Unable to download a pdf/excel file?

Feb 25, 2014

Hi I have created a button and i attached my pdf file which is placed in other folder. when i published it's not showing any thing.

please help me on this.

6 Replies
Andrew Sellon

Hi Kalyan--

Simon had a good suggestion about using Storyline's Resources tab feature instead.  That will automatically bundle a copy of the PDF file with your courseware when you publish it and then post it on the web.  The PDF becomes a part of the course package, so it's always available as part of your course, from the Resources tab.  The only drawback to this approach is that if the content of the PDF document is later updated by your company, you would need to do the same process again to attach the updated version of the PDF, then republish and repost your course.  

Here's the tutorial page for adding Resources: http://community.articulate.com/tutorials/products/attaching-resources-to-the-player.aspx

Keep in mind that when you test your course and its related PDFs, you should do it in the same type of environment your learners will use once you share your course with them.  So if it's a web publish, upload it to the web and test your links there.

If you must to use a button on a page to launch the PDF, I think you might need to use the button to launch a link to a URL where the PDF is hosted online or on your company's network.  One advantage to this approach is that as long as the PDF you link to is up-to-date, you will always be linking to the latest copy, and won't have to republish your course when the PDF is updated.  But one issue you might encounter over time with this linking approach is that you would need to update the URL and republish and repost the course if the location of the PDF file changes at any point.  And depending on the URL, there may also be network security issues with launching the URL at your company.  (Every company is different.)  

No solution for attaching documents is 100% perfect.  But then, all courses need to be updated periodically, anyway, if they are used over a long time.

If the file is only stored on your local PC, and you don't use the Resources feature to bundle the file with your course package, then once the course is posted somewhere else, the course won't be able to find the file on your local PC.  That's at the heart of the difference between information that is local versus networked.

I hope this helps clarify your options.  Other folks may offer additional guidance.  If this answers your questions, please mark it as the Answer using the button provided, so that others will know the thread's question has been resolved.

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