About hotlinks

A hotlink appears as a label on an eForm, and allows the Data Entry user to go directly to another specified eForm. See image

You can specify a caption and a target eForm for the link. A Data Entry user can then go directly to the specified eForm by clicking on the hotlink. Once you have inserted a hotlink, you can move it around the eForm, edit its definition and change its appearance.

Inserting a Hotlink

Select the Hotlink shortcut button from the toolbar at the top of the Study Design screen.
Click on the eForm where you want the Hotlink to appear. The Hotlink Definition window is displayed.
Type in a caption: this is the text that will appear underlined on your form as the Hotlink. You may use up to 255 characters, including any letters or numbers You may not use the characters ~ | ` "
Select the visit and eForm to which you want the Hotlink to jump. You may also specify the relevant visit and/or eForm cycles, if applicable, by clicking the appropriate selection button. The "Visit" list contains the names of all the defined visits in the study. When you select a named visit, the eForm drop down list shows the names of eForms in that visit. Selecting the keyword "visit" specifies the current visit; selecting the keyword "form" specifies the current eForm.
To specify a cycle for an eForm or visit, click the relevant check box (Specify visit cycle or Specify eForm cycle), and then select the required cycle from the option buttons. It is not possible to specify absolute cycle numbers for hotlinks.
Click OK to insert the Hotlink, or Cancel to abort and return to the Study Design screen.

The Hotlink will appear on the eForm as an underlined label, with the text you specified.

Editing a Hotlink definition

Right click on the Hotlink and select Edit Hotlink from the popup menu. The Hotlink Definition window is displayed allowing you to edit the caption and the target visit/eForm. If the target eForm has been deleted or is a visit eForm, you will be informed that the eForm is no longer available.

Moving a Hotlink

Hotlinks may be dragged around in the same way as other eForm items.

Hotlinks may also be lassoed, copied and pasted in the same way as other eForm items.

Help on moving items around the eForm...

Deleting a Hotlink

Right click on the Hotlink and select Delete Hotlink from the popup menu. The Hotlink will be removed.

Editing the font, size and colour of a Hotlink

You can edit the font and colour of a hotlink in the same way as for questions. Help on this...

Note: You can change the size, font face and colour of the Hotlink, but it will always appear on the eForm as underlined.

Hotlink behaviour in Data Entry

In Data Entry, it is possible for a Hotlink to represent a non-existent eForm. If a data entry user clicks on such a Hotlink, they will be told that the link is not available. For example, this would happen if you had specified the next cycle of the current eForm and the Data Entry User was already on the final cycle of the form.

Similarly, your Hotlink might refer to the current eForm itself (e.g. if you had simply specified visit and form), in which case the Data Entry user would be told that the link refers to the current eForm.