hyperlink problem

Hello. There’s likely something I’m doing very wrong and a simple solution. I have searched this forum, hoping to find an answer without success.

I’m using Freeway Pro 5, demo (but likely to buy it, as it seems just right for my needs). When I create a hyperlink, the link works as expected, but the actual text or graphic of the link does not show up on the page in a contrasting colour. In other words, the link text looks just like the rest of the text on the page. Any help in solving this problem would be greatly appreciated.


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Have you tried changing the link colour/s from the Inspector Palette > Page Appearance Settings > Links, to your own link colours?

On 9 Jan 2009, at 15:12, Stephen wrote:

When I create a hyperlink, the link works as expected, but the actual text or graphic of the link does not show up on the page in a contrasting colour.

David Owen
Freeway Friendly Web hosting and Domains ::

http://www.ineedwebhosting.co.uk

http://www.ineedwebhosting.co.uk/blog

Thanks for the prompt reply, David.

Yes, I did do that- blue for the link, underlined. But it didn’t fix the problem. That’s when I decided to post a plea for help.


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Hi Stephen,

Is the text you’re creating the hyperlink on graphic text rather than HTML text?

Cheers

Stewart


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Hello Stewart.

It’s graphic. But there are a few other quirks that are making me think that there might have been a problem with the installation.

Both the Inspector and Browser functions are behaving erratically. Indeed, all of the icons from the tool bar have just disappeared, leaving behind text descriptions. The Browser as often displays the set-up screen as it does the page I want to test. The Inspector doesn’t seem to be always changing to the correct field.

I have some experience with HTML, although not with a WYSIWYG app. This was the big leap from BBEdit for me, but I’ve been cautious over the last couple of days and don’t think that I’m causing these quirks.


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Sometime around 9/1/09 (at 12:03 -0500) Stephen said:

It’s graphic.

Heh. Graphic text (sometimes referred to as ‘GIF text’, although it
doesn’t have to be GIF format) is not actually text in the output, it
is just a bitmap image of text. If you want to show text links
differently from normal text you’ll need to either format those bits
of graphic text manually or use HTML text rather than graphic text.

I would super-strongly recommend that you use HTML text. This is far
more accessible than bitmap images of text, and it is also visible to
Google and other search engines. Graphic ‘text’ is absolutely 100%
invisible to search engines.

Both the Inspector and Browser functions are behaving erratically.
Indeed, all of the icons from the tool bar have just disappeared,
leaving behind text descriptions.

Try command-clicking (i.e. Apple-clicking) the grey button on the
right of the document’s title bar. This cycles that set of buttons
through a number of different states.

The Browser as often displays the set-up screen as it does the page
I want to test.

Browser? Erm…

There’s no browser as such in Freeway. It is an application that you
use to create documents, just like BBEdit, Word (yuk), InDesign,
QuarkXPress, Photoshop, etc.

If you launch Freeway from its icon rather than by double-clicking an
existing Freeway document then it defaults to showing the New
Document dialog where you can browse templates or create a complete
custom document. If you don’t want to see this then simply uncheck
the checkbox entitled “Show This Dialog at Startup”. Presto! You’ll
never see that again unless you choose File > New.

The Inspector doesn’t seem to be always changing to the correct field.

There are multiple panels within the Inspector, and the contents of
these change according to what you have selected. Most of the time
the Inspector will stick to showing the same general panel as you
click around, but there are instances where selecting a certain kind
of item means there’s no equivalent panel to show - in which case it
switches to the left-most icon’s panel.

Does this relate to your experience? If so, does it help make the
behaviour any more understandable?

I know it can be a jolt finding yourself working with an app that has
paradigms that are significantly different to those you’re used to.
BBEdit is a fine program - I’ve used it for many years and I’m trying
out version 9.0 at the moment - but it works in a very different way
to Freeway. This is really much more akin to traditional page layout
apps than to code editing tools.

Keep asking questions - we’ll keep doing our best to answer!

k


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In Freeway, graphic text with a link doesn’t change appearance in the way HTML text with a link does. The change in appearance for linked HTML text is just how browsers generally render this kind of text. You can of course style the graphic text yourself to simulate this effect. The link styles section of the Inspector palette that David mentioned earlier can only be used to change the appearance of HTML links.

I’m not sure how it’s happened, but the change in appearance of your toolbar may be down to the settings having changed for it. If you control/right-click on the toolbar, a menu will appear with settings for the appearance of the toolbar. If you select “Icon and text” from this menu, the icons should return to your toolbar.

As to your other problems, would it be possible to elaborate? I’m not quite sure I understand what you’re seeing.

Cheers

Stewart


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Thank you all for your help.

I did a clean install of Freeway Pr this morning which seems to have helped with the odd behaviour. I am fairly comfortable with tool bars and such, but every new app can present new things to learn. But some of the quirks were just a little too quirky, such as the HTML feature disappearing from the tool bar and resisting my every effort to get it to show again.

Previously neither HTML nor graphic text links were showing up in a different colour, although I had set my colour preferences in the link styles section of the Inspector. Now, the HTML text links are, but I still can’t get the same result with graphic text. I initially set it up so that graphic text links should show up in blue, then cyan when visited. All I get, and have gotten for a couple of days is black.

I have no problem creating a functioning link using graphic text, I just can’t set its colour for some reason.

Overall, I’m pleased with the app and it seems ideally suited for my needs.


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Okay, all is good now. Thanks.


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Sometime around 10/1/09 (at 10:26 -0500) Stephen said:

some of the quirks were just a little too quirky, such as the HTML
feature disappearing from the tool bar and resisting my every effort
to get it to show again.

This must have been done by you either command-dragging the item out
of the toolbar or control-clicking (right-clicking) in the toolbar
and choosing “Remove Item”. I’m sorry to bounce it back at you like
this, but there is no other way this can happen!

You can customise the toolbar’s contents and reinstate the default
set by control-clicking (right-clicking) in the toolbar and choosing
Customise Toolbar. Take a look at how you can set things up - you may
like it!

I initially set it up so that graphic text links should show up in
blue, then cyan when visited. All I get, and have gotten for a
couple of days is black.

Graphic text simply cannot show different colours depending on
whether a link has been visited or not. Web browsers don’t work like
this, I’m afraid.

Remember, graphic text is not really text when it is in the browser -
it is just a bitmap image that happens to look like letters.

If you want to take advantage of a web browser’s ability to show
links in different colours according to whether they’re being rolled
over and they’ve been visited or not, you must make the text as
regular HTML content.

I hope this helps you moving forward. :slight_smile:

k


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