PDFs added to Online Help Content not able to be opened

[Joywriter]

Four PDFs were added to Flare for Online Help reference by users. Once the build is complete, the PDFs are not openable. There is some talk about Mark of the Web being selected so users do not have to click off the security message for each HTML file opened in help if this selection is chosen. Can this be possible? Can it be that this renders the four PDFs unopenable? There must be a work-around some one is using for this issue?

[RamonS]

Which type of help is it? Is it stored locally, on a network share, or provided via web server? Do the links in the help itself point to the right location? Is there any error or message?

[LTinker68]

If your WebHelp is running from the user's computer then you'll want MOTW enabled so they don't get that annoying security warning from IE (it's not an issue if they're using Firefox). However, having MOTW enabled means you can't load PDF, Word, or other files from the help.

I posted a workaround awhile back for embedding PDF in a help window when the help is running on the user's local computer. Give that a shot --> http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... 324#p31324

If the help is running from a web server, then you don't want MOTW to be enabled.

[Joywriter]

Lisa, the workaround is interesting. I've added the folder as suggested. I've added the container file topic, which is the name of the PDF to my files, however it doesn't show in the File List. I'm thinking because it is not .htm file? I do see it in Content Explorer.
Other info: I've made the title of the container file topic the same as the PDF. This way it can be linked to the container file topic and will open when they click it, right?

[NorthEast]

The File List pane has a Filter - which is probably set to only show topic files (htm), so you'll need to set it to all files to see your PDF.

The topic name can be anything, but it probably makes sense to have it similar to the PDF to save confusion; e.g. guide.htm is the container for guide.pdf.

[Joywriter]

I renamed it adding the .htm It now appears in my file list. I want to link to the container file so users can open it and get the PDF ... I'm still working on it. You should get my PM about the coding soon. Thanks so much.

[Joywriter]

... follow-up "I wonder" question ... I've just attempted to open in Flare/Content Explorer/Resources/Docs, the new Docs folder where I added the PDF into. I cannot open it. I placed the file in my local Content/Resources/Docs folder. Is the reason I cannot open it within Flare because I haven't compiled it yet? Maybe? Thanks.

[LTinker68]

You mean you're trying to open and read a PDF from within Flare? You wouldn't be able to -- Flare isn't designed to open Word, PDF, or other types of files within its authoring environment. You should be able to expand the folder and see the files, but I don't think you'd be able to open them in Flare. I'd expect some type of message, though, something along the lines of Flare not being able to open that type of file.

[Joywriter]

Thanks! The embed tag worked and once compiled in our Online Help, the file opens as a PDF ... HOWEVER, the file opens wide enough, but it seems that the length of it could be longer ... the PDF is wide to fill the frame but not "long" enough ... could this be a function of the measurements ... length and width? Both were 100% ... what would need to be tweaked? Make the lenght 200%?

[LTinker68]

It might also depend on how the PDF was programmed to be opened. Double-check that the file is set to open at 100%. If it's whole page, then it would depend on the size of your browser window, I think. Can't say as though I've ever done a comparative analysis regarding PDF file properties and size of browser windows, but that's the first question that came to mind -- how the PDF file itself is set to open.

[NorthEast]

From the other thread...

Has anyone had any problems displaying the PDFs in Tinker's PDF containers, but only on some machines? I have two machines that either won't display the PDF file at all, or when they do display it, only 1/3 of the PDF shows in the window and there's no way to zoom into the book to read it. It's really weird. Has anyone experienced this?

I've get this in FireFox, but not IE.
I've not found an ideal solution yet, other than to set the height using absolute values (i.e. in px, not as a %).


Also you might find this useful:
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/pdf ... meters.pdf

They're command parameters you can use with the PDF link; e.g. to switch off the toolbar use:

<embed src="test.pdf#toolbar=0" ... />