Digital Workshop

I am developing a cd based presentatin which allows the user to access a number of different files (Word and PDF's) which are either on the CD or have been transferred to a folder on the hard drive.

I have been asked to use either "click here" text or buttons to indicate to the user what to do to open the files and have added the launch action to either the text or button as appropriate. Thuings seem OK but some of the statements get corrupted with http:// being added before the file name.

For example, "Launch text.doc" changes to "Launch http://text.doc" and the action doesn't then work. The change seems to occur when the publication is closed then reopened.

I am running Opus Pro XE V5.5 on Windows XP SP2 with 1GB Ram and an Athlon 64 3200 processor and lots of HD space

Can anyone help - would I be better using a script for the action?

This is correct, even with script this isn't working!!!!!

I've tryed with :




Could be an error in Opus????

Hope this can be solved!

Cheers

Ronnie

I use the Launch action regularly - have done for ages, and continue to do so with v5.5 without problems. I shall be extra wary.

esharpe

I could be wrong but I don't believe you use the Launch action to open DOC files. I think you have to use the Docview feature. Also, you may need to have the "Word" reader to read the DOC files or another program that is associated with DOC files on the host computer.

I've never used the Docview feature so, hopefully someone with more experience on the feature will reply.

You could try the following if you have Word installed:
launch word.exe
parameter: /text.doc
(you would have to set the path to the files)

I've have used the Launch feature many times to run executable (EXE) files.

Thanks for the replies.

I did wonder if the Launch File action was for exe's only but the help file suggests otherwise (it uses pricelist doc as the file with an appropriate path).

Having fiddled around a bit I'm now using a script attached to the left mouse click action as follows:

var pathname = SYSTEM_PUBLICATION_DIR + "\\files\\test.doc"
LaunchFile(pathname)

This seems to be doing the trick but I haven't yet figured out how to get the cursor to change shape when over the action text.

Perhaps someone at DW could clarify if there are constraints in using this action simply by selecting the Launch File function.

I've just tried this using both actions and scripting. In each instance they both work as they should. I am using a path variable and then the name of the file and it works perfectly.

SCRIPTING:
var pathname = SYSTEM_DOCUMENTS_DIR + "images.doc"
LaunchFile(pathname)

You can launch any file for which a file association exists. So if (for example) you attempt to launch "fred.bob" on a PC that knows nothing about ".bob" files, nothing will happen.

If you are launching a file using the actions you can put the "file://" protocol on the front to ensure it does not attempt to do a web ("http://") launch.

Thanks Duncan.

Knowing about the "file://" protocol is very helpful but I still don't understand why it shouls add the "http://" protocol before the file name entered in the dialogue.

I've got my problem sorted now for this project. Many thanks for all who responded

Still having problems with this:

At runtime it doesn"t work??!! In opus it works???

I've set timelines and on the last page I want to restart my pub, so I set an launch action on it to start it up again.

Any help woul'd be great.

Cheers

Ronnie

Not sure what you are trying to accomplish, but here is an example imp file that works. The test.exe file closes and then re-launch itself.

I think your problem may be with the path or file name.

My error...stupidly..I have used no double lettuce slashes!

Still thanks for this example

Cheers Ronnie