Hi, I am now using V 9.2.1 and have go to the point where it would be useful to allow readers to download a single file. Back in the day with Version 5 this was possible if a bit fiddly. I know I can set up a Document library block but that is total overkill. I just want to be able to put a single hot link from which the user gets the deired file.
Has anybody mastered this in V9? It is the sort of thing that lots of busiess websites do product specifictions of COSH douments.
Regards
Pete
PS Can one turn off the black format of this site for a more comfortable colour?
The Document Library which forms the section below the dotted line is a whole load of unnecessary faf in my opinion. All I need to set up is a single hot link as in the example above the line.
I am sure it must be possible, but I keep bouncing off the User Guide as it does not seem to cater for the things I want to do.
Thanks for that, but you need to bear in mind that some of us don’t have the skills to do what you suggest. Thus I need a pointer to where I can find all this written up. An example of that was trying to find out how V9 works with anchors and linking to anchors outside the block. Nothing in the user guide, but happily one person posted enough information for me to be able to join the dots and make it work. Sadly, it looks as if no other non-expert else has had this problem yet.
As TMDesigns mentioned, there’s a simple ‘File’ block that can be added to a page. There are only 3 things in that block. The file itself chosen from the File Manager, a ‘Link Text’ that would be displayed on the page and a ‘Force Download’ option which I assume you would choose.
As for changing the color of this forum, click your Avatar in the upper right, click on the ‘person’ icon at the bottom of the stack of icons along the right. Choose ‘Preferences → Interface’ and change the theme to Light.
Many thanks for this tip. I think that this must the method that Tim (above) was suggesting. I have just checked it out with a test file and it does exactly what I wanted to achieve. So I am very grateful for that.
In case there are any other newbies and non experts reading this post can I add in an approach that I fell into when trying to work out what Tim was suggesting? It does the same thing but will try to open the file in the same window unless one remembers to adjust the settings.
Enter the text that is to become the hot link.
2 Highlight it and then click on the link icon
Next click on the Target tab and then select New Window and click OK
Now go back to Link Info and choose Browse Server and the File Manager window will come up. Select your file and then click Choose
That is it. Your link will now pull up the file and display it in a new window if the link text is clicked. The user can then either download it or print it which are usual options offered by most browsers.
This works, but I think MHawke’s File Block method is simplest and best.
Also worth mentioning you can click into a file in the file manager and grab the ‘Direct URL’ which, when linked and clicked, will download the selected file:
Thanks for that suggestion. I think one would need to have the site open in two windows for that approach to be reasonably quick if there were multiple files to offer. One for the text being editied and one with the file manager open. Otherwise having to log out of the relevant block and save after each time would take (me) ages.
