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Linking to a Targeted Browser Window

I'd like to open reference links to other web sites in a
separate browser window from the browser window hosting my
own web site pages. The Link Target reserve word "_blank"
opens a blank new browser window for every link, which can
sometimes result in a lot of open browser windows.

Is there no way to "reuse" a previously linked browser
window and have it load the new web page in Foreground
instead of loading it in Background? When it loads in
Background, it appears to users like nothing happened when
they don't know they should look in the background browser
window.

My current understanding of the use of the TARGET attribute
within Link html tags is shown below.

Link:
---------------------------------------
<A HREF="http://www.site.com/page.html"
TARGET="window ID name or reserved Value">
Displayed Text</A>
---------------------------------------
Reserved Values for TARGET:
"_blank" Loads the link into a new blank window.
"_parent" Loads the link into the immediate parent of the
document the link is in.
"_self" Loads the link into the same window. (default)
"_top" Loads the link into the full body of the current
window.

--
randau
Oregon, USA

I read and post from the Google Groups web site using a Spam
collecting email address that I don't use for anything else.
So if someone wants to contact me, please cleanup and use
the Spam resistant Email address below.

randau2...(at)...proaxis.com

randau wrote:

> I'd like to open reference links to other web sites in a
> separate browser window from the browser window hosting my
> own web site pages. The Link Target reserve word "_blank"
> opens a blank new browser window for every link, which can
> sometimes result in a lot of open browser windows.
>
> Is there no way to "reuse" a previously linked browser
> window and have it load the new web page in Foreground
> instead of loading it in Background?

I guess you could use JavaScript - window.focus, or whatever. For visitors
without JavaScript enabled, _blank might be a reasonable compromise.

Follow-ups narrowed.

Thor

--
http://www.anta.net/OH2GDF

On 9 May 2005 11:10:38 -0700, "randau" <>
wrote:

>Is there no way to "reuse" a previously linked browser
>window and have it load the new web page in Foreground
>instead of loading it in Background?

target="_foo"
target="_bar"
target="_bat"

A leading underscore in the target name triggers a new window (in most
browsers), but it'll be re-used if you select another link with the same
target.

Previously in
alt.html,comp.infosystems.http://www.authoring.html,microsoft....webdesign.html,
randau <> said:

[f'ups set to alt.html]
> I'd like to open reference links to other web sites in a
> separate browser window

Then use the appropriate measures built into your browser to do so
(usually holding down a key on the keyboard, e.g. Shift, while clicking
the link, clicking on the link with the middle mouse button, right
clicking and selecting "Open Link in New Window", etc.).

IOW:

It's Not About What You Want, It's About What Your Visitor Wants[TM]

--
Mark Parnell
http://www.clarkecomputers.com.au
alt.html FAQ :: http://html-faq.com/

Andy Dingley wrote:
> On 9 May 2005 11:10:38 -0700, "randau" <>
> wrote:
>
>>Is there no way to "reuse" a previously linked browser
>>window and have it load the new web page in Foreground
>>instead of loading it in Background?
>
> target="_foo"
> target="_bar"
> target="_bat"
>
> A leading underscore in the target name triggers a new window

A leading underscore for any target name, other than the four predefined
values: _blank, _top, _parent and _self, is non-conformant [1].

Except for the reserved names listed below, frame target names
(%FrameTarget; in the DTD) must begin with an alphabetic character
(a-zA-Z). User agents should ignore all other target names.

Using any value will, in most browsers, open a new window with that name
assigned; unless a frame or window with that name already exists, in
which case, it will reuse the same window/frame.

However, please don't open new windows, it's really irritating for
user's and has accessibility issues [2].

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/types.h...e-frame-target
[2] http://diveintoaccessibility.org/day...w_windows.html
--
Lachlan Hunt
http://lachy.id.au/
http://GetFirefox.com/ Rediscover the Web
http://GetThunderbird.com/ Reclaim your Inbox

randau wrote:
>
> Linking to a Targeted Browser Window
>
> I'd like to open reference links to other web sites in a
> separate browser window from the browser window hosting my
> own web site pages. The Link Target reserve word "_blank"
> opens a blank new browser window for every link, which can
> sometimes result in a lot of open browser windows.
>
> Is there no way to "reuse" a previously linked browser
> window and have it load the new web page in Foreground
> instead of loading it in Background? When it loads in
> Background, it appears to users like nothing happened when
> they don't know they should look in the background browser
> window.
>
> My current understanding of the use of the TARGET attribute
> within Link html tags is shown below.
>
> Link:
> ---------------------------------------
> <A HREF="http://www.site.com/page.html"
> TARGET="window ID name or reserved Value">
> Displayed Text</A>
> ---------------------------------------
> Reserved Values for TARGET:
> "_blank" Loads the link into a new blank window.
> "_parent" Loads the link into the immediate parent of the
> document the link is in.
> "_self" Loads the link into the same window. (default)
> "_top" Loads the link into the full body of the current
> window.

DON'T!! See "The Scourge of New Windows" at
<URL:http://karlcore.com/articles/article.php?id=25>.

In general, you should let the user decide whether to open a new
window -- or a new tab within the current window -- when selecting
the link. Don't take that option away from the user.

Note that I said "in general". On my own Web site, there is one
page (out of about 200) for which I launch a new window. It's a
glossary of terms. Links to it from my other pages are the terms.
In this one case, I launch a new window because I judged that the
user might want to keep switching back and forth between the
glossary page and a page with terms defined in the glossary.

On the other hand, trying to keep your own page on a user's desktop
while the user browses pages at other sites is at best annoying.
Some corporate, news, and other commercial sites do this in hope of
keeping their brand names in front of the user. Yes, it does keep
the brand name visible -- so that I can learn what brand is so
annoying I won't buy it.

--

David E. Ross
<URL:http://www.rossde.com/>

I use Mozilla as my Web browser because I want a browser that
complies with Web standards. See <URL:http://www.mozilla.org/>.

Thanks for all your replies. I'm convinced of your feelings
about not opening new browser windows, especially after
reading a couple of your linked articles on the subject.

I've only recently started doing it. Now I'm convinced
about its not being a good idea. So I'm going to go back
and undo the TARGET attributed links used on a few of my
more recently posted web pages. I wish I'd of asked about
it earlier.

My Windows'ME, IE Browser 6 opens new browser windows as
partial windows (not full size). For myself, I kind of
liked it when some web sites opened links to other sites in
new browser windows. That's where I got the idea. But I
concede, if they're being opened as full screen size windows
completely hiding the parent window, that could be
disorienting to a lot of users.

Thanks again for your replies.
--
randau
Oregon, USA

Thanks for all your replies. I'm convinced of your feelings
about not opening new browser windows, especially after
reading a couple of your linked articles on the subject.

I've only recently started doing it. Now I'm convinced
about its not being a good idea. So I'm going to go back
and undo the TARGET attributed links used on a few of my
more recently posted web pages. I wish I'd of asked about
it earlier.

My Windows'ME, IE Browser 6 opens new browser windows as
partial windows (not full size). For myself, I kind of
liked it when some web sites opened links to other sites in
new browser windows. That's where I got the idea. But I
concede, if they're being opened as full screen size windows
completely hiding the parent window, that could be
disorienting to a lot of users.

Thanks again for your replies.
--
randau
Oregon, USA

Thanks for all your replies. I'm convinced of your feelings
about not opening new browser windows, especially after
reading a couple of your linked articles on the subject.

I've only recently started doing it. Now I'm convinced
about its not being a good idea. So I'm going to go back
and undo the TARGET attributed links used on a few of my
more recently posted web pages. I wish I'd of asked about
it earlier.

My Windows'ME, IE Browser 6 opens new browser windows as
partial windows (not full size). For myself, I kind of
liked it when some web sites opened links to other sites in
new browser windows. That's where I got the idea. But I
concede, if they're being opened as full screen size windows
completely hiding the parent window, that could be
disorienting to a lot of users.

Thanks again for your replies.
--
randau
Oregon, USA

randau wrote:
<snip>
> ... . For myself, I kind of liked it when some
> web sites opened links to other sites in new
> browser windows. That's where I got the idea. ...
<snip>

Under most circumstances, if you right-click a link you will often be
presented with a context menu offering you the option of opening the
link in a new browser instance/window (and/or a new tab on tabbed
browsers). You can do that whenever, and exactly when, you want. They
are very user friendly; web browsers, so long as they arn't messed about
too much.

Richard.