Links Page button in Nav Bar

[UnitedPirate]

Firstly I must say Hi, as this is my first post, and thank you for providing a place for the Actinic community and the members for filling it with great content.

I've only been using Actinic for about a week now and I only have a little experience with phpBB so forgive me if me terminology is incorrect.

Basically I require a button to a links page in my navigation bar. I saw the Info text variable was there for it, as are the buttons in my buttonset, so it must have one 'built in ' somewhere?

Anyway I created my own then tried getting the button in and could only come up with the following.

<actinic:variable name="NavigationIcon" value="Search Image Navigation Button" />&nbsp;
<actinic:variable name="NavigationIcon" value="Contact Us Image Navigation Button" />&nbsp;
<actinic:variable name="NavigationIcon" value="Sitemap Image Navigation Button" />&nbsp;
<a href="links.html" target="_self" onmouseover="SwapImage('nav_links','button_links_highlight.gif')" onmouseout="RestoreImage()"><img src="button_links.gif" alt="<actinic:variable name="LinksText" />" border="0" name="nav_links" /></a>

Now lets be honest, its completly the wrong way of doing it and already has issues with offline preview. Is there a 'variable' I can use such as Links Image Navigation Icon or even just a LinksPageURL 'variable'.

I have searched and played for ages, after the tenth time of going back to the previous snapshot I thought I would ask.

Cheers peeps

*edit* after playing for abit I am sure its just the LinksPageURL variable I need and I may even have to make it?

[Duncan Rounding]

Welcome to the forum.

There is no predefined menu item for Links. What you are referrring to is what is written on the homepage of the default store. This is a fragment with a links image to the right of it. You are supplied with the link.gifs should you wish to create a link to use them. It is not part of an 'automated' navigation.

What you have done is essentially correct. You can either hard code the information into the layout (which is probably fine in this case because I would expect that the link, being part of the standard navigation, would be wanted on every page) or you could creat custom variables to hold the information, configure the values for them at site level, and then use those custom variables to create the required link. If you intend reusing this site layout for other sites then the custom variable route would be the way to go so you don't have to change any coding.

Personally in this case I would just go for the simple hard coded route much as you have above but without the custom variable:

<a href="links.html" target="_self" onmouseover="SwapImage('nav_links','button_links_highlight.gif')" onmouseout="RestoreImage()"><img src="button_links.gif" alt"Links Alt Text" border="0" name="nav_links" /></a>

[UnitedPirate]

Thanks for the reply.

The only thing that worried me a bit was it doesn't work in offline preview if you do it that way. I havn't gone live yet but I was sure it would still work once I did and you assured me of that.

I would however like to learn how to make a cutom variable for the LinksPageURL, 1 just because its the right way to do it and 2 because I wanna know.

If anyone could help me with a link to a tut or something on the subject it would be great.

Thanks again

[leehack]

Best place to learn about creating variables is within the software itself. Use the help within, you will find an abundance of very concise and helpful information. Once you've read it, have a go and if you get stuck or something doesn't work, explain what you have done and we will help you correct it. The variables are very easy to set up, you just gotta get the confidence to have a read up on them and get stuck in.

Make sure you snapshot/backup before you start and you have nothing to worry about.

[george]

"Customising the nav bar(s)" is something that needs to be added to the User Guides imho, or even the process made easier.

[kev67]

Sorry bout this but I doubt I will wind people up with this one - I too want to rename and re-link some of the buttons on my Nav bar

Now Jonty is real helpfull on this and has mentioned it loads of times but I'm buggered if I can do it at all??

I can't see any "pink" layout or anything like it except a pink icon that links to "Insert layout from library"

Anyone got any images that could share on how to do this please?

[leehack]

You need to click up a level or two Kevin and make sure your code is showing in compact mode and you will see the pink underlines. But better still than all of that, why not just create your own?

It literally takes 45 seconds to add a new link, once it is setup, yet i keep reading of people struggling for hours to change theirs. Seize control of it yourself and add/remove things as you need.

It is a ten minute job from start to finish to set one up, you can even use the actinic classes and the variables in the links to maintain consistency. The current method is crap for sure, so just ignore it and use the best and easiest method available right now.

All you need to know is how to form an <a> tag.

[kev67]

oh god Lee!

ur right about people spending hours on this as I have.................

It's wood for the trees I think - I'll try at least

[kev67]

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!

OMG!

I done it....................................sorry for being sad here but I FWDI!!!

Ohhhhh yessssssssssssssssss

Lee ur a * for your kind and easy explanation. Sorry Jonty, but Lee has the edge on explaining thing to dick heads like me....

However, PLEASE put some pics in the AUG on how to do this for others. It aint easy if you don't know how to do it and as mr H said, it should really take 5-10 mins NOT hours!

I just done it - how sad is that to be so pleased with re-naming a bloody nav icon and having it link to something you want???????


Well happy here

Thanks a mill...........mean that an'll

Kev

[kev67]

DOH!

Where the hell did the . come from?
I never put it there

File not found
Firefox can't find the file at /C:/Program Files/Actinic v8/Sites/Site1/PreviewHTML/Exit_button.html.








* Check the file name for capitalisation or other typing errors.

* Check to see if the file was moved, renamed or deleted.

[Toby B]

Hi Kev,

What have you done here?

Looks like you have changed a nav link to go to Exit_button.html? Is that correct?

C:/Program Files/Actinic v8/Sites/Site1/PreviewHTML/Exit_button.html

If you copy that page in the PreviewHTML folder it will display it but when you go to upload your store that link will become invalid as it’s pointing to your hard disk and not the server.

[kev67]

Hi Toby

DOH -wood for trees on that one - of course it's pointing to my C drive and I didn't even spot it!! Slap wrist for me there!!

But all I was trying to do is rename a link in the top nav bar and have it link to a particular theme such as FAQ's or Downloads etc, my "test above" was exit buttons - the above was me messing around to see what happens - thank god for Snapshots!

Having followed Lee & Jonts' simple instructions above did I totally mess the layout up to the point I have given up trying to make the "Site Top" icon into something else and also make it link to something else

I know this is easy for some, but for some stupid reason I simply can't grasp it

Anyone got a screen shot so I can try it out again?

Thanks

Kev

[leehack]

Kev have you got a URL for us to see, so we can relate what you are trying to do against a picture. It's hard imaging at times as there are so many possibilities you could have on your site. I take it you are using buttons not CSS?

[kev67]

Lee
You're a good bloke who can obviously see my hair is going grey by the minute..............lol

Just so I don't get totally slated here, I can obviously do links/icons/buttons etc in good old html on DW but going into Design mode to simply change the name of "Site Top" to "hello" (yes, I can do that bit) for example and it throws the entire exec layout right out the window.........lol

I have reverted to an old snapshot so I don't have a url to show you the mess I made but I can sure lash it up tomorrow again and show you then......

CSS is not my strong point as if you didn't know

[jont]

Lee ur a * for your kind and easy explanation. Sorry Jonty, but Lee has the edge

Oh go on and build him up some more why don't you