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This contains information about "extended" links on Everything web sites.

Overview of Extended Links

Extended links allow a user to create more specific links than the normal text-only links. Both old-style links and these links are denoted by enclosing text in square brackets, [ and ] although extended links are indicated by having a pipe character, | , as the first character of the link, which becomes: [|stuff] . Old-style links are in the form [link] or [link|display], where link is the node title to link to, and display is the (optional) text to display as the link instead. Extended links are in the form [|special] or [|special|link] or [|special|link|display], in which special modifies the link by adding more detailed information.

Test Examples

This is an example of a testing table generated by the included test program bettertest.pl. In some browsers, when you hover the mouse over a link, the link's destination is displayed. Note the relative links in this table won't actually go anywhere, since this isn't an Everything-engine based site.

text link correct tip correct display correct link result correct? comment

[normal] [normal] normal ?node=normal normal yes normal link

[link here|show this] [link here] show this ?node=link+here show this yes normal pipe link

[|node_id=9740] id:9740 id:9740 ?node_id=9740 id:9740 yes link to a specific node

[|node_id=9740||N-Wing] id:9740 N-Wing ?node_id=9740 N-Wing yes link to a specific node and show alternate text

[|type=user|N-Wing] [N-Wing] (user) N-Wing ?node=N-Wing&type=user N-Wing yes specifies which type wanted

[|type=user&node=N-Wing] [N-Wing] (user) N-Wing ?node=N-Wing&type=user N-Wing yes all link information created from extended part of link

[|node_id=9740|weirdo] id:9740 id:9740 ?node_id=9740 id:9740 yes this is an improper link since the node_id has priority over node's title; the resultant link will just drop the weirdo part, since it would be ignored anyway

[|node_id=9740||weirdo] id:9740 weirdo ?node_id=9740 weirdo yes this is probably what the link creator of the previous example meant to do

[|node=N-Wing&type=user|weirdo] [N-Wing] (user) N-Wing ?node=N-Wing&type=user N-Wing yes another improper link: the weirdo value is ignored, since the node's name is already set in the extended part of the link, which has priority

[|node=weirdo&node=N-Wing] [N-Wing] N-Wing ?node=N-Wing N-Wing yes if key is repeated, the last valid one listed is set

[|node_id=yeow] yes if node_id doesn't match /^[1-9]\d*$/, and no other information is given, it is invalid, so don't try linking

[|op=logout||trying to log you out] yes op is not an allowed key, so no link is formed

[|type=nodelet|other users] [other users] (nodelet) other users ?node=other+users&type=nodelet other users yes

[|site=pm|N-Wing] (Perl Monks) [N-Wing] N-Wing http://www.perlmonks.org/?node=N-Wing N-Wing yes node N-Wing on Perl Monks

[|site=e2&type=user|N-Wing] (Everything 2) [N-Wing] (user) N-Wing http://www.everything2.com/?node=N-Wing&type=user N-Wing yes N-Wing's homenode on Everything 2

[|site=jj&node=N-Wing] (Java Junkies) [N-Wing] N-Wing http://www.javajunkies.org/?node=N-Wing N-Wing yes node N-Wing on Java Junkies

[|site=cpan|CGI] (CPAN) [CGI] CGI http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI CGI yes off-site link

[|site=cpan&node=CGI] (CPAN) [CGI] CGI http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI CGI yes off-site link

[|site=cpan&node=CGI||CGI (on CPAN)] (CPAN) [CGI] CGI (on CPAN) http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI CGI (on CPAN) yes off-site link with alternate display

[|site=cpan|CGI|CGI (on CPAN)] (CPAN) [CGI] CGI (on CPAN) http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI CGI (on CPAN) yes off-site link with alternate display

[id://9740] id:9740 id:9740 ?node_id=9740 id:9740 yes old-style way of linking to a node_id

[id://9740|weirdo] id:9740 weirdo ?node_id=9740 weirdo yes old-style way of linking to a node_id, with a pipe link giving display text

[cpan://CGI] (CPAN) [CGI] CGI http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI CGI yes old-style way of linking to an external site

23 tested: 23 passed, 0 failed (100% correct) yes

text link	correct tip	correct display	correct link	result	correct?	comment
`[normal]`	[normal]	normal	?node=normal	normal	yes	normal link
`[link here\|show this]`	[link here]	show this	?node=link+here	show this	yes	normal pipe link
`[\|node_id=9740]`	id:9740	id:9740	?node_id=9740	id:9740	yes	link to a specific node
`[\|node_id=9740\|\|N-Wing]`	id:9740	N-Wing	?node_id=9740	N-Wing	yes	link to a specific node and show alternate text
`[\|type=user\|N-Wing]`	[N-Wing] (user)	N-Wing	?node=N-Wing&type=user	N-Wing	yes	specifies which type wanted
`[\|type=user&node=N-Wing]`	[N-Wing] (user)	N-Wing	?node=N-Wing&type=user	N-Wing	yes	all link information created from extended part of link
`[\|node_id=9740\|weirdo]`	id:9740	id:9740	?node_id=9740	id:9740	yes	this is an improper link since the node_id has priority over node's title; the resultant link will just drop the weirdo part, since it would be ignored anyway
`[\|node_id=9740\|\|weirdo]`	id:9740	weirdo	?node_id=9740	weirdo	yes	this is probably what the link creator of the previous example meant to do
`[\|node=N-Wing&type=user\|weirdo]`	[N-Wing] (user)	N-Wing	?node=N-Wing&type=user	N-Wing	yes	another improper link: the weirdo value is ignored, since the node's name is already set in the extended part of the link, which has priority
`[\|node=weirdo&node=N-Wing]`	[N-Wing]	N-Wing	?node=N-Wing	N-Wing	yes	if key is repeated, the last valid one listed is set
`[\|node_id=yeow]`					yes	if node_id doesn't match /^[1-9]\d*$/, and no other information is given, it is invalid, so don't try linking
`[\|op=logout\|\|trying to log you out]`					yes	op is not an allowed key, so no link is formed
`[\|type=nodelet\|other users]`	[other users] (nodelet)	other users	?node=other+users&type=nodelet	other users	yes
`[\|site=pm\|N-Wing]`	(Perl Monks) [N-Wing]	N-Wing	http://www.perlmonks.org/?node=N-Wing	N-Wing	yes	node N-Wing on Perl Monks
`[\|site=e2&type=user\|N-Wing]`	(Everything 2) [N-Wing] (user)	N-Wing	http://www.everything2.com/?node=N-Wing&type=user	N-Wing	yes	N-Wing's homenode on Everything 2
`[\|site=jj&node=N-Wing]`	(Java Junkies) [N-Wing]	N-Wing	http://www.javajunkies.org/?node=N-Wing	N-Wing	yes	node N-Wing on Java Junkies
`[\|site=cpan\|CGI]`	(CPAN) [CGI]	CGI	http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI	CGI	yes	off-site link
`[\|site=cpan&node=CGI]`	(CPAN) [CGI]	CGI	http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI	CGI	yes	off-site link
`[\|site=cpan&node=CGI\|\|CGI (on CPAN)]`	(CPAN) [CGI]	CGI (on CPAN)	http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI	CGI (on CPAN)	yes	off-site link with alternate display
`[\|site=cpan\|CGI\|CGI (on CPAN)]`	(CPAN) [CGI]	CGI (on CPAN)	http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI	CGI (on CPAN)	yes	off-site link with alternate display
`[id://9740]`	id:9740	id:9740	?node_id=9740	id:9740	yes	old-style way of linking to a node_id
`[id://9740\|weirdo]`	id:9740	weirdo	?node_id=9740	weirdo	yes	old-style way of linking to a node_id, with a pipe link giving display text
`[cpan://CGI]`	(CPAN) [CGI]	CGI	http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=modules&query=CGI	CGI	yes	old-style way of linking to an external site
23 tested: 23 passed, 0 failed (100% correct)	yes

Install

Make sure Perl is installed. :)
Download the needed files and read "README.TXT".
Search for the text CHANGEME in the "ELinker.pm" file to make changes you may want to make.
Test the extended link function. Run testit or testit.bat, which will create a table in HTML similar to the one above with the results of the test. Every column should say "yes"; if not, something is wrong somewhere. :(
You can also try out the link generator by running "demobetterlink.pl" - after typing in each line, press enter, and the resultant HTML will display.
Again search for the text CHANGEME in the "ELinker.pm" file and make the changes that talk about testing vs. "real thing".
Back up the file "everything/Everything/HTML.pm" that came in the Everything core.
Determine if you're going to add a new function (recommended) or just replace the old "linkNodeTitle".
- if you want to just add the new function, "linkNodeTitleV2", just copy the one found in "ELinker.pm" into the Everything::HTML Perl module (Everything/HTML.pm); if you want to take immediate advantage of the new version, you'll have to change all calls to "linkNodeTitle" to "linkNodeTitleV2"
- if you want to replace the old funcion "linkNodeTitle" with "linkNodeTitleV2", rename the "linkNodeTitleV2" function to "linkNodeTitle", then replace the one found in the the Everything::HTML Perl module (Everything/HTML.pm)
Add the %allowedLinkKeys (and optionally %otherESites and %otherESitesNames, if you're going to allow off-site links) hash[es] to a logical place in "Everything/HTML.pm".
(Re)start the web server (or tell it to reread the updated file, "Everything/HTML.pm").

Warnings

Most, if not all, of the time, this replacement function ("linkNodeTitleV2") will take longer to execute than the original version. (This was made to provide more power, not speed.)

This change has not been tested on an Everything server (yet), so it is not guaranteed to work properly, or at all. It may even blow up your computer. In any event, Nathan Bronecke and any associated persons and/or entities (like the Everything Development Company) deny all responsibility and liability.

If you decide to replace the function "linkNodeTitle" (instead of just adding "linkNodeTitleV2"), this assumes certain things in the core haven't changed. However, the core parts relative to this function have not changed for a while (before 0.8 to 1.0), so it should be pretty safe.

Miscellaneous

This modification is released under the same license as the main Everything engine. Information about that license is available on the EDC site.

NPB FIXME is link still correct?

This second version of the extended link proposal, and implementation (version 0.1 only), was introduced on EveryDevel.com under [extended link (v2)].

Available Implementation Versions

If you are viewing a local copy of this page, you may want to check the online version to see if there is an updated version available. (Version 0.3 and later include a copy of this page in the download.)

version .zip .tar.gz

0.3 e-better-link-0.3.zip (??k) e-better-link-0.3.tar.gz (??k)

0.2 e-better-link-0.2.zip (8k)

0.1 e-better-link-0.1.zip (6k)

version	.zip	.tar.gz
0.3	e-better-link-0.3.zip (??k)	e-better-link-0.3.tar.gz (??k)
0.2	e-better-link-0.2.zip (8k)
0.1	e-better-link-0.1.zip (6k)