Links

Links connect two notes or a note with an external reference. There are two discrete forms of link origin, basic links (linked at note level) and text links (based on a selected section of text) which are described in more detail in the notes linked to below (scroll page to see these links).

External links. As well as internal links, links may be created outside the file to web URLs, RRS feeds, etc. These links are termed web links - see more on Web links.

Links can be made into Tinderbox documents using the Tinderbox URL schema.

Most Tinderbox objects can use linking:

Notes: yes
Container notes: yes
Separator notes: yes
Aliases: yes (see extra notes below)
Agents: yes
Adornments: no
Picture adornments: no
Map backgrounds: no (though the parent container note they represent can be linked to, by using another view window at different scope)

Creating links via the UI

See various methods. Don't forget that it is also possible to use action code to generate (or remove) links.

Aliases

Basic links to and from aliases are supported. This is useful for hierarchical documents like aTbRef that make use of aliases as it enables each alias to be exported as and linked to as a discrete note in its correct location in the document hierarchy. However, be mindful that aliases inherit the original's text and web links and these can't be added to except by altering the original. More on 'Linking & aliases'.

Properties of Links

Links are uni-directional, from source to destination. Links do not have note-type attributes. Agent queries can interrogate data based on specified link types. Likewise action code can act on date based on link type.

Link types. Every link has 'link type' label, using in major views supporting link lines (Map, Timeline). The default is for links to have no label. A link having no label can also represented as 'untitled' or '*untitled' in some dialogs/code, otherwise the screen label is used. Link labels are managed by the Document Inspector Links tab. Tinderbox, by default supplies a list of built-in link types but the user and add their own labels as desired which are then stored in the document as part of its list on 'known' link types.

Visualising Links

Only two major view types actually visualise links in the view:

Map view. Draws all links both starting and ending on the map. Stub links are drawn on objects with links whose source or destination is off the current map. From v6.5.0, stubs are no longer drawn for web links.
Timeline view. Draws all links both starting and ending within the timeline, i.e. all events descended from the view container (so unlike maps showing links that join items at different outline depth). Any links whose source or destination is outside the current timeline are not drawn at all. Unlike maps, link labels are not drawn.

Visualisation of links is controlled via Document Settings/Maps and the settings on the Document Inspector Links tab. Customisation of of visualisation is possible down to the granularity of individual links types, but not individual links themselves. From v6.5.0, bezier (curved) links can be drawn in a more expressive 'broad' style.

A limitation on a note linking to itself has been removed in order to support some more esoteric uses. In principle, for general use, notes should not be linked to themselves.

Links and Export

Any basic or text links to other notes are not exported as links if the target note is not itself exported as a stand-alone page. A note only exported as an ^include^ to another note does not qualify as a stand-alone page.

It might be assumed the 'parent' of the include would inherit the inbound link but it does not. For documents written with export in mind, this can be an important fact to consider when deciding the granularity of notes as every link target must be a discrete note/page.

On export only, aliases without basic links of their own will export the basic links of their original - if any.