International Sites:

Article Print Version

Several websites and portals offer a link to a version of the article which is especially optimised for printing below every article. Such functionality can be realized with the Portalsuite under the template function „PrintLink“ - which you already know - within a few minutes.

Thereto we amend the existing template „article text“ and generate a further template of the type „article view template“.

Template article text:

{TemplateInclude name="HTMLHead"}
          <table border=1><tr><td valign=top>
                <? PrintCategoryTree (); ?>
          </td><td valign=top>
                <? PrintArticle (); ?>
                <hr>
                <a href=<? PrintLink ("", "Contact"); ?>>
                     Contact
                </a> - 
                <a class=MoreLink href=<? PrintLink ("", "", "Article print version"); ?>>
                     print version
                </a>
          </td></tr></table>
     </body>
</html>
Template article text print version:

{TemplateInclude name="HTMLHead"}
          Version especially optimised for printing:
          <? PrintArticle (); ?>
     </body>
</html>

Again the trick is to use the template function „PrintLink“ in a clever way. We pass the first parameter for the category empty, since we do not want to link onto a category. This time we pass the second parameter for the article empty as well. Since we link out off an article view template the Portalsuite replaces the empty link by the current article automatically. The third parameter is new. With this parameter we define a special template for use. Through the third parameter the template, which is actually responsible for the current category, or - in case of doubt - the default standard template, is deactivated and the specified template is used.

The target template defines a special version of the HTML page, e. g., without the menu navigation on the left. We recommend to work with tables, as far as we can recommend working with tables at all, that allow percental values (e. g.: table width on „100 per cent“ etc.) in such printer-optimised templates. Besides, with a little bit of Javascript the print dialogs can be called into the modern browser automatically, so that it is very comfortable for visitors and they can start the print just by confirming “OK”.

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