AX1373

About hyperlink columns

You can associate a hyperlink with each record in a table, so that users can click the hyperlink to view supporting information about the record—such as an image, or a specifications sheet, or an invoice. For example, you might have a table where the key column is a part number. This table could contain a hyperlink column that links to the unique specifications sheet for each part.

Hyperlink columns contain URL strings or file paths that Axiom automatically converts to clickable links when the column is queried using an Axiom query. Although it is possible to store this data in regular string columns and then manually convert it in the spreadsheet, using a designated hyperlink column has several advantages beyond simply eliminating this manual step. For example:

  • Because the system performs the conversion, the data will be automatically converted to hyperlinks when the system builds the Axiom query—such as when performing drill-through drilling.
  • When you set up an Axiom query to return data from a hyperlink column, you can optionally choose to override the default conversion and instead return the "raw" data. This provides greater flexibility in how you can use the data.

Creating a hyperlink column

Hyperlink is not a specific data type for columns. Instead you can configure a string column to be a hyperlink column as follows:

  • Set the Max String Length to an appropriate size for the hyperlink data that you intend to store.

  • In the Hyperlink Label field, enter the label that you want to associate with the hyperlinks. This label can be merely descriptive, such as "Part specification," or it can include instruction to the end user, such as "Click to view part specification." When hyperlinks are generated by Axiom, the hyperlink label is used as the display text for the hyperlink.

Example string column configured as a hyperlink column

Populating a hyperlink column

Once a column has been designated as a hyperlink column, the contents of the column must be in any of the following formats:

  • URL strings starting with http or https. For example: http://partserver/partspecs/part1.pdf
  • External file paths using the file protocol. For example: file://\\partserver\partspecs\part1.pdf
  • File paths in the Axiom file system. For example: \Axiom\Reports Library\PartSpecs\part1.pdf

NOTE: External file paths are only supported for use in the Excel Client. Hyperlink functions to file paths do not work in the Windows Client.

If a value in the column does not match one of the valid formats, no validation error will occur when saving the data. However, when the data is queried it will not resolve into a valid link.

The hyperlink column can be populated via any of the normal methods, such as imports, Open Table in Spreadsheet, or Save Type 1. All three formats can be used in the same column if desired; each record will be treated individually.

Querying a hyperlink column

When a hyperlink column is queried via an Axiom query, the contents of the column are automatically resolved as clickable hyperlinks. This occurs as follows:

  • If the column contents start with file, http, or https, then a Hyperlink formula is returned.
  • All other column contents are returned using a GetDocument formula.

In all cases, the column's defined Hyperlink Label text is used as the display text for the formula.

It is also possible to override the automatic conversion of the column contents and instead return the raw values as they are stored in the database. For more information on returning values from a hyperlink column using an Axiom query, see Querying a hyperlink column.

GetData functions always return the raw value stored in the column. There is no option to automatically convert the results. However, it is a simple matter to reference the GetData result in a Hyperlink function or in a GetDocument function.