Editing Topic Popups

You can edit topic popups that you have inserted into a topic in at least three different ways: (1) edit the destination and properties of the topic popup, (2) edit the style of the topic popup, and (3) unbind (or remove) the hyperlink from the topic popup.

How to Edit the Destination and Properties of a Topic Popup

The first way to edit topic popups is to change the destination and other properties (link text, target frame, screen tip).

1. Open the content file.
2. In the XML Editor, click inside the link.
3. At the top of the XML Editor, right-click the span bar representing the link. For example, hyperlink span bars have an "a" label, and cross-reference span bars have a "MadCap:xref" label. When you click on the link in the topic, the appropriate span bar at the top of the XML Editor will change color to indicate that it goes with the link. If your span bars are not turned on, click in the local toolbar of the XML Editor.
4. Select Edit Hyperlink. The Insert Topic Popup dialog opens.

5. From the Link to drop-down field, select a way to identify the topic, bookmark, or file to which you want to link. Based the option you choose, the section below gives you a list of selections or additional fields to complete.

   File in Project 

   This option lets you search for a file within your project. After you select this option, use the area below to navigate to the file that you want to link to and select it. By using the buttons in the local toolbar, you can view all files in a list, view files in their folder structure, and use other options.

   	Shows all of the files in the project in a list below. Click the button again to switch to a folder tree view. You can click the File, Type, or Path column headers to sort the list alphabetically by that column data.
   	Shows or hides the folders that the files are stored in.
   	Shows or hides the files. If you click this button when the Show Folders button is selected, the area splits into two. The folder is shown on the left side, and the files and subfolders within it are shown on the right.
   	If the Show Files button is the only one selected, you can click this button to move up one folder level.
   	Lets you filter the kinds of files shown below. Depending on the task you are performing, this field may already be populated with the most appropriate file type(s).

   You can also click to display and select any bookmark or a location using a particular style (including classes and IDs). If necessary, a bookmark will be created at that location if one does not exist. If you want to clear a bookmark in the link, select it and click the button at the bottom of the dialog. See Inserting Bookmarks.

   You can also select if you have selected a PDF file. See Creating Named Destinations.

   External File

   This option lets you search for a file (e.g., HTM, HTML, XML, PDF, Microsoft Office files) outside your project. This is especially useful if you want to link from one topic to another in separate project outputs, such as CHM files. After you select this option, enter the path to the file in the field next to the External File button.

   You can also click to display and select any bookmarks within the destination file, or if you have selected a PDF file. See Inserting Bookmarks and Creating Named Destinations.

   For more information see Inserting Links to External Files—HTML, PDF, Microsoft Office.

   Note Because the link usually needs to be relative, based on the final locations of your output files, it is preferable to enter the text directly into the field, rather than clicking the External File button.

   Website

   This option lets you enter the path to an external file, such as the URL for a website. After you click this option, simply type the path in the field next to the Website field (e.g., http://www.acme.com).

   If you want to insert a variable in a field, you can click . The variable will appear as syntax in the field, but in the output the variable definition will be shown.

   You can create links to specific topics in HTML5, WebHelp, or WebHelp Plus output. This includes the ability to incorporate search strings and skin references (for some outputs). See Creating Links to HTML5 Topics and Creating Links to WebHelp and WebHelp Plus Topics.

   HTML Help File

   This option lets you search for a topic within an HTML Help (CHM) file that you have added to your project. After you select this option, click the External File button. In the Link to HTML Help dialog, you can do one of the following.

   • Select Project Files and then use the area below to navigate to the file that you want to link to and select it. By using the buttons in the local toolbar, you can view all files in a list, view files in their folder structure, and use other options.

     	Shows or hides the folders that the files are stored in.
     	Shows or hides the files. If you click this button when the Show Folders button is selected, the area splits into two. The folder is shown on the left side, and the files and subfolders within it are shown on the right.

   • Select Import Existing. In the dialog that opens, find and double-click the CHM file. Then from the drop-down—which displays "(root folder)" by default, you can select a specific content folder in your project to place the CHM file.

   After the CHM file is selected, in the Topic field click . In the dialog that opens, find and double-click the topic that you want to link to.

   When you are finished, click OK in the Link to HTML Help dialog.

6. (Optional) The Link text field displays the text that you highlighted in the topic, to be used as the hyperlink. Leave the text as it is, unless you decide to change it. If you want to change the link text, type the new text in the field.
7. (Optional) In the Screen Tip field, you can type a phrase to appear when the end user hovers over the hyperlink in the output.
8. (Optional) Next to the Style Class field, click the Select button. This opens the Select Class dialog, which lets you apply one of the defined hyperlink styles from your stylesheet to the link. After you select a style class, click OK. (If you do not specify a style class, Flare uses the "a.Popup" style class.)
9. In the Target Frame field, leave Popup Window as the selection.
10. Click OK. The hyperlink for the topic popup is added. By default it has a blue, underlined font. You can change its appearance by editing the style.
11. Click to save your work.

How to Edit the Style of a Topic Popup Hyperlink

You can edit the style (e.g., font, color) of the hyperlink for a topic popup. When you do this, the style changes for all topic popups in any topics in your project.

1. From the Content Explorer, open the stylesheet that you want to modify.

2. Complete one of the following sets of steps, depending on whether you want to use the Simplified view or Advanced view in the Stylesheet Editor.

   • Simplified The Simplified view displays styles in a grid view and is often best for brand new users.

     This view provides an easy way to apply properties to styles, with format options available from a toolbar and dialogs (similar to the way one would use an interface such as Microsoft Word). In some cases, only the most common property options are available in the Simplified view (e.g., font, letter/word spacing, paragraph alignment/indentation, autonumbering format, borders, background). One advantage of the Simplified view is that you can apply a property to multiple styles at the same time. You can also click a check box to hide the properties in the editor, allowing you to see only the styles.

   • Advanced The Advanced view displays styles in a tree structure, and despite the name, is user friendly for authors of all levels.

     For the properties, you can toggle between a grouped display and an alphabetical display. The Advanced view of the Stylesheet Editor lets you edit more settings than are available in the Simplified view. In addition, the Advanced view lets you see and apply settings to multiple mediums and media queries at the same time.

If Using Simplified View

1. In the local toolbar, make sure the first button displays (which means that the Simplified view is currently shown in the editor). If the button displays instead, then click it.
2. In the upper-left corner of the editor, click in the drop-down field and select .
3. From the grid in the bottom portion of the editor, find and select the a.Popup tag.

4. In the local toolbar of the editor, click . The Properties dialog opens.

   

5. Use the tabs and fields in the Properties dialog to change values for any of the style's properties.

   For more information see Styles and Stylesheets, as well as Editing Styles in a Regular Stylesheet.

6. In the Properties dialog, click OK.

If Using Advanced View

1. In the local toolbar, make sure the first button displays . If the button displays instead, then click it.
2. In the upper-left corner of the editor, click in the drop-down field and select .
3. On the left side of the editor, find and select the a.Popup tag.

4. From the Show drop-down list on the upper-right side of the editor, select . The most relevant properties for that style are shown on the right side of the editor.

   

5. (Optional) You can use the toggle button in the local toolbar to show properties below in a group view or an alphabetical view .

6. Locate the property you want to change.

7. The area to the right of the property is used for selecting and entering values. If you know how to enter the information correctly, you can click in the value field and type it directly. Otherwise, click the ellipsis button to the right of the property. Depending on the type of property, the appropriate controls and options display, allowing you to choose or enter values (e.g., select from a drop-down list, click a button, complete fields in a dialog or popup). If you completed values in a popup, click OK at the bottom of the box.

   For more information see Styles and Stylesheets, as well as Editing Styles in a Regular Stylesheet and Customizing the Size of Topic Popups.

3. Click to save your work.

How to Unbind or Remove the Topic Popup Hyperlink

The third way to edit a topic popup is to unbind (or remove) the hyperlink effect. If you decide that you no longer want the content to serve as a hyperlink, you can use the steps below to remove the hyperlink, converting the content to regular text.

1. Open the content file.
2. In the XML Editor, click inside the link.
3. At the top of the XML Editor, right-click the span bar representing the link. For example, hyperlink span bars have an "a" label, and cross-reference span bars have a "MadCap:xref" label. When you click on the link in the topic, the appropriate span bar at the top of the XML Editor will change color to indicate that it goes with the link. If your span bars are not turned on, click in the local toolbar of the XML Editor.
4. Select Unbind. The hyperlink effect is removed.
5. Click to save your work.

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