Display Details in a Popup Window
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Added 4/14/09 SS/TC
Article ID#: KINet0012

New with IRM.Net version 2.091.18 is the ability to have room detail descriptions display in a popup window in the current browser window.  This technique is faster and less confusing to the potential guest than the alternative methods of opening a new browser window (or tab) or imbedding the details within the available rooms list.  Click to see an example with RDP's on-line IRM.net demonstration.  Click on any of the 'View Details' links on the available rooms list.

The alternative methods of opening a new browser window (or tab) or imbedding the details within the available rooms list are still supported for existing IRM.net customers, but it is recommended that customers take advantage of the popup displays for better performance and guest experience.

Room Details Configuration

To display room details in a popup window, use the new checkbox on the IRM.net/Configuration/Appearance tab – Display Room Details as Popup. When checked, the room details are shown in a popup window.  Any existing room detail HTML files may have to be modified to make the information fit the window size.

Configure the width and height of the popup window that will contain the room details.  A popup window size of not larger than 800 x 600 is recommended.  All room details pages should be of consistent size to fit within the window size configured.  The window will scroll if the information is too large to fit, but it is preferable to avoid scrolling.

Options for showing room details:

1. Display the room detail from a marketing web site: Configure a room detail URL on the room master or Table W2 for room types.  Check the Show room details using URL from room master (or Table W2) on the irm.net configuration Appearance tab. 
   1.  By default, this information will show in a new browser window (or tab)
   2.  To show in a popup windows, use the "Show room details as popup" box on the Appearance tab in IRM.Net configuration
      
2. Display the room detail from an HTML file on IRM.Net: Do NOT check the Show room details using URL from room master (or Table W2) on the IRM.net configuration Appearance tab.  For preassign reservations, the file naming convention is  <room number>DescLong.htm.  If it does not exist or for inventory reservations, a file named with the room type will be shown, <room type>DescLong.htm will be displayed. Place an HTML file for each room or room type in the  IRMNet/Custom/<DataServerName>/RDP<resort number>/UserHtml folder.
   1.  By default, this information will show in a section embedded in the available room list
   2.  To show in a popup windows, use the ‘Show room details as popup’ box on the Appearance tab in IRM.Net configuration

Room Photos

1. Display the room detail from a marketing web site: All room detail pages should be complete html documents, including desired graphics, photos and links.
   
   
2. Display the room detail from an HTML file on IRM.Net:  Photo images can be placed in the
   /IRMNet/Custom/<DataServerName>/RDP<resort number>/Images/Rooms folder
   
   For existing installations, photos may already exist there.  If the detailed descriptions are being displayed in a popup, the *.DescLong.htm files must include references to the photo images in the locations and formatted as desired.  Several examples are available in the IRM.net on-line demo.  Click on the 'View Details' links for the following room types:
   1. King - varied sizes of photos
   2. Penthouse - several thumbnail photos which can be clicked upon to enlarge
   3. Queen Queen - table of photos with captions

   These are just a few samples.  The design is up to the creativity of you and your web designer.

   To implement the photos with captions as illustrated in c) Queen Queen above, include a table of photos in one row and captions in a row either above or below the photos.

   To implement the 'Click to Enlarge' functionality illustrated in the Penthouse example above, use the following html code (your web designer may prefer another method):  

   1. Include the following lines in the <head> section of the room details page:
         <script type="text/JavaScript" src="/irmnet/lightbox/js/prototype.js"></script>
         <script type="text/JavaScript" src="/irmnet/lightbox/js/scriptaculous.js?load=effects,builder"></script>
         <script type="text/JavaScript" src="/irmnet/lightbox/js/lightbox.js"></script>
         <link rel="Stylesheet" href="/irmnet/lightbox/css/lightbox.css" type="text/css" media="screen" />
   
   
   
   2. Include a table of thumbnail photos, with anchor tags to larger versions of the photos and the attribute rel="lightbox".  In this example, the images including 'thumb' in the names are the small photos. Note that the first row in the table includes the text 'Click on a photo to enlarge'.
      
         <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="3" border="0">
             <tr>
               <td align="center" colspan="4" class="style1">Click on a photo to enlarge
               </td>
             </tr>
             <tr>
               <td><a href ="../Images/Rooms/Gallery/PH_1.jpg" rel="lightbox" >
                 <img src="../Images/Rooms/Gallery/PH_1_thumb.JPG" width="125" height="100" style="border-width:1px; border-color: black" alt=""/></a>
               </td>
               <td ><a href ="../Images/Rooms/Gallery/PH_2.jpg" rel="lightbox" >
                 <img  src="../Images/Rooms/Gallery/PH_2_thumb.JPG" width="125" height="100" style="border-width:1px; border-color: black" alt=""/></a>
               </td>
               <td><a href ="../Images/Rooms/Gallery/PH_3.jpg" rel="lightbox" >
                 <img  src="../Images/Rooms/Gallery/PH_3_thumb.JPG" width="125" height="100" style="border-width:1px; border-color: black" alt=""/></a>
               </td>
             </tr>
         </table>

Rate Descriptions as a Popup

If the Enable Rate Description Links box is checked in the IRM.Net Configuration Appearance tab, the rate plan details show up in a popup window window rather than new browser window (or tab). The files should be placed in c:/inetpub/wwwroot/irmnet/custom/<dataserver>/rdpxx/UserText/RatePlans and the file name is XXXX.htm (where XXXX is the four-character rate plan code). If that file is not found, then RateDetails.htm (in the same folder) is displayed.

Credit Card Information

The Card ID (credit card ID) link on resentry.aspx also shows as a popup window. RDP ships IrmNet/RDPText/CCardID.htm which is maintained by RDP and replaced with each IRM.Net update.  This file contains the explanation of the credit card security CVV number.

Current IRM.Net Installations

Existing IRM.Net customers using the method of displaying room details in a separate browser window can switch to the new popup window by checking the 'Display room details as popup' checkbox on the IRM.net configuration Appearance tab.  Test the 'View Details' links to ensure that the existing room details pages display within the popup window with minimal scrolling.  If the room details pages include significant navigation links to other areas of the marketing web site, this option may not be suitable since the navigation with local hyperlinks would now take place within the context of the IRM.Net server and not the market web site server.

Existing IRM.net customers using the method of displaying room details imbedded within the available rooms list will need to update their *.DescLong.htm files in the /IRMNet/Custom folder to be complete pages, including graphics and photos before enabling the 'Display room details as popup' feature. Most  existing *.DescLong.htm files are typically partial pages without photos, headers and footers.  This will not make a good guest experience.

See also IRM.Net Best Practices for other IRM.Net suggestions.
See also IRM.Net Troubleshooting for additional IRM.Net issues.