All absolute and relative hyperlinks to a URL are added using the Address field in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box also contains a Full URL field, which shows the base path if one is set in the Options dialog box, plus the appended relative URL. The Full URL field is a calculated field; meaning that it is not editable. When you first open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, the base URL path does not appear; however, as you enter a relative URL, the Full URL field updates to show the entire URL link as it is being typed. Depending on the relative URL convention you use, the Full URL inserts all or part of the base path and appends the relative address. 

Note: If you enter a relative URL in the Address field , the same relative URL appears in the URL field on the Link Info tab of the Link dialog box.

Note: If the linked content is not accessible or available for you to install locally, you can still create the links with relative URLs without setting a base URL; however, the linked content cannot be previewed. After the linked content is deployed, you can set the base URL path in post-publishing to resolve the links. See Publish Relative URL Links in the Work with Relative URLs section of the Enhance Content with URLs chapter for more information. 

URL Conventions 

When entering a relative URL, the Developer follows standard URL conventions of dots and slashes as defined by webreference.com. The following list describes the standard conventions. The examples below each convention show the relative address typed into the Address field and the resulting Full URL when the base URL path is set to "http://wsgsrv/hr-content/en/us." 

. (one period) 

• This notation refers to the current directory. During publishing, the base path is defined as "./" (period slash); therefore, you should use the notation "./" to start a relative URL that you want appended to the full base URL.
   
  Relative address = ./support/supportoffices.docx 
  Full URL = http://wsgsrv/hr-content/en/us/support/supportoffices.docx

.. (two periods) 

• This notation indicates the parent directory. Using this in a relative URL removes everything up to the previous slash in the base URL.
   
  Relative address = ../au/contacts.html
  Full URL = http://wsgsrv/hr-content/en/au/contacts.html

/ (one slash) 

• A relative URL that begins with / (a slash) always replaces the entire path name of the base URL. 
   
  Relative address = /training/schedule.xlsx 
  Full URL = http://wsgsrv/training/schedule.xlsx

• A relative URL that begins with // (2 slashes) always replaces everything from the hostname onward.
     
  Relative address = //sales-content/contracts.html
  Full URL = http://sales-content/contracts.html

<targetfilename> (no notation) 

• An Address field that contains a target file with no relative URL notation characters points to the base URL. Therefore, if the target file is located in the base URL folder, you can enter the file name without a relative URL notation.
   
  Relative address = default.html
  Full URL = http://wsgsrv/hr-content/en/us/default.html

Note: You cannot use URL conventions to navigate to an address higher than the root of the base URL path. 

Enter an Absolute URL 

You can link to another URL outside of the base URL path if you enter an absolute URL in the Address field. Typing http:// or https:// in the Address field indicates that you are not entering a relative URL, and therefore, not using the base URL path. 

Relative address = http://xyzserver/salescontent/home.html 

Full URL = http://xyzserver/salescontent/home.html 

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