:link. (Link)

Activates a link to additional information.

Syntax

┌───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┐
│Tag            │Elements       │Attributes     │End            │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│:link.         │Link to more   │reftype=       │:elink.        │
│               │information    │res=           │               │
│               │               │refid=         │               │
│               │               │database=' '   │               │
│               │               │object=' '     │               │
│               │               │data=' '       │               │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│               │Automatic      │auto           │               │
│               │linking        │viewport       │               │
│               │               │dependent      │               │
│               │               │split          │               │
│               │               │child          │               │
│               │               │group=         │               │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│               │Define window  │vpx=           │               │
│               │position and   │vpy=           │               │
│               │size           │vpcx=          │               │
│               │               │vpcy=          │               │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│               │Define window  │titlebar=      │               │
│               │controls       │scroll=        │               │
│               │               │rules=         │               │
└───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┘

Attributes

reftype=

Defines the type of link. Possible values are hd, fn, launch, and inform.
reftype=hd
Links to a heading. The heading definition (or an overriding definition in the link) causes its information to be displayed in the current window or another window. The integer value of refid= identifies the ID of the heading. If the heading is in an external IPF database, its file name is specified with the database= attribute.

In the following example, selection of the hypertext link causes the external database, EDITOR.HLP, to be loaded, and the heading with the ID of 001 to be displayed.

:link reftype=hd refid=001.
      database='editor.hlp'.
Editing Functions
:elink.

The heading definition in the external database must contain the global attribute. If the link to the file cannot be resolved, the hypertext phrase in the link will not be highlighted.

reftype=fn
Links to a footnote. Its contents are displayed in a pop-up window in the current window. The refid= attribute specifies the ID of the footnote.

Restriction: A split window cannot contain a link to a footnote.

reftype=launch
Starts a Presentation Manager program. The file name of the program is specified with the object= attribute. Any parameters to the program are specified with data=. In the following example, the hypertext link starts the System Editor and opens the file, MYFILE, for editing.

:link reftype=launch
      object='c:\os2\e.exe'
      data='myfile'.
Start Editor
:elink.

Restriction: You can only use alpha-numeric characters in the data= field when using the reftype=launch attribute.

reftype=inform
Causes a message to be sent to the application. The res= attribute is required and is an integer value that directs the application to perform some application-specific function. When using this attribute, do not use :elink.. For example:

:link reftype=inform res=1000 auto.

autoviewport
dependent
split
child
group=

With the auto attribute, you can define any of the link types described above, with the exception of a footnote link, as an automatic link.

The automatic-link definition follows a heading definition and is activated as soon as a reference to the heading definition is made. The reference can be made by the user selecting an IPF window entry (for example, the Contents window), or by a hypertext or hypergraphic link.

Restriction: Linking automatically to an external database is not possible.

Following are the automatic-link actions that can be specified, and the attributes used:



• Open a secondary window when the heading that contains the link is referred to:

  auto reftype=hd viewport dependent res=
  

  Note the inclusion of the dependent attribute. Usually, the information in an automatic window is dependent on the information in its secondary window. Specifying dependent causes an automatic window to close when the user closes the window of the secondary that contains the automatic link.

• Open secondary windows when the heading of the primary window that contains the links is referred to:

  auto reftype=hd split res=
  

  Restriction: The primary heading cannot contain text or graphics; only links to its secondary headings. For more information, see Split Windows.

• Start a Presentation Manager program when the heading that contains the link is referred to:

  auto reftype=launch object= data=
  

• Send the application a message when the heading that contains the link is referred to:

  auto reftype=inform res=
  

To display more than one window on the screen, you must assign a unique group number to each window with the group= attribute. This attribute can be specified with :link. or the heading tag. For more information about group numbers, see Displaying Multiple Windows.

The child attribute opens the panel being linked to as a child of the panel in which th elink is located. This means:



• The child panel is clipped to fit inside the parent paanel and cannot be moved outside the parent panel.

• The child panel is always "on top" of the parent panel and the parent cannot be moved on top of the child (the parent can still receive mouse clicks and keystrokes).

• The child panel is closed when the parent panel is closed.

• The child panel is minimized when the parent panel is minimized and restored when the parent is restored.

• When the child panel is minimized by itself, its minimized icon is displayed inside the parent panel instead of on the coverpage.
The child attribute opens the help panel as a child.
vpx=vpy =
vpcx=
vpcy=

Define the size and position of the window. Any values specified by these attributes override size and position values specified by the attributes in a heading tag. (See :h1. through :h6. (Headings) for details about these attributes.)

Restriction: These attributes are not valid for positioning or sizing a footnote (:fn) window.

titlebar=yes | sysmenu | minmax | both | none scroll=horizontal | vertical | both | none
rules=border | sizeborder | none

Define window controls. Any values specified by these attributes override window-control values specified by the attributes in a heading tag. (See :h1. through :h6. (Headings) for details about these attributes.)

When titlebar=yes is specified, the window displays a titlebar without the system menu symbol, the hide button, and the maximize button.

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