HTML Help Setup - Jump Button URL

[Michael_C]

I have another question concerning the HTML Setup options. I am setting options for a jump button which opens a hyperlink, and I wish to have that hyperlink open in a new window.

I'm not sure what to put in the Jump1 URL: field. I've tried targeting the link, and using window.open, but it continues to open the link in the main help container window.

Can anyone suggest something else to try?

Thanks.

[Pete Lees]

Hi, Michael,

This isn't as straightforward as you might wish. See this earlier thread:

Adding a target to Jump Button URL

Pete

[Michael_C]

Thanks Pete. That example works if I specify a URL with http:// but I can't get it to work with a local file.

This works: <param name="Item1" value=",http://www.website.com," />
This doesn't: <param name="Item1" value=",file.htm," />

I have also tried value=",file://file.htm," / and value=",file://Contents/file.htm," /

Not sure what to put after value= to launch a local file. Let me know if something that I've tried above should work, and I'll keep working on it.

[Michael_C]

OK I got it to work by specifying a local file with value=",file://localhost/C:/, and the full path to the file on my machine.

Now my question is -- do I need to change this path for distribution of the help files?

[Pete Lees]

Hi, Michael,

OK I got it to work by specifying a local file with value=",file://localhost/C:/, and the full path to the file on my machine.

That's quite odd, as I was able to specify a relative path without any problem in my test file (which wasn't created with Flare, for what it's worth).

Yes, I believe you'd need to change the path to suit all the environments in which your help file will be deployed. Perhaps you can use scripting to get the absolute path to the .chm file and then build a link on-the-fly to the external file. This may give you some ideas:

http://helpware.net/FAR/far_faq.htm#Scr ... ernal_File
http://helpware.net/FAR/far_faq.htm#externalfile

In general, I think it's always a good idea to use this sort of scripting when linking to external files. Otherwise, you may run into the so-called "relative path bug", which is described here:

http://helpware.net/FAR/far_faq.htm#RelativePaths

Pete