Adobe Captivate 6.x Free Widget: Button URL With Variables

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Button URL With Variables Widget

This widget allows you to use $$variables$$ in the URL of a Captivate button.  You can have text before and after your variable(s).  Use this to pass Captivate data to your custom web script.  A custom PHP script is included that echos back your variables.

Live Demo

Requirements

  • Publish for Flash Player 9 or above
  • Widget must appear with the Button on the timeline or later
  • Made for swf/htm output, not HTML5 compatible
Download

Change Log:

Version 6.0 – Initial Release

Version 6.1 (April 5th, 2013) – Now works with Captivate version 6.1.0.319

Posted on September 17, 2012 by in All Widgets, Captivate 6.x, Free Widgets

About Jim Leichliter

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  • Rob

    HI Jim, Thanks
    for the much needed Cap 6 widget. Trying to get it to work has proved
    difficult. I have the widget on its own page and prior to the last page. The
    tabulated variables (data) show properly on the widget page itself. I tried the
    widget appearing with the button and just after the button on the
    timeline. I have the url pointing to the
    VarDump file in similar fashion as the demo, except on my server. I have tried both advanced actions and open
    url on success. The outcomes are all the
    same. The var dump does not show the
    value of the variables, just the $$variable$$ place holders that I am using. Any ideas what I might be missing? Thanks!

    Rob

    • http://twitter.com/CaptivatePro CaptivateDev.com

      @Rob: Can you send me the .cptx file at Jim AT Captivate Dev dot com and I can troubleshoot from there. If I remember correctly, the widget needs to be within the time span of the button in order to find it.

      • Rob

        Its on its way, thank you for the very quick response!

      • Rob

        Jim, Thank you – Great job!! I did not realize that you could modify the widget properties image, I thought it was just an example image. Works like a charm now. Just what I needed!!!!

  • Nick

    Has anybody else tried using this widget with Captivaate 6.1? It seems to not be working properly, the URL’s output as $$variable$$ instead of the actual variable.

    • JimLeichliter

      If you’ve replaced your button on the canvas, make sure you update the Button’s Item name in the widget properties. I’ve tested this widget in Cp 6.1 and it runs well. You can try the demo. I’ve updated so it’s been published using Cp 6.1

      • Nick

        It was a new placement of the widget on the slide as I finally got the back-end support for it, I even tried the demo and for some reason when published from my captivate it doesn’t work, checked all variables and I’m very baffled.

        • JimLeichliter

          Go ahead and send your .cptx file to Jim AT Captivate Dev . Com and I’ll take a look on my end.

          • Nick

            It’s unfortunately a 68 MB file and proprietary material but I have tried recreating from my home system using just your demo, publishing that to dropbox and I still get the same results. Is there some sort of setting in captivate that must be changed? Has not worked on Windows 7 or Mac OS X with captivate 6.1.

          • JimLeichliter

            I’m on windows 7 64-bit and it works for me. When you say it doesn’t work, what exactly are you seeing? Can you point me to your dropbox url so I can view?

          • Nick
          • JimLeichliter

            My bad… I have 6.0.1.240 and not 6.1. And it looks like I’ll have to wait to update as I’m not a subscription customer. Stay tuned…

      • Nick

        I’m baffled because I tried it before (before trying to lock in the back-end stuff) and it worked, now it is not working.

      • Nick

        I did some more testing and I downloaded the widget, opened the cptx file then published it without making any changes using Flash 9 (Also have to use that for my main project) and uploaded it to Dropbox, I removed my work VPN from the picture and am using the mac version of 6.1 and I still get the same results, it posts to http://captivatedev.com/demo/Cp6/Widget_ButtonURL/VarDump.php?user=$$vName$$&course=$$vCourse$$ instead of parsing the variables.
        Super odd, any ideas?

  • LouiseL

    Hi Jim,
    Great widget. Thanks! I have the widget on a button that is on all my slides. It lets people exit my lesson and return to the menu and writes off some data to my custom LMS. Only problem is that it also releases the playhead and flashes to the next slide before doing its thing. I’m new to Captivate, but assume there is no way to stop the playhead releasing on an action for a button. Do you know if there is any way to put the widget into action from an advanced action so I can use the widget without continuing the move? Thanks!

    • http://twitter.com/CaptivatePro CaptivateDev.com

      @LouiseL : Set the button to execute an advanced action. In the aa, do a standard “Open URL or file” action and specify the URL with your variables surrounded in dollar signs. I just tested this and the playhead does not release when using the aa.

      • LouiseL

        Hi Jim. It now does exactly what I need it to do. Thanks so much!!

      • LouiseL

        Hi again – I don’t suppose you know whether there is a widget to bring in variables at the beginning of a captivate project?