Hyperlinking

[wilbur1]

I want a product table field to be able to browse to a file location such as a .dwg file in autocad, and store that file location as a hyperlink in the field. In access it was a hyperlink field, in the form you just right click & use edit hyperlink. I can't seem to find any info in the help for this.

[MikeC]

Re: Hyperlinking

Bill,
First, welcome to the message board! Your post obviously got buried a bit! What you want to do, if I am reading your request correctly, is relatively easy.

Set a table field to be a Control Type of "File Select" from the form's Properties-->Setup tab. This gets the path. Now add the Hyperlink SuperControl from the Toolbox to your form and use sys_open(YourField'sValueHere) in the OnClick event of the Hyperlink.

There are other ways, but think the above is what you were wanting.

Hope this helps (if you had not already figured it out by now).

[Clunes]

Re: Hyperlinking

wrong post

[wilbur1]

Re: Hyperlinking

Bill,
First, welcome to the message board! Your post obviously got buried a bit! What you want to do, if I am reading your request correctly, is relatively easy.

Set a table field to be a Control Type of "File Select" from the form's Properties-->Setup tab. This gets the path. Now add the Hyperlink SuperControl from the Toolbox to your form and use sys_open(YourField'sValueHere) in the OnClick event of the Hyperlink.

There are other ways, but think the above is what you were wanting.

Hope this helps (if you had not already figured it out by now).

Mike thanks for the reply, and please excuse any confusion or lack of clarity on my part.

What i am trying to achieve on a "Product" form is an empty box like a text box that the user either right clicks in or clicks a button beside this text box, which opens a navigation type dialog box to allow them to navigate to any file on their P.C. When a file is selected the address of this file is inserted into the previously empty text box, this is then a permanent hyperlink to that file which will open the application and the file. (there can be many different file types such as autocad, corel, .DOC, .XLS, etc, etc)

I previously used Access which has a very simple hyperlink field to do this, unfortunately the user will always have to do the navigating as the file may not exist at the time the "Product" information is first entered and may well need to be re-done if a file is updated to a new revision. Does it make sense to not include the file as an attachment & keep the flexibility of a hyperlink or should I change my thinking on this?

[MikeC]

Re: Hyperlinking

Bill,
Sure seems what you describe now is exactly as how you described your question initially as well as how I interpreted it to begin with!!

Take a quick look at the example I have attached....I added a File_Path character field to a table with 255 characters (max amount). I dropped the field on a form and in properties set it to be a File Select control. Then add a Hyperlink SuperControl from the tool box and in its OnClick event add what is in red below to the function shown.

function onclick as v()
[COLOR=Red]sys_open(topparent:File_Path.value)[/COLOR]
end function

Each record then will have the path stored in the File_Path field created and the hyperlink's code is generic to just use the field's value and open it with whatever the computer's default program is to open any given extension.

I can't imagine Access being easier than this....but then maybe I am just used to it.....


Open this as its own database and then open with Alpha.

[wilbur1]

Re: Hyperlinking

Mike you are absolutely right, can't make excuses but probably getting a bit wound up as this is so very different I just didn't grasp it, but it is simple and elegant. It also works just as well ..... THANK YOU.

Can I pick your brain in the future?

[MikeC]

Re: Hyperlinking

Bill,
Real easy to get overwhelmed with Alpha....and the learning curve gets a bit bigger each year when new ways/methods are introduced.....and the fact that most everything seems to be doable in more than one way--many times several ways to pick from.

One step at a time (and a lot of reading!) will get you there though.

Anytime you cannot find by searching the Help, Alpha's Wiki, or especially this messageboard ask here....although searching the above will generally answer all questions, it many times is more of a matter of How to locate the answer. I feel that knowing how to search makes learning Alpha much easier and will be time well spent to learn this.

Have fun regardless!