History |
Bookmarks and other links
Types of links
A link is an object that you click or double-click to open another FirstClass object or a web page. You can create the following types of links:
You can rename or delete a link, and this will have no effect on the original object.
Locating a link's target
 Doesn't apply to links in content.To find out where a link's target (the object to which the link points) is located, open the link's properties. The path to the target is displayed at "URL".
Creating links
Linking to your own server
To create a link on your Desktop:
1 Select the object to which you want to link (the target).
2 Choose Collaborate > Add to Desktop.
To create a link in another container, press Shift and drag the target to the desired container. You can use this method as a quick way to create a link on your Desktop. This is also the method you use to place a link to a contact database in your Contacts folder.
 NoteYou can only use Add to Desktop to put links to containers on your Desktop. If you want to put a link to another type of object, such as a document, on your Desktop, use the Shift and drag method.
Linking to other FirstClass servers
To create a link to another FirstClass server:
1 Open the container where you want to save the link.
2 Log into the server that contains the target.
3 Drag the target to the lower pane of the container where you want to save the link.
4 Change or add link information if desired.
To change the name or add a subject, for example, open the link's properties, then update the Info form.
Linking to web pages
To create a link to a web page:
1 Open the container where you want to save the link.
2 Go to the target web page.
3 Drag the icon beside the web page's address field to the lower pane of the container where you want to save the link.
4 Change or add link information if desired.
To change the name or add a subject, for example, open the link's properties, then update the Info form.
Putting links on toolbars
FirstClass bookmarks
The Bookmarks folder
Your Bookmarks folder contains all links that you have created as bookmarks, or dragged to this folder.
To open your Bookmarks folder, choose File > Open > Bookmarks. To open the object to which one of your bookmarks points, double-click the bookmark.
Using bookmarks when not in the Bookmarks folder
To open a bookmarked object when you aren't in your Bookmarks folder:
1 Click the arrow portion of the Bookmarks button on the toolbar.
2 Choose the bookmark.
Creating bookmarks
If you don't see a Bookmarks folder on your Desktop, opening the folder by choosing File > Open > Bookmarks, or creating a bookmark, will add it.
To create a bookmark:
1 Choose File > New > New Bookmark.
ShortcutSelect the object you want to bookmark, then choose Collaborate > Add to Bookmarks. This prefills the bookmark information.
The Info form for the bookmark opens.
2 Update the Info form if required.
If you didn't select an object to bookmark, be sure to supply the full path to the object at "URL".
The bookmark is added to your Bookmarks folder.
Importing bookmarks from web browsers
You can import bookmarks (favorites) from your web browser into your FirstClass Bookmarks folder in two ways:
• using a button while you are in your web browser
• from a file of bookmarks exported from your web browser.
Importing bookmarks using an add bookmarks button
The first time you open your Bookmarks folder in FirstClass, you are asked if you want to be able to add bookmarks from your web browser. Even if you say no, you can still do this later by clicking Add Browser Buttons in your Bookmarks folder.
If you click Yes, FirstClass will add an Add to FirstClass Bookmarks button to Internet Explorer and Firefox (Windows), or Safari and Firefox (Mac). Those are the only browsers that work with this feature, and FirstClass will add buttons to both, if both are installed on your computer.
In your web browser, clicking Add to FirstClass Bookmarks will prompt you to enter your FirstClass user ID and password, and will then add a link to the current web page in your Bookmarks folder.
Importing bookmarks from a file
To import bookmarks from a file:
1 Export the bookmarks from your web browser to a file.
2 Log into FirstClass.
3 Open your Bookmarks folder.
4 Click Import Bookmarks.
5 Select the file.
URL links
Creating URL links to servers
To include a URL link to a FirstClass object, such as a conference, in a message or document, type the link in the following format:
fcp://server name/object name
For example, to link to a Budgets conference on the HuskyPlanes server, you would type
Creating URL links to web pages
To create a URL link to a web page, type the URL in the appropriate format.
For example, to link to FirstClass' web page, you would type
or
How URL links behave
A URL link is formatted according to your preferences for how links are formatted. You will only see this formatting when the object is uneditable (for example, a sent message or a read-only document).
The following is an example of a formatted URL link:
In the case of a message, each recipient will see the URL link formatted according to their own preferences.
If you are linking to another FirstClass server, the FirstClass Login form for that server opens.
Markers
A marker can be embedded at any location in the content of a FirstClass object, and acts as a target for embedded links.
Without a marker, a link to another object opens that object at the top. When the link points to a marker, the target object opens at the line containing the marker.
You can also use markers to jump from one place to another within the same object.
Markers appear as icons that only authors can see. They are hidden from users who can't edit the object.
Embedding markers
You can embed a marker in two ways:
• insert it and then give it a name
• insert it before selected text that is used to name it.
Embedding markers and then naming them
To embed a marker and then give it a name that identifies it:
1 Click where you want to embed the marker.
This can be anywhere on a line.
2 Choose Edit > Insert > Insert Marker.
3 Type an identifying name for this marker at "Name".
Embedding prenamed markers
To embed a marker that is named using selected text:
1 Select the text that you want to use as the marker name, at the location where you want the marker.
2 Choose Edit > Make Marker.
The marker is inserted before the selected text. This text is used as the default marker name.
You can do the following with markers after you have embedded them:
• rename them
• list all markers that are in an object, and work with the markers from this list
• move them
To move a marker to another location in this object, drag it.
• delete them.
To delete a marker, select it, then choose Edit > Clear.
Renaming markers
To rename a marker:
1 Select the marker, then choose Format > Format Marker.
ShortcutDouble-click the marker.
2 Type the new name.
Listing markers
To list all markers in your content, choose Edit > List Markers. The list shows the names of your markers, in the order they occur in your content.
From the Marker List, you can select a marker, then click:
Links embedded in content
An embedded link is a block of text or an embedded picture that readers can click to jump to the link target. Link text is formatted according to readers' preferences.
Links include icons that only authors can see. The icons are hidden from users who can't edit the object.
To embed a link into your content, use one of the following methods:
• drag a FirstClass object
• paste copied FirstClass content as a link
• drag a marker
• drag a website address
• create a link directly.
Dragging FirstClass objects into content
To embed a link to another FirstClass object (the target object) by dragging:
1 Display the target object unopened.
2 Drag the target to the desired location in your content.
A link icon is displayed, with the name of the target inserted as the link text.
3 Replace the link text with text of your choice, if desired.
Pasting copied FirstClass content as a link
To embed a link to another FirstClass object by pasting:
1 Open the target object.
2 Copy any content from the object.
3 Choose Edit > Paste Special at the desired location in your content.
4 Choose Link (URL).
A link icon is displayed, with placeholder link text.
5 Replace the link text with text of your choice.
Dragging markers into content
To embed a link that leads to a marker:
1 Shift-drag the marker to the desired location in your content.
You can drag markers from other objects, or from within the object you are working on.
A link icon is displayed, with placeholder link text.
2 Replace the link text with text of your choice.
Dragging web page addresses into content
To embed a link to a web page:
1 Display the target web page.
2 Drag the URL icon from the address bar in your web browser to the desired location in your content.
A link icon is displayed, with the name of the target inserted as the link text.
3 Replace the link text with text of your choice, if desired.
Creating links directly in content
You can create a link directly in content in two ways:
• insert it and then type link text
• make selected content a link.
Creating links and then typing link text
To create a link and then type the link text:
1 Click where you want to embed the link.
This can be anywhere on a line.
2 Choose Edit > Insert > Insert Link.
3 Update the Format Link form.
If you want to link to a marker, choose it at "Link to marker". The marker name will appear at "Target URL".
4 Type the link text after the link icon.
NoteIf you want to type text directly after the link text, and don't want it to be part of the link, choose Edit > Make Link before typing the nonlink text.
Making selected content a link
To create a link from selected content:
1 Select the content (text or embedded picture) that you want to use as a link.
2 Choose Edit > Make Link.
3 Update the Format Link form.
NoteMake Link is a toggle command. If you want to type text directly after text that is a link, and don't want it to be part of the link, choose this command again before typing.
You can do the following with links after you have created them:
• test them
• change their properties, including what they link to
• list all links that are in an object, and work with the links from this list
• delete them.
To delete a link, select the link icon, then choose Edit > Clear. Special formatting is removed from the link text.
Testing links
To test a link, use one of the following methods:
• select the link icon, or click the link text or picture, then choose File > Open > Open Link
• Control-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the link
• double-click the link icon, then click Test Link.
Changing link properties
You can change the following properties for a link:
• the target to which the link connects
• the link title
• the window in which the link opens.
To change properties for a link:
1 Select the link icon, then choose Format > Format Link.
ShortcutDouble-click the link icon.
2 Update the Format Link form.
Listing links
To list all links in your content, choose Edit > List Links. The list shows the link text for all your links, in the order they occur in your content.
From the Link List form, you can select a link, then:
If links don't work for other users
If other users can't follow your links:
• your administrator may not have given them access to the container
• they may not have permission to open objects in the container
• FirstClass may not be able to find the target object (for example, when a message containing a link is mailed to someone who isn't on your server).
If FirstClass can't find the target, and the target hasn't been deleted or moved since the link was made, the link may be relative instead of absolute.
About relative links
A relative link can be used between objects that will always be located in the same places in relation to each other. An example is a self-contained set of documents, like the help you are reading. The whole set can be moved (as it is in the case of this help, which moves to your own server), and links among the documents will still work.
A relative link consists of only a relative path. It doesn't include any server identification.
If the target object is in a different subcontainer from the object containing the link, the path starts with the container that is common to both (../ indicates that the path is starting at the container above the current container, ../../ indicates that the path is starting two containers above the current container, and so on).
By default, FirstClass creates relative links in documents, as long as there is a common container for the documents somewhere in their paths.
About absolute links
An absolute link is necessary if the object containing the link may be moved in relation to the target object. To ensure that the link still works, the full path, including server identification (a protocol specifier, such as fcp, and a server address) is provided.
By default, FirstClass creates absolute links in messages, and in documents that don't share a common container in their paths.
Changing link types
If you copy a relative link, FirstClass converts it to an absolute link on the clipboard (because it could be pasted anywhere). If you paste this link back into a FirstClass object, it is converted back to a relative link, as long as the conditions required for a relative link are met.
You can also manually change a link from relative to absolute, or vice versa. To do this, change the link path at "Target URL" on the Format Link form. For example, the relative path
../budget/report
could be turned into the absolute path
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||