Variable for Topic's Page Number

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Tonea Morrow
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Variable for Topic's Page Number

Unread post by Tonea Morrow »

I'm making a special, graphical Table of Contents. Next to each picture, I have a need to put the page number where that graphic is addressed (or topic's page number). I'm assuming I need to use a variable so the page number updates as topics are moved. How do I do that? I looked at "variables" in help but I'm not a coder. Is this graphical TOC with auto-updating pages possible?

Tonea Morrow
Dave Gehman
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Re: Variable for Topic's Page Number

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Are you creating this TOC manually?

If so, could you not simply put a word (e.g.) 'link' next to or right under each graphic, then apply a link on each word so they point to the target topic? Possibly even just apply a link to the graphic?

Oh - just realized - you might be envisioning a printed output (Word or PDF). In that case, you definitely need the page number...

So, basic question: what is the final form of your manual? Web? CHM? Word? PDF?...
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Tim Green
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Re: Variable for Topic's Page Number

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Tonea,

If you're using PDF there is already a function for that called "page referrers". It automatically inserts the page number of the target page of topic links directly after the link, in a little icon (you can choose the appearance of the icon). You can configure this in Configuration > Publishing Options > Adobe PDF > PDF Layout. Click on the Help button there for more information.

This option isn't currently available for Word files. In WebHelp and other electronic formats it wouldn't be useful because there are no page numbers there to refer to.
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Tonea Morrow
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Re: Variable for Topic's Page Number

Unread post by Tonea Morrow »

I'm creating three formats for the same product:
1. electronic (chm, html, exe --don't yet know which),
2. PDF color viewed on computer,
3. PDF B&W viewed on paper.

The first two in the list are easy, picture with multiple hyperlinks marked. Did that already. It is the third that is the problem. I already have referrers turned on for all the other hyperlinks within the document. But referrers doesn't work for a large picture with several hyperlinks marked on it. I guess I'll have to parse the graphic and make each part a separate hyperlink that can then be referred?

Really, I just thought I'd put circled numbers on the picture and a key below. You want the part of the picture that is number 3? The key below tells you number 3 is found on page 57. The part I dont' know is how to make the key auto-update if I move things.

Tonea Morrow
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Tim Green
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Re: Variable for Topic's Page Number

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Tonea,

No, page referrers don't work on links in hotspots in graphics... You'd have to do that manually, and I really don't recommend that because the page numbers will change when you edit. :?
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Tonea Morrow
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Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:20 pm

Re: Variable for Topic's Page Number

Unread post by Tonea Morrow »

In a different thread (Re: Graphic Parsing), Dave Gehman wrote (Mon Nov 27, 2017 9:04 am) that the images could be tiled, "Something like the original Windows 10 tiled interface."

If I strip out the white areas and just make graphics of one concept per block, say a picture of an action button, like "Report", then I could tile all these buttons in alphabetical order. Each tile would then have only one hyperlink on it and the PDF generater should be able to add the page number.

Maybe not.

If not, I can put a white space next to the graphic and make it the hyperlink. In print, no one will see the space underlined/blue. It will be just a space? If so, the appearance will be "Report" button - space - page referrer. If I put them in cells tiled down the page...viola! ?

:typing:

Tonea Morrow
Tonea Morrow
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Re: Variable for Topic's Page Number

Unread post by Tonea Morrow »

Okay. It worked and failed at the same time.

First, you can't link a space. But you can link a period-space. I did that. So, I can put the traditional ". . . . " and let it generate the page number. Graphic . . . . . . Pg#. Layout can then be a somewhat traditional TOC. No need for a table or colored background.

Second, it gave the page as page 21. However, the page is supposed to be 18. And, clicking on the page referrer link takes me to page 23. :naughty: What the heck? :frustration:

Tonea Morrow
Tonea Morrow
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Re: Variable for Topic's Page Number

Unread post by Tonea Morrow »

I have no idea what went wrong in my test run. However, I loaded all the other graphics, inserted their links, and ran publish again. It is worth noting that:

Customize PDF Layout > PDF Layout > Underline Topic Links and paint in color

was turned off. Thus we get invisible links in our GTOC. And, once people see the page referrer icon in the GTOC, they will recognize it when it pops up in a line of text.

This time, all the page referrers came back correct. The only mistake was one I had linked to the wrong location. Here is a snippet of the GTOC:
GTOC Sample.png
Now I just need to add leader periods before the link periods so that all the page numbers align.

I still want a way to insert the dyanmic page number without the work-around.

Thanks everyone for the help!

Tonea Morrow
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