URLs in PDF output - forcing browser loading?

[sstraw]

Flare V4

How might I configure the style for <a> tags do that the generated PDF causes Acrobat to load the link in a browser rather than within Acrobat? This might generally be more of an issue for those with Acrobat Pro (which will happily try to append the web content to the current PDF), and might not be an issue for users of the free Reader component (which doesn't generate or edit documents).

I desire to be able to specify that the URL is intended to be opened in a browser rather than within Acrobat (if it were a link to a PDF, the browser would probably kick it over to the PDF reader anyway, though for my purposes, I could always specify a different class for links to PDFs if necessary).

I do not want to expect the user to make configuration changes (or option selections) to tell Acrobat to take some particular action - I'd like to think the internal vs. browser attribute is something that can be specified with the link...

For those thinking "but it always opens links in the browser" (or vice-versa): Acrobat prompts for acro vs. browser when you click on a link, and there's a "don't ask again" checkbox at the bottom -- it is likely that anyone not seeing the dialog (at least in Acrobat Pro) did at one point, but set the checkbox, causing the prompt to be bypassed.

[carolynmwallace]

I've never seen Acrobat open an HTML page within itself, but just to be sure I uninstalled my old version of Acrobat Reader and installed Acrobat Reader 9.

When opening a PDF with links, I don't get the "Choose Acrobat vs. Browser" message you mentioned. What I do get is "This PDF is trying to open [link]. Trust or block?" with a "Remember this action" check box. And when I click "Trust," it opens the link in my default browser.

What version of Acrobat are you using?

[RamonS]

Do you have by any chance Adobe Acrobat installed (the full PDF editing application, not just the reader)? That prompt is vaguely familiar as I have one system that has both Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat installed and I think I noticed the message there once during my rare usages of IE.

[carolynmwallace]

Do you have by any chance Adobe Acrobat installed (the full PDF editing application, not just the reader)? That prompt is vaguely familiar as I have one system that has both Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat installed and I think I noticed the message there once during my rare usages of IE.

If you're asking me, no, I only have the Reader, not the PDF editing application.

But you point out something important about sstraw's question--if the majority of his users will only have the Reader, then it's not an issue. The Reader doesn't appear to be able to open a web page within itself and MUST open the browser. (And again, I'm assuming that's what sstraw is referring to, as opposed to internal links within the PDF that would move to another page without opening a browser.)

[RamonS]

ups, sorry, yes, my comment was in response to sstraw's post.