Within a topic, you can link from any frame to one or more attachments. Attachments linked at this level provide information to your users as they view a topic. For example, you might link from a frame to a spreadsheet listing department codes or other reference information that users need at a particular step in a procedure. Like concept and bubble text links, links to attachments from topic frames become part of the parent document. If you then move the topic or reuse it elsewhere in your content, the linked attachment remains associated with that frame of the topic. Conversely, deleting the link to an attachment from a topic frame in one location removes the link in all places where the topic is used.
The Frame Link toolpane of the Topic Editor provides the tools for linking to and managing the links to attachments from topic frames. When linking to a package file or web page, you can filter the display to include packages or web pages only and navigate through the Library folders to the specific file you want to link. When linking to a URL, you can type or paste a base URL and then follow links in the preview displayed in the results pane of the Insert Hyperlink dialog box to reach your desired target.
The procedure for linking to an attachment from a topic frame differs slightly from that for concepts and bubble text. When you link to an attachment from a topic frame, you can select an icon for the link and add a tooltip. The icon appears in the frame bubble when the user views the topic in the Player, and the tooltip appears when the user rests the mouse pointer over the link icon. The icon and tooltip are stored with the link itself, rather than with the attachment. Therefore, when you link to the attachment from another location in your content, you can choose to add a different icon and/or tooltip, if desired.
Unlike concepts and bubble text, which can link to only one attachment, a single topic frame can link to multiple attachments. You manage all of the attachments linked at the frame level from the same dialog box, but you can assign a different icon and/or tooltip to each of the links. You can also change the order in which multiple attachments are linked to a single topic frame. As you navigate among the frames in a topic with the Frame Link toolpane open, the display updates dynamically to show the links for each frame. This provides a simple means of managing all frame links in a topic and analyzing the overall topic layout.