Showing links from a tiddler

#1

Following on from an earlier post regarding auto-complete of linking, I have been pondering how to handle tiddler content with many instances of the same link, ie, to a ship or a fort or a person.

If the tiddler text is long the user has to scroll to read it all and that is why I settled on adding a wikitext link to each instance of the link label, ie, ship name. That way, the user can follow the link without having to scroll up to where the first instance of the link is defined. I was joping to fint a way of making such multi-instances of links easier but after some experimentation realised that it probably not possible since link labels, ie. ship names, can be subtly different each time. For example, HMCS Protector, HMAS Protector, Protector, etc.

So I have been thinking about how to have a single instance of the link always visible for the user to click on independent of text scrolling.

Have come up with two ideas:

  1. use of Tags - have done this in other wikis I have created but am concerned about tag overload. I have been looking at plugins for managing tags and one of them might be doable but screen real estate on mobile devices might be an issue.

  2. a way to add an expandable entry to the table of contents at run time, so that when the user makes a tiddler visible by opening or scrolling the story river, an entry automatically appears in the TOC, named something link 'Links" that has as expandable list, the defined links from this tiddler. Not sure how I would do this or even if it is possible.

  3. a combination of these two ideas, having a tag called Links whose contents are instantiated at run time.

Anyone got any comments or better ideas?

bobj

#2

have you looked at using the links operator on a view template tagged tiddler, to summarise all links in the current tiddlers?

Mohammad has a Shiraz solution that shows all relationships. it was mentioned recently.

but perhaps I misunderstand your needs.

#3

I seem to be missing some context. Is there always a single ship in focus in the wiki? Is there a single ship in focus in the tiddler? If the latter, is this not already the tiddler for that ship? Or could a tiddler make reference to dozens of ships? As always, if the wiki can by made publicly available, we might be able to quickly offer up suggestions.

#4

@Scott_Sauyet, the issue is multiple repeated links from a gun tiddler to common info tiddlers, ie ship info, gun type info, etc.

Have a look at Artillery Register — © Royal Australian Artillery History Company, 2025 and the tiddler, South Australia : Edinburgh, SA 5111 - British Colonial 4-inch Naval Gun. You can see multiple links to ships using alternate names (the ships were re-named during their lifetime). Similarly, gun types can have alternate names which can be used throughout the text about a gun.

The problem is for large swathes of text with multiple links from strings to other tiddlers. I’d like a way of having a ‘links’ display that remains on screen whilst the tiddler is visible, even if text is scrolled past a link. The problem is exacerbated by use of mobile devices with smaller screens.

So, have been thinking about an entry in the TOC, say ‘Links’ that automatically updates to the links from the current tiddler, or maybe a split screen display with list of links in one and text etc in the other, or maybe a tag pill (Links) that displays a tiddler with the links from the current tiddler , or an additional tab on the toc area on the right listing the links from the current tiddler, …

@TW_Tones suggestion of the links operator is interested and I will be investigating that further.

However, if you have any suggestions, they’d be appreciated.

bobj