URLs with anchors?

[Lorick]

I'm using Open URL, and the URL specifies an anchor within the HTML page. This is of the form "file.htm#anchorname". It seems that when this is passed to the browser, the anchor is missing from the URL. Any idea why?

Thanks, Rick

[Lorick]

I've explored the phenomenon described in my earlier note, and I continue to be flummoxed. In fact, I've discovered other anomalies in FileMaker's handling of URLs. Has anyone noticed such things? And, more importantly, has anyone figured out how to circumvent them?

My purpose is this: I have a help file which consists of a single HTML file (and supporting image files) installed on the user's disk. There are different Help sections pertaining to the layouts the user might be on when he presses the "Help" button. I want to use the hash character (#) to jump down to the anchor marking the section that's specific to the layout. Perfectly valid use of URLs and found everywhere on the web. But FileMaker isn't supporting this method for some reason.

Rick

[SlimJim]

Just a thought. The # is a special character for Filemaker perhaps you need to escape it: #.

[Lorick]

Thanks for the suggestion. Putting a before the # doesn't change the behavior. Both characters and everything that follows are omitted.

BTW: A simple script with a single Open URL can be used to try URLs out. I've experimented until I'm blue in the face to find a way around this.

Rick

[SlimJim]

Hi Rick

I tried using the Open URL with a specified domain, page and anchor. The whole address specified dropped into the address bar of Internet Explorer except that it had an extra / at the end of the domain name. I tried various methods without success to get rid of this (another of the anomalies you mentioned) and then I thought of the way I access sites via the address bar - I never write down the protocol http:// - so I tried Open URL leaving off the protocol and it worked! including jumping to the anchor.

[SlimJim]

Hi Rick

Just running through this thread again I realize that I did not take note of the fact that your html file was on a local disk so my previous post will probably not be relevant.

[SlimJim]

Hi Rick

I think the problem is that the anchor hides the file extension. If you have a local filename with an anchor attached, call the whole thing winURL, then I think you will need to specify the browser and use SendEvent - file the name of your FMP7 database

SendEvent["aevt";"odoc";"iexplore" & " " & file::winURL]

will do it with internet explorer. I'm afraid I don't know how to directly access the default browser, in case it is not Internet Explorer, perhaps someone else does.

[Lorick]

I called FileMaker tech support on this. They have no workaround. I believe they intend to add this to the list of FileMaker problems. They should, because what I'm trying to do is get FileMaker to pass a perfectly valid URL through to the browser.

I appreciate SlimJim's suggestion about SendEvent; but I'd rather not restrict my users to a specific browser. In any event, I'd view that approach as a workaround to a FileMaker error.

Rick