How do I display the contents of a folder?

[Zexston]

I am creating a technical resource CD including many different kinds of media.

One such area is support files. These are several files that customer might want to copy to a directory on there hardrive. I do not want them to have to click on and save each file.

I have added a folder and files in the baggage file area.
How do I create a Hyperlink (or some other kind of object) that when clicked on lauches Explorer displaying the contents of the baggage folder? It does not matter if it is a frame or if its a pop-up.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[RoboWizard]

Hi Zexston

How you do this depends on your output format. Is it .HLP, .CHM, WebHelp or FlashHelp?

If it's .HLP, I think you use a macro.
If it's .CHM, you can do it using a Shortcut control
If it's WebHelp or FlashHelp, I think you can do it using a simple link.

Sorry, but without knowing more we can't be more specific.

Cheers... Rick

[Zexston]

Hello Rick,

My primary output is WebHelp. I figured out how to do what I was asking, kind of. I created a Hyperlink to a file as normal. I then went and deleted the file name itself and left just the folder path. When using preview - it works.

BUT...

After compiling to the WebHelp SSL, the same link does'nt work. Any ideas?

I recently reverted back to X5.01 because of some other issues, could this be causing me any problems?

[HKabaker]

Zexston,

RH will not put your excess baggage folder into the output directory.

If you import them into RH as baggagge files, they will go.

Assuming your truncated links made it through into WebHelp output, you can manually add the folder to the final output.

What I don't get is, which file do you expect to open with a link that doesn't include the file name? Is there a default file named index.htm in that directory?

Harvey

[Zexston]

I simply (maybe not so simple) would like a Hyperlink or Button that would launch Windows Explorer to set folder, no matter what the drive letter (since the output will be on a CD).

[HKabaker]

Sounds ill-advised to me. I hope it's not possible to do this from an html link.

Forum colleagues? Opinions?


Harvey

[Captiv8r]

Hi Harvey

Here's my take on it. As you may (or possibly may not) be aware, I obtained my certification to teach RoboHelp and Captivate classes. I've been doing this for over a year now. When folks attend one of my classes, I provide a "Bonus" CD containing other material and resources. I created this CD so it automatically runs on insertion (provided autorun hasn't been disabled on the PC where the CD is inserted) and there are all sorts of folders and files to be viewed. In some cases, I actually want the user to click a link to view the folder contents of the CD. So I totally "get" why Zexston wants to do this.

Here's the part I'm not getting. If deploying via CD, why go the WebHelp route and not compiled .CHM?

Cheers all... Rick

[Zexston]

Hello Rick, you hit the nail on the head.

This is for a training course, and at somepoints, it is neccessary for the students to copy some configuration files for our software on the hard drive (too many to do one at a time).

My origional format was in Flash, but due to an update of RoboHelp to 5.0.2, after the project compiles, links to external files like PDFs and XLSs get spaces in the target text (True Code view) turned into underscores while the files themselves remained unchanged. RoboHelp support said this is a know issue and use WebHelp instead. That did fix the problem for me, so that's what I'm using.

You said you have done this? Please, Please, tell me how.

[HKabaker]

Here's a thought:

You want the user to see a directory -- i.e., Contents -- of the separate volume, and you're looking for a way to open Windows Explorer.

I would merge everything into a WebHelp package or CHM on the CD. The main TOC functions as a substitute for the Windows directory tree.

I guess you don't want to go to the trouble of merging all that stuff into a WebHelp or chm package.

Rather than trying to open a directory in Windows Explorer, open a new browser window with a single .htm file showing text links that mirror the Windows explorer directory.

To keep it simple, you could list folder names and indent the contents, simulating an expanded TOC.

Make it more complicated by having one htm file with all directories closed, and another file for each directory, expanded to show contents. A "back" link, in effect, goes up the directory tree. For a little more trouble, if you have, say, six sub-directories, make their surrogate TOC pages identical, with closed directories, except the relevant one is expanded. Clicking the base of another "folder" is, in effect, going up the tree.

How you distinguish between a CD holding the bonus material vs. a directory on the hard drive, I'm not sure. Maybe the original link would have an option: Go to the bonus on a CD, or go to the bonus on the local drive.

Perhaps it's not what you're looking for, or too much trouble. Just tossing out an idea that you could refine or reject.

Harvey

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

Okay, now for the "other white meat". ;)

As I said earlier, I prefer using .CHM format. Here's why. You can easily launch other applications (including Windows Explorer) by inserting an HTML Help Shortcut control. For the program to run bit, I simply specify the folder I want to open. So in practice, let's say the CD turns out to be the R drive for some reason. Most drives would have it being "D", but it can vary. On the CD is perhaps a folder off the root named "Demonstrations". In my .CHM file, I insert an HTML Help Shortcut control and the program to run is simply "Demonstrations". Notice no drive letter specified. This implies just a folder. The end result is my user clicks the shortcut (or text or image serving as the shortcut) and Windows Explorer opens and allows viewing the contents of the Demonstrations folder.

Hey Harvey, why would you want to shield the actual contents from the user? Just curious, because while I think your solution would definitely work, it would be a lot of effort. Particularly when the user can simply pop Explorer open otherwise.

Cheers all... Rick

[HKabaker]

Rick,

I agree that CHM is the way to go, if I understand you correctly.

So you would build a CHM, instead of WebHelp, for the main help package, right? And the link would open the "Demonstrations" folder in Windows Explorer; the user can navigate to the file and a double-click to open it in the appropriate application?

Sorry if I'm not getting it.

Zexston said something that sounded like CHM might not be possible in this case. Perhaps I misunderstood.

A more roundabout way, I concede, would substitute a TOC-like .htm file for the Windows directory because WebHelp can open it in a new browser window (and we're not sure that WebHelp can open the Windows directory). A link from here launches the appropriate application to open the file. Nothing prevents the user from opening the CD in the usual way.

I, too, prefer the lowest possible expenditure of calories.

Best regards,
Harvey.

[RoboWizard]

Hi Harvey

Yep. You understood me!

One little trick I used to employ with regular ole web pages was to use the actual ActiveX control for the TOC. I would create a frameset page and display the control in the left frame. I would also configure the control to use folders instead of books. Then I could sort of mimic Windows Explorer for this purpose. But I think all the rash of plugging security holes probably has long broken that. Also, I'm no longer with the company, so I'd have no way of knowing if it did. But trust me, it was way cool!

Cheers all... Rick