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What determines a valid external link on a dashboard?


Dustin Cote (2844) | asked May 03 '13, 1:41 p.m.
I'm trying to post an external link on the dashboard, but I get rejected with the message "The value entered is not valid" in the URL box.  I'm trying to enter this URL --> http://vortex.svl.ibm.com/sdiweb/index.php?q=node/171/ which is indeed valid.  In fact, even posting to this forum, I cannot link to that URL and I receive the same message.  I get this in IE and FireFox both.  Anyone have an idea why this URL is considered invalid?  I see that it is valid up to the point where I put a '/' after 'node' then it tells me that it is invalid.

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Guido Schneider (3.4k1486115) | answered May 03 '13, 3:40 p.m.
This is a defect, we reported and discussed in

Defect 249120: [Editor]: URL is not accepted as valid in Link Properties

The implementation is based on an outdated RFC. There is a workaround described in the work item

Dustin Cote selected this answer as the correct answer

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Dustin Cote (2844) | answered May 03 '13, 1:51 p.m.
I found a workaround, but it's kind of ridiculous.  I created the external link in a work item (where it was apparently valid) and gave it the description I wanted.  Then I copied this link to the dashboard and it worked just fine.  When I try to edit the link it still says that the URL is invalid.  It's working, but it is just a little weird.

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