What is the RTF syntax for a hyperlink?

Question

HTML is to <a href="x">y</a> as RTF is to _______?

Fortunio

For the record, on Windows machines you can open WordPad and create a document with any formatting you want in it. Then save it. Close it in wordpad and open it in your favorite text editor. Unlike word, wordpad produces clean RTF. – Wingspan

@SethSpearman Very good point - much cleaner. Unfortunately WordPad doesn't do hyperlinks. – Runty

Answer 1

The equivalent of the following HTML:

<a href="https://www.google.com">Google</a>

for an RTF file is:

{\field{\*\fldinst HYPERLINK "http://www.google.com/"}{\fldrslt Google}}

which results in a link:

Google

but without additional style information, will appear unformatted:

Google

Skite

RTF field syntax is covered in the specification, and using the HYPERLINK instruction will give you a link. This question shows a usage of the HYPERLINK instruction. – Haroldson

I'm getting this: {\field{\*\fldinst { HYPERLINK "http://www.google.com" }}{\fldrslt {http://www.google.com}}} – Maricela

Note: this does not include any hyperlink formatting (underline, coloured link). – Deputation

Interestingly, it appears this is reusing (abusing?) field calculation to show different text. That is, these control words are typically used for things like showing the current time ({\field{\*\fldinst time \\@ "h:mm AM/PM"}{\fldrslt 12:35 PM}}). It looks like this is the de facto standard for doing this, though. – Aspire

Answer 2

This will show the hyperlink in the usual blue, with underline:

{\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue238;}
{\field{\*\fldinst HYPERLINK "URL"}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1Text to display}}}

Deputation

By adding this text e.g RTFBox.Rtf = "{\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue238;}{\field{*\fldinst HYPERLINK \"URL\"}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1Text to display}}}" an exception is thrown. Any suggestions? – Incontinent

@Incontinent Prefix that string with '{\rtf1' and suffix with '}' – Binetta

Answer 3

The last article works fine. I even took it further to display multiple links (and replaced \par to \line tags in order to stay in the same paragraph).

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Calibri;}}
{\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue255;}
{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.21.2509;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\lang9\f0\fs22
{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.google.com"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1This is a Google URL}}}\f0\fs22\line
{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.google.com"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1This is a Second URL}}}\f0\fs22\line
}

Gyral

Answer 4

I don't know much about what your trying to do, but If I open and save an rtf document, with just the http://www.google.com link in it, and view it with notepad I get this:

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Calibri;}}
{\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue255;}
{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.21.2509;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\lang9\f0\fs22{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.google.com"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1 http://www.google.com}}}\f0\fs22\par
\par
}

Leatherleaf

Yeah, that's typical Word-crud though, isn't it... I'd imagine the {\field{*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.google.com"}}{\fldrslt{http://www.google.com}} bit is the only actually-important part. – Bartizan

Ya I just copied pasted out of notepad - not positive of exactly which part is the one needed - but thats most likely it. – Leatherleaf