Links to captions in PDF

[Peter Gold]

Hi, Richard:

At 2:49 PM -0600 5/30/06, Combs, Richard wrote:
>Don wrote: 
>
>>  I don't really mind this work-around, except that placing a
>>  caption above an illustration is very nonstandard and may
>>  require an explanation in the preface.
>
>"Very nonstandard"? You've led a sheltered life. ;-)
>
>In printed books, I've seen figure captions above, below, to the left,
>and to the right of figures. Somehow, readers have managed to figure
>them out without detailed instructions.

Printed books are different, as you acknowledge next.

>In PDFs, it seems to me that captions above have become pretty
>*standard* -- except among the writers who still haven't recognized the
>linking issue you discovered.
>.
>My advice: Forget the "white text" kludge (which can introduce other
>issues, since the text is still there in the PDF). Put the figure
>captions above the figures, and don't worry about explanations.
>
>Presumably, your figure captions are separated from the text above by
>extra white space, use a distinct pgf format (font, size, and/or L and R
>indents), and probably have an autonumber (like "Figure 21:"). No one
>with an IQ above room temperature will require an explanation in the
>preface.

The issue is that in PDF-viewing tools, and on Web pages, links are 
designed badly for the reading convention of captions or titles aside 
or below - their position at the top of the screen forces some or all 
of the bottom- or side-captioned or -titled graphic out of the 
reader's viewing area. While it's common and perhaps easy to learn 
and to accommodate, it's still BAD DESIGN of the linking mechanisms.

If a writer/designer/author/content-developer can make the viewing 
experience simpler for the viewer/reader/user, it's GOOD USER-DESIGN. 
It's even more important and considerate for readers/viewers who have 
physical constraints on their ability to manipulate page-placement 
tools.

Regarding white text, you're correct to point out that concealing 
objects by means of white coloration can cause problems in some 
situations; in this case, the white (or paper color) text that I'm 
suggesting is in the normal text area; usually problems with white 
objects occur when a white object is overlaid on another object to 
hide what's below. The hidden objects sometimes are revealed in 
printing or other PostScript display situations because, 
historically, PostScript hasn't been smart about this technique. 
However, I believe, going forward, PostScript will be able to "do the 
right thing."

One further suggestion that might help manage the white text: Instead 
of making the a white paragraph format, apply a condition whose 
indicator color is white to the top caption, and keep condition 
indicators OFF. After the file's content is stable, turn the 
condition indicators ON, so the text becomes white.

NOTES:

* If other conditions are used in the file, this may not be a 
workable approach.
* Don't hide the caption's condition, or the bottom-caption x-ref 
fails to find the top white caption.


________________
Regards,

Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices