not as simple as applying the tags to the linked topics?

Hopefully you are aware that multiple tags may be applied to content and topics.

Cheers... Rick

[CletusQMaggot]

I don't actually want the linked objects to necessarily be part of the filter. If, for example, we're giving them a group of "Getting Started" topics for new users, and some of those topics drill in to more advanced content, then we'd have to  tag the related content and then tag the next level content and on and on... well, soon filters stop having any meaning. 

At least, the way we conceive it here at the moment   If this is something RH doesn't allow, then that's how it is and we'll have to change what we were thinking about. But I wanted to see if anyone had a different solution.

[Captiv8r]

Aside from ensuring the tags have been applied to content you may link to, I'm unaware of any real solution on this one. I believe you are simply encountering what I think is called: The law of unintended consequences.

It would be nice if Adobe were to configure things so that if a filter causes an entire topic content to be hidden, either the link itself wouldn't be a link any longer or a message would appear alerting the user to the fact that the current filtering mechanism is preventing content from being presented.

I might suggest that you file this with Adobe as a feature request.

http://tracker.adobe.com

Cheers... Rick

[Captiv8r]

I just added this feature request. So you may wish to just vote on it.

Click here to view

Cheers... Rick

[SterlingB]

Apparently this feature request was implemented: "This feature is now implemented. Now there will be a customizable message when links to the topics that are filtered out will be clicked. This will be a part of update 10."

(Via Captiv8r's link above). 

...but I'm not seeing this in RH 2019 Classic. Does anyone know how to apply a default message for filtered topics in RH 2019 Classic?

[CletusQMaggot]

Personally, I'd be happy if the filtering only filtered the TOC and search results but left the links alone. YMMV

Thanks for adding the request.  I'll drop comments in there.

[Amebr]

I would think it's only been implemented in RH 2019 New UI Update 10 and above. As far as I can tell (not being an employee) RH2019 Classic is RH2017 with a few minor fixes.

If the text was available anywhere, it would be in Project Settings > Advanced > Labels. The interface is, um, inconvenient. 🙂