Potentially dumb question from relatively new user:
Scenario:
We have 220 page document with embedded pictures, graphs, etc. that has approximately 250 footnotes to external documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, scanned documents). The goal is to use hyperlinks from the original document (Intro, 8 chapters, 2 appendices) to the 250 footnotes and potentially a number of cross-references as well.
To facilitate distribution, we anticipate having this in two different formats: a single self-enclosed CD AND a site on institutional intranet.
QUESTION:
PDF has three link options that are potentially useful.
1. Go to view. This permits me to link to specified location inside any PDF file (either current document or another document in the collection). It is possible to specify the full file location OR it defaults to the current directory. The address link is relative so if I specify “documents\intercollegiate_athletics.pdf” it doesn’t matter if the prefix is c:\NCA_report or e:\ or whatever. This is ideal solution for CD version since I don’t have to know the drive letter for the link.
2. Open file. Like the former except that it can be any file type and it can’t specify an internal location. I probably wouldn’t use this unless I want to have an alternative link to Excel files (which are sometimes hard to navigate in PDF). But I don’t want to have to assume that all users will have MS Office.
3. World Wide Web link. This permits link to any URL from inside PDF. This is ideal solution for intranet version.
But I don’t want to have to build to fully different versions with one using #1 style links and the other using #3 style links.
Therein the question which hopefully is a dumb one.
Choice 1. Can I use links of type #1 to open other files on the web server if PDF files are initially launched from the browser. In other words, if the splash page on my web site with the Table of Contents opens the Chapter 3 PDF for instance, what happens to type #1 links that might be clicked within that document? As long as the relative reference is in the same directory on the web server as the initial document, does it find it and open it OR does the web server require a full URL for the link and require that it be a type #3 link?
Choice 2. Assuming that the web server requires URL’s and web links rather than “go to links,” can I conveniently make both the CD and web version of the document with all type #3 links. Adobe permits me to specify a “base URL” to which the actual directory and/or file name can be appended. So the intranet version can have the first half of the address specified as required for our web site. The question is the CD version. Using the file:// prefix permits the use of local references to the “default” local file location for the browser. Or I could specify a drive as the base URL (but this is problematic since CD’s don’t have consistent drive letters). So what I would want to do is be able to insure that when the CD is launched, both the browser and Acrobat would subsequently view the CD drive as the base URL for all web links.
Of the two I would prefer Choice 1, but if neither Choice 1 or 2 work, I’m willing to set up two versions of the main document that will have the links within it.
All expert advice welcome!
Scenario:
We have 220 page document with embedded pictures, graphs, etc. that has approximately 250 footnotes to external documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, scanned documents). The goal is to use hyperlinks from the original document (Intro, 8 chapters, 2 appendices) to the 250 footnotes and potentially a number of cross-references as well.
To facilitate distribution, we anticipate having this in two different formats: a single self-enclosed CD AND a site on institutional intranet.
QUESTION:
PDF has three link options that are potentially useful.
1. Go to view. This permits me to link to specified location inside any PDF file (either current document or another document in the collection). It is possible to specify the full file location OR it defaults to the current directory. The address link is relative so if I specify “documents\intercollegiate_athletics.pdf” it doesn’t matter if the prefix is c:\NCA_report or e:\ or whatever. This is ideal solution for CD version since I don’t have to know the drive letter for the link.
2. Open file. Like the former except that it can be any file type and it can’t specify an internal location. I probably wouldn’t use this unless I want to have an alternative link to Excel files (which are sometimes hard to navigate in PDF). But I don’t want to have to assume that all users will have MS Office.
3. World Wide Web link. This permits link to any URL from inside PDF. This is ideal solution for intranet version.
But I don’t want to have to build to fully different versions with one using #1 style links and the other using #3 style links.
Therein the question which hopefully is a dumb one.
Choice 1. Can I use links of type #1 to open other files on the web server if PDF files are initially launched from the browser. In other words, if the splash page on my web site with the Table of Contents opens the Chapter 3 PDF for instance, what happens to type #1 links that might be clicked within that document? As long as the relative reference is in the same directory on the web server as the initial document, does it find it and open it OR does the web server require a full URL for the link and require that it be a type #3 link?
Choice 2. Assuming that the web server requires URL’s and web links rather than “go to links,” can I conveniently make both the CD and web version of the document with all type #3 links. Adobe permits me to specify a “base URL” to which the actual directory and/or file name can be appended. So the intranet version can have the first half of the address specified as required for our web site. The question is the CD version. Using the file:// prefix permits the use of local references to the “default” local file location for the browser. Or I could specify a drive as the base URL (but this is problematic since CD’s don’t have consistent drive letters). So what I would want to do is be able to insure that when the CD is launched, both the browser and Acrobat would subsequently view the CD drive as the base URL for all web links.
Of the two I would prefer Choice 1, but if neither Choice 1 or 2 work, I’m willing to set up two versions of the main document that will have the links within it.
All expert advice welcome!