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ASP Content Linking Component


More Examples

The Content Linking Component
Build a table of contents.

The Content Linking Component 2
Use the Content Linking Component to navigate between the pages in a text file.


ASP Content Linking Component

The ASP Content Linking component is used to create a quick and easy navigation system!

The Content Linking component returns a Nextlink object that is used to hold a list of Web pages to be navigated.

Syntax

<%
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
%>

ASP Content Linking Example

First we create a text file - "links.txt":

asp_intro.asp ASP Intro
asp_syntax.asp ASP Syntax
asp_variables.asp ASP Variables
asp_procedures.asp ASP Procedures

The text file above contains the pages to be navigated. The pages must be listed in the same order you want them to be displayed, and it must also contain a description for each file name (use the tab key to separate file name from description).

Note: If you want to add a page, or change the order of the pages in the list; you only have to modify the text file! The navigation will automatically be corrected!

Then we create an include file, "nlcode.inc". The .inc file creates a NextLink object to navigate between the pages listed in "links.txt".

"nlcode.inc":

<%
dim nl
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
if (nl.GetListIndex("links.txt")>1) then
  Response.Write("<a href='" & nl.GetPreviousURL("links.txt"))
  Response.Write("'>Previous Page</a>")
end if
Response.Write("<a href='" & nl.GetNextURL("links.txt"))
Response.Write("'>Next Page</a>")
%>

In each of the .asp pages listed in the text file "links.txt", put one line of code: <!-- #include file="nlcode.inc"-->. This line will include the code in "nlcode.inc" on every page listed in "links.txt" and the navigation will work.



ASP Content Linking Component's Methods

Method Description Example
GetListCount Returns the number of items listed in the Content Linking List file <%
dim nl,c
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
c=nl.GetListCount("links.txt")
Response.Write("There are ")
Response.Write(c)
Response.Write(" items in the list")
%>

Output:

There are 4 items in the list

GetListIndex Returns the index number of the current item in the Content Linking List file. The index number of the first item is 1. 0 is returned if the current page is not in the Content Linking List file <%
dim nl,c
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
c=nl.GetListIndex("links.txt")
Response.Write("Item number ")
Response.Write(c)
%>

Output:

Item number 3

GetNextDescription Returns the text description of the next item listed in the Content Linking List file. If the current page is not found in the list file it returns the text description of the last page on the list <%
dim nl,c
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
c=nl.GetNextDescription("links.txt")
Response.Write("Next ")
Response.Write("description is: ")
Response.Write(c)
%>

Next description is: ASP Variables

GetNextURL Returns the URL of the next item listed in the Content Linking List file. If the current page is not found in the list file it returns the URL of the last page on the list <%
dim nl,c
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
c=nl.GetNextURL("links.txt")
Response.Write("Next ")
Response.Write("URL is: ")
Response.Write(c)
%>

Next URL is: asp_variables.asp

GetNthDescription Returns the description of the Nth page listed in the Content Linking List file <%
dim nl,c
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
c=nl.GetNthDescription("links.txt",3)
Response.Write("Third ")
Response.Write("description is: ")
Response.Write(c)
%>

Third description is: ASP Variables

GetNthURL Returns the URL of the Nth page listed in the Content Linking List file <%
dim nl,c
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
c=nl.GetNthURL("links.txt",3)
Response.Write("Third ")
Response.Write("URL is: ")
Response.Write(c)
%>

Third URL is: asp_variables.asp

GetPreviousDescription Returns the text description of the previous item listed in the Content Linking List file. If the current page is not found in the list file it returns the text description of the first page on the list <%
dim nl,c
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
c=nl.GetPreviousDescription("links.txt")
Response.Write("Previous ")
Response.Write("description is: ")
Response.Write(c)
%>

Previous description is: ASP Variables

GetPreviousURL Returns the URL of the previous item listed in the Content Linking List file. If the current page is not found in the list file it returns the URL of the first page on the list <%
dim nl,c
Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
c=nl.GetPreviousURL("links.txt")
Response.Write("Previous ")
Response.Write("URL is: ")
Response.Write(c)
%>

Previous URL is: asp_variables.asp