Image/figure can not use :target: from other document

[jessetan]

Problem

Consider two files:

A.rst

.. _my-header:

This is my header
=================

.. figure:: image.png
    :target: my-header_

B.rst

.. figure:: image.png
    :target: my-header_

The figure in A.rst can be clicked to jump to the header in A.rst. Processing B.rst will print ERROR: Unknown target name: "my-header" and the figure will not be clickable.

It seems that it is a docutils limitation that the hyperlink target my-header is not searched for across files. Is it possible to add this in Sphinx (e.g. in patches.py) so that these internal targets are checked across all documents, just like using :ref: would?

A workaround is to use a URL in the target in B.rst:

.. figure:: image.png
    :target: A.html#my-header

But this is bad because it requires the author to know the exact output filename. It is also marked as an external link by docutils.

Environment info

• OS: macOS 10.12.6
• Python version: 2.7.10
• Sphinx version: 1.5.6

[kassbohm]

@jessetan thank you.

[tk0miya]

I like this idea, but we have to consider before supporting this.
At present, Sphinx does not resolve a hyperlink reference across files.

.. _my-header:

This is my header
=================

In another file:
blah blah blah my-header_ blah blah blah

So it is a bit strange to support only the target option of figure and image directive.
We have to consider whole of notation.

[lcnittl]

Would enabling sphinx.ext.autosectionlabel :ref: style targets be an option? Or directly use a :ref: option instead of :target:?

[darebgd]

Is there still no solution for this? I tried adding target to document B as in the OP, still the same.
Nowadays, ref: works across the different .rst files just fine but this was probably forgotten.
:target: still works with URLs only, which is lame and completely unlogical.

[amotl]

Hi there,

@darebgd said:

:target: still works with URLs only.

We just ran into the same problem where we wanted to do something like

.. image:: startup.png
    :alt: A screenshot after startup
    :target: :ref:`getting-started`

However, that croaks with

(           index: line    5) broken    :ref:`getting-started` -

With kind regards,
Andreas.

[raphaelquast]

Hey, I just wanted to put a comment here to keep this issue running and to note that using :target: for internal targets in different files is still not working as expected.

Here's a link to my associated stackoverflow question that brought me here.