Thread: Help needed with text links

Hi All

I would like to enable someone who is viewing my website to read a box of text and then click "next" and bring up another box of text in the same position (and then another, and another etc), without the rest of the page changing. Can I do this?

Hi, Yep, using "in line frames". LINK

Hello again Chris!
Many thanks for more valuable input. Sadly the in-line frame doesnt seem to be quite what I'm after. Am going to try posting a screen shot so that you can see what I mean:
[IMG]http://www.villainthesunshine.com/Postcardshot.jpg[/IMG]

It's the blue text panel on the right which I'm having the difficulty with. I've mocked up what I want, which is for the visitor to view the text and then click "next" which produces another set of text whilst keeping the rest of the website the same. I can't see a way to do this using the in-line frame (and have also had difficulty showing any text using the in-line frame, but will worry about that later). Thoughts?

PS Spot the white postcard...I managed that just fine thanks to the advice!

Hi, the in line frame will work for this, but you need to place any text that is going to show on the in line frame page in the top left hand corner of the page & not center it. Also do you want the next & back links inside or out of the frame area?
NOTE: I cant see another way of doing what you are asking for, but this way is not very SE friendly. Maybe worth thinking about.

What about a Combo Box? See: http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...omboviewer.htm

Or virtual pagination: http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...pagination.htm

Or in fact, look for a suitable one here: http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex17/index.html

Originally Posted by Tom vR

What about a Combo Box? See: http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...omboviewer.htm

Or virtual pagination: http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...pagination.htm

Or in fact, look for a suitable one here: http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex17/index.html

Hiya Tom, wasn't sure how confident hjmotie was with scripts. But defiantly more SE friendlily with your sugestions.

Not confident at all with scripts is the short answer, but willing to give it a go!
I did realise that that this approach isnt very SE friendly, particularly since I already had to use the logo tool to create the logo text over the photo to ensure size, typeface etc on different machines. However, we're using google adwords rather than relying on the free listing, so I concluded that the best thing to do was focus on getting it right for the audience. Am I right, do you think?

I'm still rather confused about the inline frame. Do I put ALL the text inside the frame, or just the text for the first page (in which case, where do I put the rest of it?). Re the "next" button, I wanted it close to the text so that it's obvious to the reader that they need to click to read on, so I guess inside the frame is the obvious place. Also, I can't see a way to customise it with the colours, text etc?

So, Tom I had a look through your suggestions. The combo box definitely isnt right; I want the script to follow on naturally from one box to the next. The RSS boxes, in particular the NY Times box looks right, but slightly scary for a newbie. It does, however, say that the RSS box is for feeds from an external site, which mine wouldnt be? Does that matter?

I did look through the general menu, but couldnt see anything more appropriate.

Hi, what ever shows in the inline frame is another page that will have your text on & you have to make these pages. So just as an experiment, put a I/F on your BV page & d/click on it and put http://www.google.com in the properties URL field. Press ok & then preview. What you will be doing is instead of a Google page, you will put your own pages with their own links to each other. It’s a bit like having another mini website on your page.

Hi Chris
Yes, I start to see. So I'd have a different "next" button on each mini page to take the reader to the next one? And then each one would appear inside the inline frame?
Am having some difficulty seeing the mini page content. I've published both pages:
www.villainthesunshine.com/index2.html is the main page
www.villainthesunshine.com/fronttext1.html is my mini page (only the one so far, and no next button yet)
Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong?

Hi, you have put the url in twice IE: http://www.villainthesunshine.com/ww...ronttext1.html Correct this one and all should be ok.

Next you need to pace at the bottom of all pages that will apear in the iframe a Next & Back. Now lets say you have 3 pages called 1, 2, & 3.
On this page (NO: 1) http://www.villainthesunshine.com/fronttext1.html you want to place a next at the bottom of the page with the link http://www.villainthesunshine.com/2.html & a back with the link http://www.villainthesunshine.com/3.html & so on for other pages.

When you placed the iframe on the page you should have given it a name like “if1” so if you want to have a link outside the iframe, but for the link to show in the frame on the same page. You would put the link in as normal, but in the target field you would type in if1.

Hi Chris and Hjmotie,
Please ignore my interruption in post 6 above. Yes I agree, scripts could be difficult for a newby. Chris has got a very practical examle here with the I-frame. Just a thought: Not necessary for the back button on the first mini page and a next button on the last mini page (unless you want it circular). Good luck.

Hi Tom

Many thanks, I have had a look at your script, but it really is beyond me if I am honest. However, I will post later the script that I have created for your view and thoughts.

Chris, thanks again for your input. I'm struggling to see where I have inputted the domain twice. I checked the inline frame box and as far as I can see it is correct. Am I looking in the wrong place?

Hi, on your url in the inline frame box. Have you got the http:// in front of your link?

Chris, you are a megastar, that is what the problem is. Thank you.
Now I can't see the next button that I created, will have another play around later...

Ah! That better. What might be an idea for you? The pages you want to come up in the i frame. Go to the property's & set the background to the color you want (56/142/142). Then place a colored shape on the top left corner of the page the same size as the i frame. You can then place your text on top of this shape to make sure you are not outside the frame window when typing. Then just before you publish, delete the shape.

Hey megastar Chris. Thanks, have sorted that little issue out. I can now also see the next button inside the inline frame. But when I click on it, I just get the explorer error message. Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong?

hello again Chris

Next problem: ok, it helps if the link button has the link you want typed in, so now I don't get the error message. Instead, I get a repeat of my first page. If I click on the properties of the repeat page it tells me the address is http://www.villainthesunshine.com/bv01275.gif. The address on the "next" button link is www.villainthesunshine.com/fronttext2.html, and if I type this into a browser, I can see it. So, any thoughts on where I am going wrong?

Hi, i can only assume that it has been published to another folder or a spelling mistake ? (fronttext3) you haven't put any upper case letters or something similar ?

Hi Chris
I did check before, but I'll check again

Hmmmmm. Arrrhhhg.
No spelling mistakes, checked and couldnt see anything. I created a new "next" button just in case, and now I have a new bug. Sometimes, when I type in the url for index2, I can see fronttext2 in the inline frame, and sometimes fronttext1. Sometimes I get fronttext2's text but fronttext1's "next" button. Thought it might be a browser cache issue, but I've just typed the index2 url into a new machine, and I can see fronttext2 instead of fronttext1, and with the "next" button from fronttext1. Help!!!

PS, if you type in www.villainthesunshine.com/fronttext1.html and www.villainthesunshine.com/fronttext2.html they are definitely there...

...except that they are not. Went to check the links above and found that the text has changed. It appears that when I publish one page, it overwrites the text on the other. Which explains the text and the buttons swapping about. Any ideas what to do next?

Might be worth having a look in your cpanel & checking all the pages are there & coping the url from this area.

Have cracked it. Yeay!!! It was to do with the fact that I'd cloned and then renamed pages. The links were just confused. It's only half way done so far, but take a look, it's working

Ah! Got there in the end. lol. Be careful on the text wit IE & FF. the text on this page http://www.villainthesunshine.com/text6.html is out the window with FF.

Good luck.

Thanks Chris. Sorted the stray text out now hopefully. A question for you: if I put some relevant text underneath the picture box, will this help on the SE front?

Yes this is a big help with the SE's if you name your image well & give it a good alt tag.IE: you have this image http://www.villainthesunshine.com/livingarea2.jpg instead, maybe call it
http://www.villainthesunshine.com/florida-villa.jpg & in the tag line Florida villa for rent.
Think what you would enter as a search to find your site.

Grand, thanks Chris. A few hours to go, but the end is in sight