RE: Frame / Acrobat Links

["David Williams" <DWilliams@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

[ Dropped Framers@frameusers.com, because I don't have 
  a subscription. To Rick: feel free to forward this mail
  if it seems useful. ]

Rick Quatro wrote:
> I have a client that is making PDFs from their FrameMaker
> files. They are using message URL Hypertext links to link to
> existing PDF files. The target PDF files exist on a network volume
> that the users share.  However, he can't be sure what drive letter
> the users have the volume mapped to. Is there any way to specify a
> network volume name in a link without knowing the drive letter?
> Thanks in advance.

It sounds as if you are describing a Windows system. Has your client
tried replacing the drive letter with the UNC form of name? A UNC form
looks something like this, as presented in Windows:

  \\server\share\path\file

For example, they might replace "P:" with say "\\Intranet_server\PDF".
That's not the full story for use in hypertext.

They will still need to take all the usual care with file names. For
example, use forward slash ( / ) in place of the backslash ( \ ) that
Windows uses. (Backslash may appear to work, but it depends on the
following character. "\i" is one failure I saw.) 

The form that will work in hypertext is this:

  //server/share/path/file

Also, if they support a range of browsers, use %20 in place of any
embedded spaces. (I've seen IE accept spaces but Netscape and other
browsers fail.)

I tested all this in FM6 on Windows and it worked. (I saw the truth of
the help system warning that links may not work in Acrobat but do work
in the web browser plugins.)

See the FM6 Help topic for "About pathnames in commands" for more
information.

Regards,
David
-- 
David Williams, Technical Author
Working for, but not speaking for, Amino Communications Limited
Amino information: http://www.aminocom.com/

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