Hyperlink or cross reference to another book

[Combs, Richard]

Pam Harper wrote:
 
> Can I add a link in one book to another book? How would I do it in
> Frame 10. I want to reference a specific section in a another book and
> am not sure how to do it, despite searching for answers on this. 

I only vaguely remember how to do this, but I don't see any responses. Assuming your deliverables are PDF, I think using a cross-reference in FM will work if (1) both books and all the files in them are open when you create the two PDFs, and (2) in their final destinations, the relative path between the PDFs is the same as the relative path between the FM books. 

> If I
> use a cross reference, what would I select for a Building Block in the
> list?

The good news: You don't need to define a new cross-reference format. Presumably you already have a cross-reference format for pointing to a numbered section heading (using the <$paranum> building block). The bad news: I'm pretty certain there's no way to include the title of the other PDF in the cross-reference format (how would FM know what it's going to be?). I guess you could insert a second cross-reference to the <$paratext> of the book's title paragraph. 

You can include the <$filename> (name minus extension) or <$fullfilename> building block, but that's the FM chapter file name. It may or may not get translated into the PDF file name when you create the PDFs of the two books as specified above -- I'm not sure. Try it. Or create a cross-reference format specifically for xrefs to a particular book, with a definition something like: "section <$paranum> in MyOtherBook" 

HTH, and sorry for the vagueness and uncertainty. Maybe somebody else can confirm, clarify, or correct as needed. :-)

Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
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