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SUCCESS with URL, Link to PDF, and Open Link

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SUCCESS with URL, Link to PDF, and Open Link
Author:    Posted: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:29:11 -0500
Since other people on this list are having problems with the URL and link to PDF fields, I tried out the some of links in my existing library, after I downloaded the Endnote 8.02 update. I also experimented some with features I hadn't used yet. I had not taken careful notes on what worked and didn't work with v. 8.0, so I don't know precisely how these results are different (I seem to remember that clicking links in the fields worked but the "Open Link" command didn't open links, and file names didn't work if they had spaces.) I apologize for the length of this message, but I wanted to give enough detail on what works that maybe someone will say "Aha! She's doing something different! I'll try that" and find it works for them too. But maybe the difference is in operating systems or how web connections are set up or system permissions or firewalls.... Briefly, the URL and Link to PDF fields work fine as long as I have the file name in the correct format: prefixed with at least "www" for web pages " (it doesn't seem to need http://). It needs to be prefixed with "file:" for files on my hard drive or network server. File names on the server must not have spaces, but they work if the spaces are replaced with "%20" (examples below.) Also: PDF links work in the URL field, URL links work in the Link to PDF field. The distinction between fields is useful if you have an output style where you want to distinguish between the two fields (for instance, you might want to put a URL into a reference but NOT a link to an associated file on your server!) PDF files on the web open in my browser, PDF files on my local drives open in an Adobe Acrobat 6.0 window. (Most folks just have Acrobat Reader.) I looked in the help menu for info on the Link to PDF field, and it does give the correct format for file names (using file:) but it doesn't explain about spaces and %20. FILES ON THE WEB Link to PDF: if I click on a web link in the "Link to PDF" field in an open reference, Internet Explorer opens, locates the link, and opens the PDF in a browser window. Sample link that works for me in this field: www.streamnet.org/subbasin/Lewissum.pdf (Note: when I tried entering as just streamnet.org/subbasin/Lewissum.pdf, the text turned black instead of blue and I lost the linking functionality. My browser might interpret this shorthand for a link, but EN won't. URL: if I click on a web link in the "URL" field, IE Explorer opens and locates the link in a browser window. URL: Open Link. When I have the library open and I am looking at the list of references in the library window, if I select one reference and choose Open Link from the References Menu, Endnote opens IE and opens the URL. (Is there anything else this command is used for? Am I missing something? I seem to remember nothing ever happened when I tried "Open Link" in v 8.0). URLs in other fields are working for me too. For instance, one book reference has, in the Publisher field, the text: "Revised version (2003) available online at www.wdfw.wa.gov/hab/ahg/ispgdoc.htm. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Aquatic Habitat Guidelines Program". The link is colored blue and underlined, and when I click it, it takes me to the site. FILES ON MY COMPUTER If I put a file path file name into this format, it works: file:C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\User\My%20Documents\pdftest\Lewissum.pdf If I put it into the standard Windows path name format, it doesn't work: C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\pdftest\Lewissum.pdf I also tested this using path names to my network server, and that worked to, as long as I used the "file:" prefix and replaced spaces with %20. I hope this helps! I learned a little in the process myself. Elizabeth Evans, Longview, WA ________________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System. ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email ______________________________________________________________________

Re: SUCCESS with URL, Link to PDF, and Open Link
Author:    Posted: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 12:40:00 -0500
I think I've worked at least part of it out. I can open hyperlinks in several fields (I've tried Link To PDF, URL, and Notes), and pressing Ctrl+G (or Reference/Open Link) opens whatever is in the URL field (and it works from both the library and the reference window). There are at least three issues. First, as has already been noted, spaces need to be entered as %20. Other characters, such as #, also need to be entered with the relevant http code (# is %23). The link needs to be prefixed with http:// or file:// Using the Link To... command automatically gets it right. In fact, the number of forward slashes after file: seems arbitrary: I've had success with none, two, and three. Second, as I noted several months ago, you can't have two entries in the URL field. Unlike other fields, you can't just press enter and type a new link. Endnote seems to understand that they are different entities (words on intervening lines appear black, and the pointer is an I-beam rather than a pointing finger), but the error message when you try to open the link says "unable to open link <link 1><any intervening text><link 2><etc.>" So, keep your URL fields to one entry (whichever one you want to open by default), and place all others in a different field... notes, for example, or link to PDF. Ironically, my URLs tend to go in the link to PDF field, and my local copies of PDFs go in the URL field. THIRD, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, Endnote does not always apply changes to the URL field until you close the record window. If you make a change to the URL field, press Ctrl+G, and still get an error, try closing the record and opening it again. The exception is when you use the Link To... command to enter text into the URL field, in which case it seems to update straight away. Michael This message was sent through MyMail http://www.mymail.com.au ________________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System. ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email ______________________________________________________________________

Re: SUCCESS with URL, Link to PDF, and Open Link
Author:    Posted: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 17:15:30 -0500
Elizabeth: Thanks for your notes on the PDF and URL issue. This is NOT the way the PDF link works (or at least does not work) on the Mac. But we are still at version 8.0 and, as reported previously, there are a LOT of really annoying bugs that need to be dealt with IMMEDIATELY -- it sounds as if they are being dealt with on Windows, but I have not yet been successful at getting the developers to let us know if they are indeed working on any of these and if an update is forthcoming. Come-on Thomson -- I have been a loyal user since version 1, wrote original methods that your reference importers were based on, and love this product, but right now am seriously thinking about chucking Office 2004 and going back to EndNote 7. Please let us know you are working on these issues!!! John ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------- John Ralph U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, USDA-ARS 1925 Linden Drive West Madison, WI 53706-1108 (608) 890-0071 (608) 890-0073 (Fax) /> [Let me know if you'd like my vCard!!] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------- ________________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System. ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email ______________________________________________________________________

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