LinkPad User Guide

This tool produces ready-to-use web links through detection of references in any text using Ref2Link.

See example (TODO: set reference URL)

You can click on these links for direct access to Legal resources.

By using SHIFT+CLICK, you can set alternative links for some references or preview them by clicking on arrow symbol, e.g. cases numbers.

Through standard copy/paste actions, you can also transfer these links to your editing tools provided they support web links (Ms Word, Outlook ..).

Because of known issues with browser support for user text selection, copy action might extend the selection to encompass the whole link.

The same reference detelction method is already seamlessly integrated in SOLON result lists, 'My SJ' and other SJ IT business systems.

For examples of supported references : My SJ reference .

Comments and suggestions : SJ-SI-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu

Extensions

It is possible to change the text of the link from the reference to any text using the format [reference|click here] will result in an anchor that will link to the reference and have the text click here

In case that a link generates to multiple resources, but only one is desired, the reference can be prefixed with the name of the desired rule (ex: eucase[C-14/15|click here]

Some text formatting is possible through the usage of the keyboard:

The web links created by Ref2Link are generated through the detection of known formats of references to various resources included in the submitted text.
These created links are compliant with the HTML standard set by the W3C.
If a submitted text already contains web links: these will be ignored by the detection process.

Ref2Link effective use depends on the proper encoding of references, although it offers some limited tolerance for variants.

It should not be inferred from the successful detection and creation of web links by Ref2Link that:

  • the target system is currently online,
  • the resource with the detected reference actually exists or is available in the target system,
  • the requesting user has access to the resource or to the underlying system that hosts it. This is especially true for users outside of SJ which will not be able to use most of the links that point back to SJ systems.

Resources identified by a reference may have many possible variants and components (revisions, corrigendum, linguistic versions, subparts, formats ...) available in the target system.
The link provided by Ref2Link is an entry point to a resource in the target system.
However this is not an exemption from using dedicated navigation features in the target system to reach the most relevant component or variant of a resource, especially in the context of a specific task.

When used within SJ systems or the SJ Intranet, Ref2Link Web links are created on-the-fly in the Web browser through the application of detection rules.
At no point does this on-the-fly process alter data in SJ systems database or Intranet: its effect is limited to the display of a page.

The detection rules of Ref2Link are upgraded on a best effort basis so that they match the changes that may occur in target systems regarding the formats of references or web links.
Thus, users' feedback is essential in order to ensure a continuous adaptation of the detection rules.

Once Web links have been copied to desktop editors (Ms Word, Outlook..), they are out of the scope of Ref2Link and will therefore not be affected by changes in detection rules.