I know how to launch a new window when someone selects a link on
one of my pages. The question is should I?
Another Web designer that I know told me that I should always
launch a new window, at least when the link on my page is to a page
at a different Web site. He claims that many people do not know
how to use the Back button on their browsers, that they merely
close the window when they are finished viewing the page.
Since I surf with tabbed browsing (opening viewing tabs within my
browser window for new pages rather than launching new instances of
the browser window), I consider new window instances to be an
annoyance (unless, of course, I manually request a new instance).
But that is a personal preference that cannot apply to those whose
browsers do not have a tabbed browsing capability.
For my own pages, I only launch a new window instance where I think
someone might want to keep switching back and forth between the
page with the link and the linked page.
Is there a convention or "best practices" guide on this issue?
--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>
I use Mozilla as my Web browser because I want a browser that
complies with Web standards. See <http://www.mozilla.org/>.
21  2298 
David Ross <no****@nowhere.not> wrote: Another Web designer that I know told me that I should always
launch a new window, at least when the link on my page is to a page
at a different Web site. He claims that many people do not know
how to use the Back button on their browsers, that they merely
close the window when they are finished viewing the page.
Usability studies indicate that the back button is the second most commonly
use navigation tool, second only to links. If people want to come back to
your site, then they know how to do so. The people who don't know how to
use the back button will be *really* confused by new windows.
Is there a convention or "best practices" guide on this issue?
How about these? http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html (item #9) http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/...-avoid-pop-ups
--
Darin McGrew, mc****@stanfordalumni.org, http://www.rahul.net/mcgrew/
Web Design Group, da***@htmlhelp.com, http://www.HTMLHelp.com/
"If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." - Will Rogers
David Ross <no****@nowhere.not> wrote: I know how to launch a new window when someone selects a link on
one of my pages.
Oh no you don't (panto season is almost upon us). Users may have
configured their UA not to open new windows.
The question is should I?
Never (external link or not), it breaks the back function which is a
common cause for user confusion, it takes away choice from the user etc.
Another Web designer that I know told me that I should always
launch a new window, at least when the link on my page is to a page
at a different Web site. He claims that many people do not know
how to use the Back button on their browsers
Whoever told you that is an idiot. The back function is *the* most used
and understood UA feature.
, that they merely
close the window when they are finished viewing the page.
If so, it's a reason *not* to open new windows.
--
Spartanicus
David Ross wrote: I know how to launch a new window when someone selects a link on
one of my pages. The question is should I?
No.
Another Web designer that I know told me that I should always
launch a new window, at least when the link on my page is to a page
at a different Web site.
The problem with new windows (aside from being rude to the visitor) is
for visitors who surf with maximized browser windows. They do not
*realize* that a new window has been opened. This other designer you
mention has apparently never watched a n00b in action. I see it all
the time. (I always advise my friends to never surf with the browser
fully maximized just to combat this dee-ziner idiocy.)
After reading the new page, they go to the back button, and .. hmm, it
doesn't work. It's greyed out. So what do they do? They type
google.com to find a site that *does* work. Sometime later, when they
are finished surfing, they will eventually discover your original
window underneath the one you opened.
He claims that many people do not know
how to use the Back button on their browsers,
Bunk.
that they merely
close the window when they are finished viewing the page.
Only if they realized it was a new window...
--
-bts
-This space intentionally left blank.
David Ross <no****@nowhere.not> wrote in
news:41***************@nowhere.not: I know how to launch a new window when someone selects a link on
one of my pages.
Really? In all possible browsers, on all possible platforms?
How do you make indexing robots 'launch a new window'?
The question is should I?
No. Others have already provided the answers why not.
Another Web designer that I know told me that I should always
launch a new window, at least when the link on my page is to a page
at a different Web site.
Given how absurd that advice is, it would be best to
no longer admit you know that person ;-)
--
Dave Patton
Canadian Coordinator, Degree Confluence Project http://www.confluence.org/
My website: http://members.shaw.ca/davepatton/
David Ross wrote: I know how to launch a new window when someone selects a link on
one of my pages. The question is should I?
As everyone has already told you, definately not! However, I wrote a
rant [1] about this recently, and thankfully descent browsers like
Firefox can quite happily override any stupid decision like that made by
the author.
Basically, the simple answer is that you do not control the users
application, and you have no need to. It is the user that is browsing
the web, not you (as the author), so you don't have a right to *force*
your preferences upon the user, and will only annoy them by trying.
[1] http://lachy.id.au/blogs/nettwits/20...dont-target-me
--
Lachlan Hunt http://lachy.id.au/ http://GetFirefox.com/ Rediscover the Web http://SpreadFirefox.com/ Igniting the Web
David Ross wrote: I know how to launch a new window when someone selects a link on
one of my pages. The question is should I?
Everyone else has jumped in with "No, never" but I would say only for
non web documents, such as PDF or (gasp!) MS Word.
In article <cn**********@bunyip.cc.uq.edu.au>,
SimonFx <ne**********@yahoospam.com> wrote: David Ross wrote: I know how to launch a new window when someone selects a link on
one of my pages. The question is should I?
Everyone else has jumped in with "No, never" but I would say only for
non web documents, such as PDF or (gasp!) MS Word.
That will leave some users, like me, with a downloading file and an
empty extra window. What makes you assume your visitors have plugins
installed to deal with your files in a new window? If they know how to
deal with links the way they like it, won't they also know what to do
with links leading to files other than HTML documents?
Perhaps make it clear upfront what the link leads to, so your visitor is
more likely to make an informed decision, instead of making the decision
for them.
<a href="file.pdf">My resume</a> (PDF, 20KB)
--
Kris
<kr*******@xs4all.netherlands> (nl)
David Ross wrote: I know how to launch a new window when someone selects a link on
one of my pages. The question is should I?
SimonFx <ne**********@yahoospam.com> wrote:Everyone else has jumped in with "No, never" but I would say only for
non web documents, such as PDF or (gasp!) MS Word.
Kris wrote: That will leave some users, like me, with a downloading file and an
empty extra window. What makes you assume your visitors have plugins
installed to deal with your files in a new window? If they know how to
deal with links the way they like it, won't they also know what to do
with links leading to files other than HTML documents?
Perhaps make it clear upfront what the link leads to, so your visitor is
more likely to make an informed decision, instead of making the decision
for them.
<a href="file.pdf">My resume</a> (PDF, 20KB)
What makes you assume that I did not already do that? I do the PDF+size
thing as a courtesy - esp when file size > 20Meg. With "PDF" linking to
a page explaining about acrobat reader, how to get it and how the
programmers at Adobe are akin to monkeys ergo the difficulty they may
have viewing and printing PDF files + some solutions.
Sometimes it is good to make choices for your clients.
SimonFx wrote: Kris wrote: SimonFx <ne**********@yahoospam.com> wrote: Everyone else has jumped in with "No, never" but I would say only for
non web documents, such as PDF or (gasp!) MS Word.
Just because you're linking to such files, is certainly not a reason to
open a new window.
That will leave some users, like me, with a downloading file and an
empty extra window.
Indeed. Especially for Word files, since I don't use IE, they would
always lauch Word seperately to view them, leaving me with an empty
browser window (except for the fact that I've disabled new windows from
opening in my browser, but not everyone knows how to). Anyway, I never
like opening word files directly like that, I always save them to disk
and virus scan them before opening, so a new empty window would really
annoying.
<a href="file.pdf">My resume</a> (PDF, 20KB)
I'd never included the size when linking to a PDF before, but that's
probably a good idea. Thanks for the tip.
Sometimes it is good to make choices for your clients.
Yes, it can be when such decisions enhance usability and/or help the
user to make a more informed decision, but when it comes to opening a
new window, such a decision should always be left up to the user.
--
Lachlan Hunt http://lachy.id.au/ http://GetFirefox.com/ Rediscover the Web http://SpreadFirefox.com/ Igniting the Web
SimonFx <ne**********@yahoospam.com> wrote in message news:<cn**********@bunyip.cc.uq.edu.au>... Sometimes it is good to make choices for your clients.
However, as the other poster already pointed out, sometimes when you
try to "make choices" for people they turn out to be bad ones for
their situation. In particular, if their browser is set up to launch
the MS Word or PDF document via an external helper application rather
than displayed inline in the browser, then your addition of a
"new-window" target attribute will cause a completely useless empty
browser window to open in addition to the desired document.
--
Dan
In article <kr*****************************@news1.news.xs4all .nl>, kr*******@xs4all.netherlands enlightened us with...
Perhaps make it clear upfront what the link leads to, so your visitor is
more likely to make an informed decision, instead of making the decision
for them.
<a href="file.pdf">My resume</a> (PDF, 20KB)
As a user, I'd like to say that I REALLY appreciate it when a site warns me
about non-HTML files, such as PDFs, because sometimes I don't want to deal
with them. And I don't like them to open in new windows. I also really
appreciate it when the site lets me control my own windows. I use Firefox and
I like to open my stuff in new tabs, not new windows.
I appreciate the warning even more when I'm on my Unix workstation. ;)
--
--
~kaeli~
If a book about failures doesn't sell, is it a success? http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
In article <aa**************************@posting.google.com >, da*@tobias.name
enlightened us with... SimonFx <ne**********@yahoospam.com> wrote in message news:<cn**********@bunyip.cc.uq.edu.au>... Sometimes it is good to make choices for your clients.
However, as the other poster already pointed out, sometimes when you
try to "make choices" for people they turn out to be bad ones for
their situation. In particular, if their browser is set up to launch
the MS Word or PDF document via an external helper application rather
than displayed inline in the browser, then your addition of a
"new-window" target attribute will cause a completely useless empty
browser window to open in addition to the desired document.
Which is exactly what happens on my PC when I'm not using IE. Which is the
vast majority of the time.
People "making choices" for me is exactly the reason I got the Firefox
extension that makes all the new windows open in tabs instead. If people
didn't do this stuff, I wouldn't have needed it.
I feel sorry for people less computer saavy than myself. They're at the mercy
of the designers. My Mom is a prime example...as is pretty much any AOL user.
There are hundreds of thousands of people using the 'net that are not as web
saavy as some people seem to assume.
--
--
~kaeli~
If a book about failures doesn't sell, is it a success? http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
kaeli wrote: I got the Firefox extension that makes all the new windows open in tabs instead.
If people didn't do this stuff, I wouldn't have needed it.
Since Firefox 1.0, I believe that extension is no longer necessary,
because the options are built in (available through about :config) and,
from my experience, seem to be much more effective.
browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefs true
That adds additional options to the Options dialog under Advanced>Tabbed
Browsing to force links that would normally open a new window, to open
in the same tab, or new tab. I think they're similar to the single
window extension, but, IMO, works better.
browser.block.target_new_window true
That pref is similar to those you get in the options, after setting the
first, and is the one I find most effective. I'm not exactly sure what
the difference is, but they must be seperate options for a reason.
--
Lachlan Hunt http://lachy.id.au/ http://GetFirefox.com/ Rediscover the Web http://SpreadFirefox.com/ Igniting the Web
In article <fl******************@news-server.bigpond.net.au>, sp***********@gmail.com enlightened us with... kaeli wrote: I got the Firefox extension that makes all the new windows open in tabs instead.
If people didn't do this stuff, I wouldn't have needed it.
Since Firefox 1.0, I believe that extension is no longer necessary,
because the options are built in (available through about:config) and,
from my experience, seem to be much more effective.
What do you mean by "more effective"?
Stuff made to open in new windows opens in new tabs instead for me, which was
all I was looking for. Did it not work as well for you?
/ also addicted to the BBCode extension and BugMeNot
--
--
~kaeli~
Reading while sunbathing makes you well red. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
kaeli wrote: Since Firefox 1.0, I believe that extension is no longer necessary,
because the options are built in (available through about:config) and,
from my experience, seem to be much more effective.
What do you mean by "more effective"?
Stuff made to open in new windows opens in new tabs instead for me, which was
all I was looking for. Did it not work as well for you?
Personally, I find unrequested tabs almost as annoying as unrequested
new windows. All I meant by more effective, was that the single window
extension, AFAIK, did not provide that option, whereas these do. Thanks
to those options, I only get a new window or tab when I request it, or
when a script uses window.open() (There's another option in
about :config for that too, which makes that open a new tab).
So, I should never have to worry about a new windows again, just the
occasional new tab from annoying window.open() scripts, which are mostly
blocked by the popup blocker anyway.
--
Lachlan Hunt http://lachy.id.au/ http://GetFirefox.com/ Rediscover the Web http://SpreadFirefox.com/ Igniting the Web
In article <vL******************@news-server.bigpond.net.au>, sp***********@gmail.com enlightened us with...
So, I should never have to worry about a new windows again, just the
occasional new tab from annoying window.open() scripts, which are mostly
blocked by the popup blocker anyway.
Yeah, the popup blocking takes care of unrequested windows, or in my case,
tabs. Well, 99% of the time, anyway.
It's good to know you don't need an extension for it anymore, though.
--
--
~kaeli~
Have you forgotten about Jesus?
Isn't it about time you did? http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
Lachlan Hunt wrote: Since Firefox 1.0, I believe that extension is no longer necessary,
because the options are built in (available through about:config)
browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefs true
I'm using 1.0PR, but I see no pref with that name. :-(
browser.block.target_new_window true
That one I have. The only thing I'm missing is a way to force new
windows created by js into the same window. I already have it set to
block unrequested popups. But what to do with <a href="javascript...">
pseudo-links that create a new window?
--
Brian (remove "invalid" to email me)
Brian wrote: Lachlan Hunt wrote: browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefs true
I'm using 1.0PR, but I see no pref with that name. :-(
It was added since then and is in the final 1.0 release.
The only thing I'm missing is a way to force new
windows created by js into the same window.
browser.tabs.opentabfor.windowopen will make any script with
window.open(), open a new tab instead. I don't know if it's in 1.0PR or
not, I only found it after upgrading to 1.0.
--
Lachlan Hunt http://lachy.id.au/ http://GetFirefox.com/ Rediscover the Web http://SpreadFirefox.com/ Igniting the Web
Lachlan Hunt said the following on 11/16/04 16:50: browser.block.target_new_window true
That pref is similar to those you get in the options, after setting the
first, and is the one I find most effective. I'm not exactly sure what
the difference is, but they must be seperate options for a reason.
I found some reference (but lost it again, so I can't give the
Message-ID, but it was in netscape.mozilla.firebird on
secnews.netscape.com) to this in the Mozilla newsgroups which said:
<quote>
If you find the browser.block.target_new_window not working in Firefox
1.0, it's now changed to browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefsThen go
to Tools > Options > Advanced > Tabbed Browsing, check the Force links
that open new windows.
</quote>
So it looks like browser.block.target_new_window is replaced by
browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefsThen. Anyway, the older one didn't
work for me in 1.0PR, the new one does work with 1.0.
--
Regards
Harrie This thread has been closed and replies have been disabled. Please start a new discussion. Similar topics
by: Carol Lyn |
last post by:
Could use your assistance with this. I have a window that opens via
onclick and it is a small window with info about a site. If the user
is interested in visiting that site, there is a link to...
|
by: Juan Garcia |
last post by:
Subject says it all.
Given:
Window A with text field.
Window B with a button (onClick opens Window C)
Window C with a button (onClick I want it to modify text fields of
Window A)
I have...
|
by: David Hayes |
last post by:
juglesh <juglesh@nospamRadioKDUG.com> wrote in "Re: how to maximize the
browser window that fits the monitor size?" (Saturday, January 01, 2005 3:12
AM):
>
> >I want to maximize the browser...
|
by: Darren |
last post by:
I have a page that opens a popup window and within the window, some databse
info is submitted and the window closes. It then refreshes the original
window using window.opener.location.reload(). ...
|
by: D. Alvarado |
last post by:
Hello,
I am trying to open a window containing an image and I would like
the image to be flush against the window -- i.e. have no padding or
border. Can I make this happen with a single call to a...
|
by: Earl Teigrob |
last post by:
I did a ton of searching to try and find a simple solution to this issue and finally wrote my own, which I am sharing with everyone. In my searching, I did find a very complete and robust solution at...
|
by: yb |
last post by:
Hi,
Is there a standard for the global 'window' object in browsers? For
example, it supports methods such as setInterval and clearInterval, and
several others.
I know that w3c standardized...
|
by: alexandre.brisebois |
last post by:
Hi, I am using access 2003, I would like to know if there is an option
to reorganize the tables in a maner that is readable, as we can do in
sql sever 2000 or 2005.
I have been given a database...
|
by: asadhkhan |
last post by:
I have the following code which works correctly in IE 6, but in IE 7, Fire Fox 2.0 and Netscape 8 it does not work.
I have a main page where a button calls this pop-up and uploads a file once you...
|
by: Jeremy J Starcher |
last post by:
While reading c.l.j, I've noticed that some people prefer and indeed even
recommend the use of "window.alert()" over "alert()".
I can't find any technical reason to make this distinction, and...
|
by: Charles Arthur |
last post by:
How do i turn on java script on a villaon, callus and itel keypad mobile phone
|
by: ryjfgjl |
last post by:
If we have dozens or hundreds of excel to import into the database, if we use the excel import function provided by database editors such as navicat, it will be extremely tedious and time-consuming...
|
by: emmanuelkatto |
last post by:
Hi All, I am Emmanuel katto from Uganda. I want to ask what challenges you've faced while migrating a website to cloud.
Please let me know.
Thanks!
Emmanuel
|
by: BarryA |
last post by:
What are the essential steps and strategies outlined in the Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) roadmap for aspiring data scientists? How can individuals effectively utilize this roadmap to progress...
|
by: Sonnysonu |
last post by:
This is the data of csv file
1 2 3
1 2 3
1 2 3
1 2 3
2 3
2 3
3
the lengths should be different i have to store the data by column-wise with in the specific length.
suppose the i have to...
|
by: Hystou |
last post by:
There are some requirements for setting up RAID:
1. The motherboard and BIOS support RAID configuration.
2. The motherboard has 2 or more available SATA protocol SSD/HDD slots (including MSATA, M.2...
|
by: marktang |
last post by:
ONU (Optical Network Unit) is one of the key components for providing high-speed Internet services. Its primary function is to act as an endpoint device located at the user's premises. However,...
|
by: Oralloy |
last post by:
Hello folks,
I am unable to find appropriate documentation on the type promotion of bit-fields when using the generalised comparison operator "<=>".
The problem is that using the GNU compilers,...
|
by: Hystou |
last post by:
Overview:
Windows 11 and 10 have less user interface control over operating system update behaviour than previous versions of Windows. In Windows 11 and 10, there is no way to turn off the Windows...
| |
