Hello,
I'm currently working on a project that will have two outputs: HTML5 for our customer support website and PDF.
It's my intention to use the Top nav skin for the main website and the Tripane skin for a specific part of the website (our product documentation), as that part is quite extensive and for that purpose Tripane seems more appropriate.
Both skins are linked to their resp. targets.
What I am trying to do is have a link on the HTML5 top nav main page to the Tripane "documentation" page. Ideally the link would be included in the menu on the top nav:
Questions:
1. Can I create a topic in the Top Nav TOC that is displayed in the menu and where clicking on the menu item will call the main page of the Tripane?
2. If someone enters a search term on the Top nav, will it also come up with links to the documentation in the Tripane? I fear that by just using a normal hyperlink, this would not work?
I browsed the forum and came accross a similar topic where creating a master project could solve this, but I'm not sure if it applies to my situation: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13386&p=74820&hilit ... ets#p74820
I know that there are scripting options to customize HTML5 skins, but it doesn't seem to be possible for the top nav.
thank you
regards
David
Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
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Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Hello David.
My response numbers correspond to your question numbers.
1) Yes. In the TOC editor for your top nav, you would display the properties of the entry you want to link from and choose the "select topic" radio button. Then, instead of browsing for the file you would paste the path or web address to the tri-pane startup topic in the "Link" edit window. Presumably this file is in a "Subsystems" folder, as a result of achieving #2, but doesn't have to be. You should then remain mindful of and set other options such as whether or not to open the tri-pane in a new window or within the same frame as the top nav.
2) Yes. In the TOC editor for your top nav, you would display the properties of a new entry and choose the "select flare project and target ... (for runtime merging)" radio button. Then, browse for and select the tri-pane project file.
Hope that helps or at least points you in the right direction.
My response numbers correspond to your question numbers.
1) Yes. In the TOC editor for your top nav, you would display the properties of the entry you want to link from and choose the "select topic" radio button. Then, instead of browsing for the file you would paste the path or web address to the tri-pane startup topic in the "Link" edit window. Presumably this file is in a "Subsystems" folder, as a result of achieving #2, but doesn't have to be. You should then remain mindful of and set other options such as whether or not to open the tri-pane in a new window or within the same frame as the top nav.
2) Yes. In the TOC editor for your top nav, you would display the properties of a new entry and choose the "select flare project and target ... (for runtime merging)" radio button. Then, browse for and select the tri-pane project file.
Hope that helps or at least points you in the right direction.
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Nita Beck
- Senior Propellus Maximus
- Posts: 3669
- Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:57 am
- Location: Pittsford, NY
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Sorry in advance for the very brief answer, one that does not offer you a solution.
Top Nav's skin (so, therefore, Top Nav in general) does not support project merging (aka "runtime merging"), period, so you won't be able to use merging to bring in subprojects (subsystems) of *any* output type. Unfortunately, this restriction is buried at the bottom of this Help topic, in a note: http://help.madcapsoftware.com/flare201 ... ojects.htm. Many of us have submitted feature requests asking for this to be addressed, as it's a significant shortcoming of Top Nav.
And even if Top Nav did support project merging, a requirement of project merging is that all targets be of the same format. I would worry whether one could merge tripane output into a Top Nav skin. I would suspect not.
Top Nav's skin (so, therefore, Top Nav in general) does not support project merging (aka "runtime merging"), period, so you won't be able to use merging to bring in subprojects (subsystems) of *any* output type. Unfortunately, this restriction is buried at the bottom of this Help topic, in a note: http://help.madcapsoftware.com/flare201 ... ojects.htm. Many of us have submitted feature requests asking for this to be addressed, as it's a significant shortcoming of Top Nav.
And even if Top Nav did support project merging, a requirement of project merging is that all targets be of the same format. I would worry whether one could merge tripane output into a Top Nav skin. I would suspect not.
Nita
RETIRED, but still fond of all the Flare friends I've made. See you around now and then!
RETIRED, but still fond of all the Flare friends I've made. See you around now and then!
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
David, Nita is correct. I apologize for the misinformation I previously and unintentionally provided. 
Option number 1 is still valid though, as you can link fro top-nav to tri-pane.
Option number 1 is still valid though, as you can link fro top-nav to tri-pane.
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Nita Beck
- Senior Propellus Maximus
- Posts: 3669
- Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:57 am
- Location: Pittsford, NY
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
I actually think you made a very fine suggestion, just not one that's technically possible given Flare's Top Nav shortcoming!!roboHAL wrote:... the misinformation I previously and unintentionally provided.
Boy, how I wish Top Nav would support project merging!Nita
RETIRED, but still fond of all the Flare friends I've made. See you around now and then!
RETIRED, but still fond of all the Flare friends I've made. See you around now and then!
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Thank you both for your input.
I just tried it out and indeed the link between the two "home" topics of Top nav and Tripane works after I set it up the way you explained!
We are still in the development phase, trying stuff out, so this set up is probably not the final solution.
It is however my goal to try and stick to one project as much as possible, following the "keeping it simple" concept.
best regards
David
I just tried it out and indeed the link between the two "home" topics of Top nav and Tripane works after I set it up the way you explained!
We are still in the development phase, trying stuff out, so this set up is probably not the final solution.
It is however my goal to try and stick to one project as much as possible, following the "keeping it simple" concept
.best regards
David
-
Louise Bennett
- Propeller Head
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:53 pm
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Hi David,
This looked like the answer to something I am trying to do with my docset so I tried it but can't get the link to work.
I did as roboHal suggested and pasted the path to the default.htm file for my tripane output, but when I click on the link from my TOP NAV output, it says the "File was not found".
Just wondering if there is something I'm missing here? Is the default.htm the wrong file to link to?
Louise.
This looked like the answer to something I am trying to do with my docset so I tried it but can't get the link to work.
I did as roboHal suggested and pasted the path to the default.htm file for my tripane output, but when I click on the link from my TOP NAV output, it says the "File was not found".
Just wondering if there is something I'm missing here? Is the default.htm the wrong file to link to?
Louise.
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Hi Louise,
Sorry for my late reply.
I have also struggled wit this linking. Sometimes it seems to work and sometimes it doesn't.
Are you linking to the default.htm in the output folder locally on your PC or on the output destination e.g. on a webserver?
When you publish the target to a webserver and you didn't enter the link to the file on the webserver it will not work.
best regards
David
Sorry for my late reply.
I have also struggled wit this linking. Sometimes it seems to work and sometimes it doesn't.
Are you linking to the default.htm in the output folder locally on your PC or on the output destination e.g. on a webserver?
When you publish the target to a webserver and you didn't enter the link to the file on the webserver it will not work.
best regards
David
-
Louise Bennett
- Propeller Head
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:53 pm
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Dave,
I am linking to default.htm on my local machine. I've tried using the output folder and another newly created folder on my c drive - neither worked.
Louise.
I am linking to default.htm on my local machine. I've tried using the output folder and another newly created folder on my c drive - neither worked.
Louise.
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Hi Louise,
I'm linking to the "default" file on the webserver where I'm publishing to. Even when I try the link locally on my machine after building the output (not yet publishing) it works.
I did however learn that it is important to use the correct syntax in the link.
The "default" file I'm link to from the TOC item on my HTML5 landing page is located in a subfolder of my main content folder on the webserver so my link looks like this:
file://s00065/html5/DocCenterCastor/Tripane_Castor.htm
For the moment I'm trying to do the same linking to a folder on a normal file server but that part I haven't figured out yet. Also there I believe it's a matter of using correct syntax.
Hope this helps...
Regards
David
I'm linking to the "default" file on the webserver where I'm publishing to. Even when I try the link locally on my machine after building the output (not yet publishing) it works.
I did however learn that it is important to use the correct syntax in the link.
The "default" file I'm link to from the TOC item on my HTML5 landing page is located in a subfolder of my main content folder on the webserver so my link looks like this:
file://s00065/html5/DocCenterCastor/Tripane_Castor.htm
For the moment I'm trying to do the same linking to a folder on a normal file server but that part I haven't figured out yet. Also there I believe it's a matter of using correct syntax.
Hope this helps...
Regards
David
-
Louise Bennett
- Propeller Head
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:53 pm
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Thanks David. I tried copying your exact syntax and it still didn't work. The first time I clicked the link it took a while thinking about it which gave me initial hope, but then failed with the same error (File not found).
I'd be very interested to hear if you manage to get the link working on the local file server as that is in effect what I am trying to do. In the meantime I'll try publishing to a web server to see if that makes a difference.
Louise.
I'd be very interested to hear if you manage to get the link working on the local file server as that is in effect what I am trying to do. In the meantime I'll try publishing to a web server to see if that makes a difference.
Louise.
-
Louise Bennett
- Propeller Head
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:53 pm
Re: Linking Top Nav and Tripane output
Hi David,
An update on this. If I publish to a web server and use the URL for the 'default page' of the tripane output (which is also contained on the same web server, though maybe this doesn't need to be the case), it works.
Still no joy on a local file server though.
As for searching across both outputs, this doesn't seem to work. The search in each section seems to be exclusive to the content in that section (ie, Tripane content vs Top Nav content). I'm guessing this is probably WAI.
Louise.
An update on this. If I publish to a web server and use the URL for the 'default page' of the tripane output (which is also contained on the same web server, though maybe this doesn't need to be the case), it works.
Still no joy on a local file server though.
As for searching across both outputs, this doesn't seem to work. The search in each section seems to be exclusive to the content in that section (ie, Tripane content vs Top Nav content). I'm guessing this is probably WAI.
Louise.