Discussion:
Absolute path to slide in current PPT?
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m***@gmail.com
2007-09-06 15:26:21 UTC
Permalink
I have set a Hyperlink base in my PPT to reference external files, but
now when I attempt to link to a slide in my current presentation I get
a page not found error. This makes sense as it is attempting to look
use my hyperlink base path, so my guess is that I need to know the
absolute path to the an internal slide in my active presentation.

Any thoughts?
Steve Rindsberg
2007-09-06 20:55:49 UTC
Permalink
Post by m***@gmail.com
I have set a Hyperlink base in my PPT to reference external files, but
now when I attempt to link to a slide in my current presentation I get
a page not found error. This makes sense as it is attempting to look
use my hyperlink base path, so my guess is that I need to know the
absolute path to the an internal slide in my active presentation.
What's the exact text of the error message? A page not found suggests a
browser error, not a PPT one.


-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
m***@gmail.com
2007-09-06 21:16:17 UTC
Permalink
Post by Steve Rindsberg
What's the exact text of the error message? A page not found suggests a
browser error, not a PPT one.
-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Well, it's not a PPT error per say, because it is following proper
behavior (though I think that when referencing a slide in the active
PPT, it should disregard the Hyperlink base, but that is not the
point).

My error is:
<404 Not Found>
Not Found
The requested URL /~ryan/demos/#270,14,Slide Name was not found on
this server.

Apache/1.3.33 Server at myComputerName.local Port 80


My understanding is that the only way to circumvent the Hyperlink base
path is to provide an absolute path. Because I am not referencing an
external file, but a slide in the active PPT, I need to figure out
what PowerPoint 2004 : mac needs to interpret the absolute path.
Steve Rindsberg
2007-09-07 16:53:57 UTC
Permalink
Post by m***@gmail.com
Post by Steve Rindsberg
What's the exact text of the error message? A page not found suggests a
browser error, not a PPT one.
-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Well, it's not a PPT error per say, because it is following proper
behavior (though I think that when referencing a slide in the active
PPT, it should disregard the Hyperlink base, but that is not the
point).
<404 Not Found>
Not Found
The requested URL /~ryan/demos/#270,14,Slide Name was not found on
this server.
Apache/1.3.33 Server at myComputerName.local Port 80
My understanding is that the only way to circumvent the Hyperlink base
path is to provide an absolute path. Because I am not referencing an
external file, but a slide in the active PPT, I need to figure out
what PowerPoint 2004 : mac needs to interpret the absolute path.
What if you remove the Hyperlink Base?

Links to another file in the same folder or to another slide in the same
presentation should work as long as all the files STAY in the same folder
together.




-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
m***@gmail.com
2007-09-08 12:02:27 UTC
Permalink
What if you remove theHyperlinkBase?
Links to another file in the same folder or to another slide in the same
presentation should work as long as all the files STAY in the same folder
together.
No dice, then I run into this issue --
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.mac.office.powerpoint/browse_thread/thread/94d562a4d5a3e333/d197d652b3a0451e#d197d652b3a0451e

Any other ideas.

-Ryan
Steve Rindsberg
2007-09-08 17:00:44 UTC
Permalink
Post by m***@gmail.com
What if you remove theHyperlinkBase?
Links to another file in the same folder or to another slide in the same
presentation should work as long as all the files STAY in the same folder
together.
No dice, then I run into this issue --
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.mac.office.powerpoint/browse_thread/thread/94d562a4d5a3e333/d197d652b3a0451e#d197d652b3a0451e
Hold up, is this happening on a Mac or a PC?

If on a Mac have you tried the fix suggested in that thread?

-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
m***@gmail.com
2007-09-11 03:13:06 UTC
Permalink
Post by Steve Rindsberg
Hold up, is this happening on a Mac or a PC?
If on a Mac have you tried the fix suggested in that thread?
-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
This is happening on a Mac (PPT 2004 : Mac). The fix I came up with
works for external files, but the problem is the relative links to
pages in the active PPT no longer work.
Steve Rindsberg
2007-09-11 15:48:04 UTC
Permalink
Post by m***@gmail.com
This is happening on a Mac (PPT 2004 : Mac). The fix I came up with
works for external files, but the problem is the relative links to
pages in the active PPT no longer work.
Can I get a look at this file or a simplified version that reproduces the
problem? Just a few dummy slides would be enough, so long as the problem
manifests itself reliably.

If so, shoot a copy to steve at-sign pptools dot com and mention the PPT
newsgroup and "hyperlink base" in the message text.



-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Steve Rindsberg
2007-10-05 15:49:36 UTC
Permalink
Post by m***@gmail.com
This is happening on a Mac (PPT 2004 : Mac). The fix I came up with
works for external files, but the problem is the relative links to
pages in the active PPT no longer work.
I've tried the file on both PC and Mac. On PC, it works fine, but on the Mac
(PPT 2004 and X both) I'm seeing the same problem as you.

So the problem boils down to:

Links to external files provoke annoying unwanted "Are you SURE you want to do
this terrible thing???" messages, but

Links to external files on your own local server don't, and

It's easier to maintain these if you use HyperlinkBase rather than hardcoding
each external link, but

If you have a HyperlinkBase set, Mac PPT hoses all your slide to slide links
within the presentation.

===

So the next step: if you eliminate the hyperlink base and hardcode some of the
links to external files, do they work?

I may have a macro that would let you search/replace within hyperlinks to
change http://ThisDomain.com/ to http://ThatDomain.com/

IOW, instead of changing hyperlink base, you'd run this and change the links
themselves.

Would that do?

Ah. It's here:

Search and Replace for Hyperlinks
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00773.htm

You mentioned that you have both Windows and Mac PPT available ... you'll need
to run this in a Windows version of PPT.


-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
m***@gmail.com
2007-10-07 19:18:54 UTC
Permalink
Post by Steve Rindsberg
So the next step: if you eliminate the hyperlink base and hardcode some of the
links to external files, do they work?
I may have a macro that would let you search/replace within hyperlinks to
changehttp://ThisDomain.com/tohttp://ThatDomain.com/
IOW, instead of changing hyperlink base, you'd run this and change the links
themselves.
You mentioned that you have both Windows and Mac PPT available ... you'll need
to run this in a Windows version of PPT.
The Windows version doesn't port the hyperlinks properly (everything
stays hyperlinked, but the actual location is either not visible or
gets pretty screwed up - pointing to the wrong location). My thinking
is that these are issues related to the max external data that the Mac
PPT can handle, not to mention some of the lengthy paths the PPT is
set up with. I have updated the paths to be substantial shorter
(renaming folders and fixing them to play nicely with the Mac -
removing special characters, unnecessary spaces, etc).

So, unfortunately the PC macros won't work for me, but I can just add
in the absolute URL to each of the hyperlinks. Thanks for the
suggestion and hopefully overwriting the hyperlink base to slides
within the active PPT will be something that is fixed (or at least a
workaround is made available).

-RM
Steve Rindsberg
2007-10-08 03:34:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by m***@gmail.com
So, unfortunately the PC macros won't work for me,
Rats.
Post by m***@gmail.com
but I can just add
in the absolute URL to each of the hyperlinks. Thanks for the
suggestion and hopefully overwriting the hyperlink base to slides
within the active PPT will be something that is fixed (or at least a
workaround is made available).
Please DO report this (from the Help menu of your Mac PPT version, the Send
Feedback option) if you haven't already. Let's make sure it gets somebody's
attention if at all possible.

-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

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