Hi everyone,
For a specific module, I’ve made a PDF file, located into res/Manuals, but I don’t have found the way to open it “locally” (when offline) - by PDF default reader -
From plugin.json, in specific module section, I use:
“manualUrl”: "https:… (to PDF)
This opens the PDF but from my GitHub repository (need online)
How can I do in order to open the same PDF file from res/Manuals located on HDD/SSD?
Thanks in advance,
Dominique Ohmer & OhmerPrems plugins
How about ?
file://
Hello Paul, by using file:// then res/Manuals/MyDoc.pdf it doesn’t work (nothing happend). Also I have already tried file:/// (yep, three slashes - I’ve already seen this syntax in Firefox’s URL bar) - but no success too. Thanks anyway.
EDIT: using file:/// then full path (like E:/Users/DoM/Documents/Rack2/plugins/Ohmer/res/Manuals/… it works, however. The problem is where the “starting” directory / relative directory (I can’t hardcoding the full path, obvisously).
manualUrl must use an internet URL, otherwise users wouldn’t be able to access your module’s manual from the VCV Library.
Thanks, but IMHO it’s a bad idea for offline users who want to open the (installed) manual. They’re many people who are using CM softwares when offline (in aircraft, train, far from city/campaign/mountain)… But thanks anyway.
There’s nothing preventing you from adding your manual PDF to your plugin directory. But manualUrl must point to an internet URL.
Yep I’ve understood. 
But perhaps by adding an (optional) entry such “manual” (or something else) who permit to point to a local PDF (without breaking link via internet / manualUrl), it’s not possible, too complicated? it’s a simple question, nothing else.
I think you could add a new manual entry, just a second ‘local manual’ custom menu item. I’m not sure how to make that open a local file though.
Might be worth checking out plugins which use presets like Stoermelder strip for example as these load preset files locally and must be using a relative path.
If you use file:/// followed by full path (aka hardcoded), it works (as I’ve explained above). I understand this link must point to internet, required for VCV Library vist by any user, as explained by Andrew (also above), but a second (optional) entry but for local file (for PDF, RTF, EPUB, even TXT) will be a great feature, I guess it’s not to difficult to implement (I suppose).
Thanks for the tip, I’ll check this option ASAP. But interesting… Also Marc Boulé ImpromptuModular (if I remember) handles an additional .json file (into plugins directory) for dark panel option (I’m not sure I’ll must verify this).
Lots of plugins read “ stuff”. But not many cause an external application to open up. Other that a web browser with a GitHub url.
Launching the default app for a given file type (e.g.) PDF is highly OS-dependent. It will be very different on Mac/Linux/WIndows I don’t know if Rack has any portable abstraction for that somewhere. I’m a noob but not aware of a scenario in Rack that needs it.
No, rack does not have any “display a PDF” command. Like we were saying before, it will open a browser with a URL. As you said, the results can be OS dependent. Heck - they can differ from machine to machine with the same OS.
However - “The internet” kind of depends on PDF links opening in a browser. It someone make a computer where by default that wasn’t true they would have very sad customers.
If you are not comfortable with your manual being a web link, you can of course provide your manual some other way. I’ve seen all kinds of things.