Inserting Hyperlinks Dynamically

What is this page about?

This page explains inserting hyperlinks dynamically.

You can insert hyperlinks to your reports dynamically using link tags. Syntax of a link tag is defined as follows.

<<link [uri_or_bookmark_expression] [display_text_expression]>>

Here, uri_or_bookmark_expression defines URI or the name of a bookmark within the same document for a hyperlink to be inserted dynamically. This expression is mandatory and must return a non-empty value.

In turn, display_text_expression defines text to be displayed for the hyperlink. This expression is optional. If it is omitted or returns an empty value, then during runtime, a value of uri_or_bookmark_expression is used as display text as well.

Note – Values of both uri_or_bookmark_expression and display_text_expression can be of any types. During runtime, Object.ToString() is invoked to get textual representations of these expressions’ values, which is useful for expressions of types like URI, for example.

While building a report, uri_or_bookmark_expression and display_text_expression are evaluated and their results are used to construct a hyperlink that replaces the corresponding link tag then. If uri_or_bookmark_expression returns the name of a bookmark in the same document, then the hyperlink navigates to the bookmark. Otherwise, the hyperlink navigates to a corresponding external resource.

Note – A link tag cannot be used within a chart.

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FAQ

1. Q: How can I link to a bookmark that exists in the same document?
   A: Pass the bookmark name as the uri_or_bookmark_expression. At runtime the engine resolves the name to the corresponding bookmark and creates an internal hyperlink that jumps to that location.

2. Q: What is displayed if I omit the display_text_expression?
   A: When the display text is omitted or evaluates to an empty string, the engine uses the string representation of uri_or_bookmark_expression as the visible text of the hyperlink.

3. Q: Can I provide a System.Uri object as the link target?
   A: Yes. Any object is accepted; its ToString() result is used. Supplying a Uri instance works directly and the generated hyperlink points to the URI represented by that object.

4. Q: Why does a hyperlink not work when I place a link tag inside a chart?
   A: The link tag is not supported inside chart elements. Move the tag outside the chart or use a different approach (e.g., inserting the hyperlink after the chart is rendered) to avoid this limitation.

5. Q: How can I make the hyperlink open in a new browser window or tab?
   A: The link tag itself does not expose a target attribute. To control the opening behavior, generate the hyperlink as an HTML <a> element with target="_blank" using the InsertHtml method, or post‑process the document to set the appropriate field code.