PDF support for Named Destinations (nameddest)

[rkirkhart]

I've requested that Flare support nameddest (named destinations) in PDF targets. They said they'd think about it. If you agree it's a good idea, comment here and let them know.

In case you didn't know, PDF's have the ability to allow you to add certain parameters to open it to a particular page, search item, named destination. An example could be a URL that looks like this: http://mysite/myPdf.pdf#nameddest=Chapter_1. I don't have to worry about the page number changing, it finds the named destination that way.

To see more about PDF open parameters, check this out: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/pdf ... ers_v9.pdf.

Yes, I know you can add nameddest to my PDF in Adobe Acrobat, but I don't feel like going through my 4000+ pages everytime I make a new revision.

I'd like to see them impliment the feature where I can choose one of my styles to become a nameddest. For example: <MadCap:nameddest> ? How about letting me assign this to my <h1.chaptertitle> for example?

Thanks for your support.

[LTinker68]

I've requested that Flare support nameddest (named destinations) in PDF targets. They said they'd think about it. If you agree it's a good idea, comment here and let them know.

Actually, don't comment here. Or don't just comment here. Submit a feature request at http://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx. This is a peer-to-peer forum, so people from MadCap (main Support people) may only occasionally check. The feature request form is the official way to ask for something to be added, and the more people who request it, the more weight that will give to MadCap's decision about whether or not to implement it, and if they do, when they'll implement it.

[rkirkhart]

Thanks, that's good to know. I've submitted it.

[rlauriston]

So still no support for nameddest?

Is there a workaround? If topic A appears only in a WebHelp target and topic B only in a PDF target, is there some way to define a link in topic A that will open the PDF to topic B (that doesn't involve editing the output files)?

[rlauriston]

Alternatively, if I create a PDF in a program such as FrameMaker that can create named destinations, is there some way to persuade flare not to delete the #nameddest=target from the link when I generate the WebHelp?

[rlauriston]

I found a kludgy workaround:

1. create the PDF with a named destination using FrameMaker or whatever
2. put the PDF in the project's Content folder
3. create a hyperlink to File in Project
4. add the #nameddest=<name> using the text editor.

Is there really no way to create named destinations in a PDF using Flare?

[rkirkhart]

Seems that this is one feature that Framemaker has an advantage over Flare....

[rob hollinger]

You can also create a hyperlink to any pdf file and use the page number.
<A HREF="http://www.example.com/myfile.pdf#page=4">

Acrobat pro from my understanding can post process a PDF file and add named destinations.

[rlauriston]

You can also create a hyperlink to any pdf file and use the page number.
<A HREF="http://www.example.com/myfile.pdf#page=4">

That's no solution, since the page number of the target topic will change over time.

[rlauriston]

MadCap says development is working on this:

http://kb.madcapsoftware.com/mobile/Adv ... _Files.htm

If you need this, please add an enhancement request:

https://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx

[rlauriston]

Is this in Flare 7?

[rlauriston]

Is this in Flare 7?

Looks like it's not. I installed the trial version. Search does not find "named destinations" in the help except regarding FrameMaker import. Bookmarks, which I would expect to be the Flare feature used to generate them, are still ignored in PDF output.

[rlauriston]

Any workaround for this in 7.1? Flare still does not create a nameddest in PDF output for Bookmark tags.