Embedding a link into a downloadable graphic?

Albone · Feb 7, 2006, 10:09 AM

My boss is POSITIVE that you can embed a url into a bitmap or jpg logo, so that when you download it to your desktop, you can click the logo and then be taken to the embedded url from your desktop. Furthermore, she's convinced that you can take that same embedded url logo that you downloaded to your desktop, place it into a new web page and not have to format that graphic. Why? Because the url is already embedded.

Um....is this fiction, or can you really do this? If it is, its news to me and I can't seem to find any info on it anywhere.

yellow · Feb 7, 2006, 10:12 AM

I've never heard of that... And I really don't think that's possible.

But I'm not a web professional.

But if it was true, don't you think that a bajillion porno web places would have done it? And it's never happened to me.. not that I've ever looked at porno.

Seriously though.. if it was possible, that would be a HUGE security risk! Just how would this link be crafted to work for a Mac and a PC and a Linux box and a Solaris box and etc? They don't all use the same calls to open a browser and then go to a URL?

IMO, it's not possible and your boss should lay off the pipe.

Now if it was a flash pic/app... that's another story.

Albone · Feb 7, 2006, 11:50 AM

Hey thanks for the reply, if nothing else its validation and I feel a little better about going to the boss. Actually, its my bosses-bosses boss. A certian irony, dontcha think?

yellow · Feb 7, 2006, 12:18 PM

Don't forget..

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellow

I'm not a web professional.

But I really think I would have come across this in all my years using the internet if it was possible.

munkle · Feb 8, 2006, 01:07 AM

I'm almost certain that this is not possible, at least not with a .jpg/.bmp/.gif. Maybe with Flash but then it wouldn't have the same functionality.

superbovine · Feb 8, 2006, 01:30 AM

nope you can't do it. if you boss doesn't believe you find the jpeg, bitmap, and gif spec out on the internet...

CanadaRAM · 01:51 AM

You could with a PDF... On the web page you have a GIF. The GIF has a link to the same graphic but in a PDF with a custom page size of the dimension of the graphic. So it would download the PDF when clicked on. The PDF file has a hyperlink defined in it in Acrobat. You can open the PDF on your desktop and click on it and it'll go to the link. Then when you want to put it on a new web page, you can... er... um... nevermind, it breaks down there.

AFAIK the only common graphic things you can download that can hold an embedded URL are PDF or Flash.

Truffy · Feb 8, 2006, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albone

My boss is POSITIVE that you can embed a url into a bitmap or jpg logo, so that when you download it to your desktop, you can click the logo and then be taken to the embedded url from your desktop. Furthermore, she's convinced that you can take that same embedded url logo that you downloaded to your desktop, place it into a new web page and not have to format that graphic. Why? Because the url is already embedded.

Um....is this fiction, or can you really do this? If it is, its news to me and I can't seem to find any info on it anywhere.

Cannot be done. The only way an image can work as a link is to be placed within an anchor element with its HREF attribute set to an URL. The only way a link could be 'embedded' within an image is if the URL were part of the graphic design or watermark, but then it wouldn't have the click functionality.

Clickable links can be placed in Flash images, but even then they have to be served as part of a HTML page for them to be clickable. I don't think you could click on a downloaded SWF and be taken to a linked page.

dornoforpyros · Feb 8, 2006, 09:13 AM

agreed, your boss doesn't know what she's talking about.

ChicoWeb · Feb 8, 2006, 03:52 PM

You can however make it and HTML bookmark that they save to their desktop. Thus everytime they open the HTML file it will open up in their web browser with the absolute URL to their image.

Thats my only advice and probably what she is talking about.

Feb 7, 2006, 10:09 AM	#1
Albone macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2003	Embedding a link into a downloadable graphic? My boss is POSITIVE that you can embed a url into a bitmap or jpg logo, so that when you download it to your desktop, you can click the logo and then be taken to the embedded url from your desktop. Furthermore, she's convinced that you can take that same embedded url logo that you downloaded to your desktop, place it into a new web page and not have to format that graphic. Why? Because the url is already embedded. Um....is this fiction, or can you really do this? If it is, its news to me and I can't seem to find any info on it anywhere. __________________ Laugh it up fuzzball.
	0

Feb 7, 2006, 10:12 AM	#2
yellow Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: I love you, food.	I've never heard of that... And I really don't think that's possible. But I'm not a web professional. But if it was true, don't you think that a bajillion porno web places would have done it? And it's never happened to me.. not that I've ever looked at porno. Seriously though.. if it was possible, that would be a HUGE security risk! Just how would this link be crafted to work for a Mac and a PC and a Linux box and a Solaris box and etc? They don't all use the same calls to open a browser and then go to a URL? IMO, it's not possible and your boss should lay off the pipe. Now if it was a flash pic/app... that's another story. __________________ WWJS: What would Jesus shoot? TRGCS
	0

Feb 7, 2006, 11:50 AM	#3
Albone Thread Starter macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2003	Hey thanks for the reply, if nothing else its validation and I feel a little better about going to the boss. Actually, its my bosses-bosses boss. A certian irony, dontcha think? __________________ Laugh it up fuzzball.
	0

Feb 8, 2006, 01:46 AM	#7
CanadaRAM Contributor Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: On the Left Coast - Victoria BC Canada	You could with a PDF... On the web page you have a GIF. The GIF has a link to the same graphic but in a PDF with a custom page size of the dimension of the graphic. So it would download the PDF when clicked on. The PDF file has a hyperlink defined in it in Acrobat. You can open the PDF on your desktop and click on it and it'll go to the link. Then when you want to put it on a new web page, you can... er... um... nevermind, it breaks down there. AFAIK the only common graphic things you can download that can hold an embedded URL are PDF or Flash. __________________ Expert Ex = former, no longer. Spurt = a leak, esp. when caused by water pressure. Expert = a has-been drip under pressure. Last edited by CanadaRAM; Feb 8, 2006 at 01:51 AM.
	0

Feb 8, 2006, 09:13 AM	#9
dornoforpyros macrumors 68040 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Calgary, AB	agreed, your boss doesn't know what she's talking about. __________________ www.JasonDorn.com \| this looked better on paper
	0

Feb 8, 2006, 01:07 AM	#5
munkle macrumors 68030 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On a jet plane	I'm almost certain that this is not possible, at least not with a .jpg/.bmp/.gif. Maybe with Flash but then it wouldn't have the same functionality.
	0

Feb 8, 2006, 01:30 AM	#6
superbovine macrumors 68030 Join Date: Nov 2003	nope you can't do it. if you boss doesn't believe you find the jpeg, bitmap, and gif spec out on the internet...
	0

Feb 8, 2006, 03:52 PM	#10
ChicoWeb macrumors 65816 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: California	You can however make it and HTML bookmark that they save to their desktop. Thus everytime they open the HTML file it will open up in their web browser with the absolute URL to their image. Thats my only advice and probably what she is talking about. __________________ C H I C O W E B D E S I G N C H I C O H O S T I N G Content Management Solutions - M A V I E O Design Studio
	0


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