Hyperlinks to Open New Browser Window
Discussion
On good forums - like PH - if someone posts a hyperlink it opens a new browser window when clicked. On others, it takes you to the new site in the same window.
Does anyone know what it is that makes the difference here? Can a forum be configured by the owner to behave in the "new window" way?
Thanks.
Does anyone know what it is that makes the difference here? Can a forum be configured by the owner to behave in the "new window" way?
Thanks.
Thanks for the quick responses. Maybe I'm missing something here, but does what you are suggesting not apply to the person who is writing the html rather than the person who runs the forum (in this case Ted)?
What does HE do that makes any link inserted in a post open in a new window without the person who is posting it having to do anything in the way they construct the link, and without whoever opens it having to take action - such as holding down Shift?
Does that make any sense?
What does HE do that makes any link inserted in a post open in a new window without the person who is posting it having to do anything in the way they construct the link, and without whoever opens it having to take action - such as holding down Shift?
Does that make any sense?
sqwib said:
I always use target="blank" within the link to the target URL/picture.
should be: target="_blank"
The "_" doesn't matter, I use it and it works.
www.Planet-TVR.co.uk (on any Car page click on a thumbnail and a new window opens with the full size pic in it)
john a said:
Thanks for the quick responses. Maybe I'm missing something here, but does what you are suggesting not apply to the person who is writing the html rather than the person who runs the forum (in this case Ted)?
What does HE do that makes any link inserted in a post open in a new window without the person who is posting it having to do anything in the way they construct the link, and without whoever opens it having to take action - such as holding down Shift?
Does that make any sense?
The HTML is all pre-written into the forum code. Posted links are treated as variables and are therefore all processed in the same way.
Forum software is usually written in one of two languages, dependent on the platform on which they will be used. These are ASP (based on Microsoft Visual Basic and designed to run on Windows servers), or PHP (an open-source language useable on Unix or Windows). The PH forum runs on ASP for example.
Both languages are highly configurable. A typical forum application works like this:
Page templates are pre-written to generate the basic HTML pages. These templates contain blocks of code which will accept and interpret variable input.
User input is collected by HTML forms and sent to a database.
When a page is called, the templates retrieve the relevant information from the database. The server then interprets these variables and outputs the results into the template as a complete HTML page.
If you know a bit about HTML and ASP, download the free forum software from www.snitz.com and see what you can do with it. Alternatively, if you prefer PHP, try www.phpbb.com. (You'll need to know something about databases too, either Access or MySQL.)
Hope this makes sense - I'm a bit tired...
Both languages are highly configurable. A typical forum application works like this:
Page templates are pre-written to generate the basic HTML pages. These templates contain blocks of code which will accept and interpret variable input.
User input is collected by HTML forms and sent to a database.
When a page is called, the templates retrieve the relevant information from the database. The server then interprets these variables and outputs the results into the template as a complete HTML page.
If you know a bit about HTML and ASP, download the free forum software from www.snitz.com and see what you can do with it. Alternatively, if you prefer PHP, try www.phpbb.com. (You'll need to know something about databases too, either Access or MySQL.)
Hope this makes sense - I'm a bit tired...
john a said:
It's stupid NOT to have a new window.
(From an article here - www.tiffanybbrown.com/articles/show_article.php?article=58) "Traditional Internet wisdom holds that opening external links in a new window does three things:
1) It keeps users from leaving your site entirely. Your site remains just a closed window away.
2) It keeps users from losing their place. Again: close the new window and there you are.
3) It underlines the point that this site is not controlled or maintained by your organization, and that the user is no longer on your site.
I think it's time, however, that we re-evaluate this convention of opening new windows for external links. Here are five reasons to reconsider.
1) Opening new windows sacks user choice. I often visit web sites while doing other tasks, having several windows open at any time. More than once, I have closed the original browser window (or another application) because my browser would hang trying to open a new one. Rather than keeping a user on your site, opening a new window could cause the opposite effect.
2) Opening new windows can confuse users. New Internet users aren't aware of every Internet trick. Opening a new window can cause confusion, especially when browser interface items are rendered useless (discussed in point three), or old windows "disappear" under the new one. Even experienced users might not immediately realize that a new window was opened at first.
3) A third reason not to open new windows: it often kills the back button. And as usability expert Jakob Neilsen says, breaking the back button is the easiest way to cut the user's lifeline, leading to frustration and confusion. Instead of keeping a user's place (which is better kept by the user's mind and his or her browser history), opening new windows can disorient.
4) New windows can cause accessibility problems. Many screen readers can't handle new windows, or don't handle them well. And related to the above point: what if the user has a cognitive disability? Imagine his/her frustration at trying to figure out why the other window has disappeared. Mark Pilgrim makes this point at DiveIntoAccessibility.org.
5) Finally, opening new windows is not valid code &8212; at least, not through the usual means of <a href="http://linkto" target="_blank">. As of HTML 4.01, the target attribute has been deprecated."
>> Edited by polar_ben on Thursday 30th October 22:23
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