Linking to a Targeted Browser Window

[randau]

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

[Thor Kottelin]

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

[Andy Dingley]

On 9 May 2005 11:10:38 -0700, "randau" <sp**************@yahoo.com>
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.

[Mark Parnell]

Previously in
alt.html,comp.infosystems.http://www.authoring.html,microsoft....webdesign.html,
randau <sp**************@yahoo.com> 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/

[Lachlan Hunt]

Andy Dingley wrote:

On 9 May 2005 11:10:38 -0700, "randau" <sp**************@yahoo.com>
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

[David Ross]

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/>.

[randau]

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]

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]

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

[Richard Cornford]

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.

[me]

>>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.

Pity. Linking to an external Web site via another window is a good thing.

If anything goes wrong with the other site it's much easier to kill the
window and be automatically returned to the original site, rather than
have to kill the browser and reload it.

I have to agree with Jake.
These new windows are much easier to work with. And I think that people say
they don't like them, is because they remind them of pop-up ad screens which
is something completly different in my opinion.

Hans
Netherlands

[jake]

In message <11**********************@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups .com>,
randau <sp**************@yahoo.com> writes

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.
Pity. Linking to an external Web site via another window is a good
thing.

If anything goes wrong with the other site it's much easier to kill the
window and be automatically returned to the original site, rather than
have to kill the browser and reload it.
I wish I'd of asked about
it earlier.
You might want to reconsider ;-)
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.
Becoming pretty much a standard approach these days.
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.
Only for people who've been using the www for less than 5 minutes.
Thanks again for your replies.
--
randau
Oregon, USA

regards.
--
Jake

[randau]

Jake wrote:

randau wrote:

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.

Only for people who've been using the www for less
than 5 minutes.windows

I agree with most of what you said except for the above.

However, I would like to have the option of reusing external
windows and have them display in the Foreground instead of
loading the new linked web page in Background. To an
unaware user, it looks like nothing happened.

The only other alternative seems to be "_blank" which opens
a new window for every link, which could result in opening
too many external windows.

[randau]

Richard wrote:

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.

More often than not, you don't think about doing that till
after the fact even when you do know how it's done. You
don't always know whether or not the link is to another
web site. It may just be an internal link. Then there's
how many users that don't bother or even know how to open
links in new windows. These are some of the reasons I
thought it might be a good idea to do it.

[Stan Blazejewski]

On Tue, 10 May 2005 01:15:39 GMT, Lachlan Hunt <sp***********@gmail.com> wrote:

Andy Dingley wrote:

On 9 May 2005 11:10:38 -0700, "randau" <sp**************@yahoo.com>
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

Seeing this subject has come up, I thought I'd throw in a related question.

I have a page set up with frames (a top bar, side bar & viewing window). It
all seems to work fins except for one annoyance .....
The 'viewing window' (or frame) is used to display full size pictures. If I
view the picture in a separate window, IE will resize any 'too big' pictures to
fit the window but if I view the picture in the 'viewing window' (or frame) it
is not resized and you have to pan around to see the whole thing.
My current work around is the resize all pictures to fit the 'viewing window'
(frame).

What am I doing wrong?

If you want to see what I mean, go yo www.cobracat.com, go to the Photo Gallery
& look at anything before 2003 and the MacQuarie Innovation pictures (these
haven't been resized)
--

Australia isn't "down under", it's "off to one side"!

st******@netspace.net.au
www.cobracat.com (home of the Australian Cobra Catamaran)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cobra-cat/

[kchayka]

Stan Blazejewski wrote:

The 'viewing window' (or frame) is used to display full size pictures. If I
view the picture in a separate window, IE will resize any 'too big' pictures to
fit the window but if I view the picture in the 'viewing window' (or frame) it
is not resized

This is an option in IE, see Tools->Internet Options->Advanced, under
Multimedia

You cannot control this for your visitors, only for yourself.

--
Reply email address is a bottomless spam bucket.
Please reply to the group so everyone can share.

[Dan]

jake wrote:

In message <11**********************@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups .com>,
randau <sp**************@yahoo.com> writes

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.

Only for people who've been using the www for less than 5 minutes.

I've been using the Web for over 10 years, and I strongly dislike sites
opening new windows on me.

--
Dan

[Mark Parnell]

Previously in
alt.html,comp.infosystems.http://www.authoring.html,microsoft....webdesign.html,
Stan Blazejewski <st******@netspace.net.au> said:

[f'ups to alt.html]

I have a page set up with frames (a top bar, side bar & viewing window). It
all seems to work fins except for one annoyance .....
The frames?
The 'viewing window' (or frame) is used to display full size pictures. If I
view the picture in a separate window, IE will resize any 'too big' pictures to
fit the window but if I view the picture in the 'viewing window' (or frame) it
is not resized and you have to pan around to see the whole thing.
IIRC IE's Image Resizing Thingy[TM] only works if you access the image
directly, not if it is part of a web page.
What am I doing wrong?

Using frames.

http://www.htmlhelp.com/design/frames/whatswrong.html
http://html-faq.com/htmlframes/?framesareevil
http://dorward.me.uk/www/frames/
http://www.google.com/webmasters/2.html (see under "Your page uses
frames")
http://www.markparnell.com.au/articles/frames.php

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

[jake]

In message <11*********************@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups. com>, Dan
<da*@tobias.name> writes

jake wrote:

In message <11**********************@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups .com>,
randau <sp**************@yahoo.com> writes

>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.

Only for people who've been using the www for less than 5 minutes.

I've been using the Web for over 10 years, and I strongly dislike sites
opening new windows on me.

You may dislike them, but I doubt that you find them disorienting.

regards,

--
Jake

[kchayka]

jake wrote:

In message <11**********************@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups .com>,
randau <sp**************@yahoo.com> writes

if they're being opened as full screen size windows
completely hiding the parent window, that could be
disorienting to a lot of users.

Only for people who've been using the www for less than 5 minutes.

I guess you don't hang around "normal" computer users much.

I watch my sister work every time I want a reality check. She only uses
full-size windows on her puny 800x600 screen, and since she can't
multi-task, there should never be more than 1 app/window open at a time.
Anything out of the ordinary comes up and she gets real confused.
However, one thing she does know how to use is the "back" button. New
windows break this functionality, so it is indeed a source of confusion.
For her.

And her kind is probably a lot more common than you think.

--
Reply email address is a bottomless spam bucket.
Please reply to the group so everyone can share.

[Travis Newbury]

kchayka wrote:

I watch my sister work every time I want a reality check...

I am not disagreeing with you but anecdotal proof is worthless.

--
-=tn=-

[kchayka]

Travis Newbury wrote:

kchayka wrote:

I watch my sister work every time I want a reality check...

I am not disagreeing with you but anecdotal proof is worthless.

What makes you think it's merely anecdotal? Because I didn't mention
that I usually observe while she's trying to do a particular task, and
not just random surfing (or whatever)? It may not be formal usability
testing, but it is pretty darned good for seeing a more "normal" point
of view. It sure gives me extra stuff to think about, like not opening
new, full-size windows... ;)

--
Reply email address is a bottomless spam bucket.
Please reply to the group so everyone can share.

[jake]

In message <3e************@individual.net>, kchayka <us****@c-net.us>
writes

jake wrote:

In message <11**********************@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups .com>,
randau <sp**************@yahoo.com> writes

if they're being opened as full screen size windows
completely hiding the parent window, that could be
disorienting to a lot of users.
Only for people who've been using the www for less than 5 minutes.

I guess you don't hang around "normal" computer users much.

You'd be surprised at how 'normal' some of them can be ;-)
I watch my sister work every time I want a reality check. She only uses
full-size windows on her puny 800x600 screen, and since she can't
multi-task, there should never be more than 1 app/window open at a time.
Anything out of the ordinary comes up and she gets real confused.
However, one thing she does know how to use is the "back" button. New
windows break this functionality, so it is indeed a source of confusion.
For her.
What if she'd gone to a page where the page's javascript, plugins etc.
had ensured that her back-button would never work again? Now *that*
would be confusing ;-)
And her kind is probably a lot more common than you think.

If you say so.

regards
--
Jake

[Els]

kchayka wrote:

Travis Newbury wrote:

kchayka wrote:

I watch my sister work every time I want a reality check...

I am not disagreeing with you but anecdotal proof is worthless.

What makes you think it's merely anecdotal? Because I didn't mention
that I usually observe while she's trying to do a particular task, and
not just random surfing (or whatever)? It may not be formal usability
testing, but it is pretty darned good for seeing a more "normal" point
of view. It sure gives me extra stuff to think about, like not opening
new, full-size windows... ;)

And I know it's not just your sister either.
I myself never used the back-button much, but when I showed my site to
a friend who isn't very computer savvy at all, I was surprised to see
her click the back-button all the time.
I also saw it happen in my Statcounter logs. Those logs are based on a
piece of JavaScript, and show people entering a site, and instead of
just "disappearing" after having seen 5 pages, I saw them 'reverse'
out of my site by means of the back button. Happens more often than I
personally thought logical.

--
Els http://locusmeus.com/
Sonhos vem. Sonhos vão. O resto é imperfeito.
- Renato Russo -
Now playing: Twarres - She Couldn't Laugh

[Richard Cornford]

randau wrote:

Richard wrote: <snip>

... opening the link in a new browser instance/window
(and/or a new tab on tabbed browsers). ...

<snip> More often than not, you don't think about doing that
till after the fact even when you do know how it's done.
Practice, it will become second nature.
You don't always know whether or not the link is
to another web site. It may just be an internal link.
I don't ever care, if I want to branch my exploration then I open links
in new windows, otherwise I don't. It makes no difference to me whether
the link is internal or external.
Then there's how many users that don't bother
or even know how to open links in new windows.
It is quite patronising to assume that the visitors to your web site
don't know what they are doing. But I suppose that if you have a "target
audience" that is notoriously dim for some reason or another, and think
they could be better informed, then you could supply them with
information on using their own browsers.
These are some of the reasons I
thought it might be a good idea to do it.

It is not a bad thing to be thinking about your users, but you shouldn't
think of them as all being like you, or even all being alike. People
actually vary quite a lot in their knowledge and capabilities and action
taken in order to favour any sub-group is of questionable worth if it
acts against the interests of another.

Richard.

[Alan J. Flavell]

On Wed, 11 May 2005, randau (seen in
comp.infosystems.www.authoring.html) wrote:

Then there's how many users that don't bother or even know how to
open links in new windows.

If they don't want to do it, then they have no need to learn. That's
not your problem.

If you think they're too dim to understand how to use their own
browser, then what on EARTH is the point of using a technique that
will cause behaviour on your web site which differs from the default?
That only rates to cause confusion to users who, by your hypothesis,
are to dim to understand what they're doing.

If you want to bring them any benefits at all, then IMHO you'd be
better advised to offer them some suggestions on how to use their own
browser to better effect. That would be teaching them something that
rates to work consistently on any other web site too, not specifically
on yours.

<devilsadvocate>You might want to show them how to disable javascript
to get more consistent results with evil sites that try to block
useful functionality like Back button etc.</>

If you're sincerely worried about the difference between internal and
external links, then by all means use different colours for the links,
and/or use one of those picon thingies which show the difference (with
a suitable alt text, naturally).

[kchayka]

Els wrote:

I myself never used the back-button much, but when I showed my site to
a friend who isn't very computer savvy at all, I was surprised to see
her click the back-button all the time.

My sister does the same thing. It's kinda bizarre to watch. :)

--
Reply email address is a bottomless spam bucket.
Please reply to the group so everyone can share.

[Toby Inkster]

Els wrote:

I also saw it happen in my Statcounter logs. Those logs are based on a
piece of JavaScript, and show people entering a site, and instead of
just "disappearing" after having seen 5 pages, I saw them 'reverse'
out of my site by means of the back button. Happens more often than I
personally thought logical.

Doesn't seem logical to me. Why would they want to leave *your* site? Are
you sure there aren't people with mental health problems?

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me ~ http://tobyinkster.co.uk/contact

[Els]

Toby Inkster wrote:

Els wrote:

I also saw it happen in my Statcounter logs. Those logs are based on a
piece of JavaScript, and show people entering a site, and instead of
just "disappearing" after having seen 5 pages, I saw them 'reverse'
out of my site by means of the back button. Happens more often than I
personally thought logical.
Doesn't seem logical to me. Why would they want to leave *your* site?

<g>
Are you sure there aren't people with mental health problems?

Unfortunately JavaScript doesn't tell me their mental state. You're
good with scripts - can't you write one that does? ;-)

--
Els http://locusmeus.com/
Sonhos vem. Sonhos vão. O resto é imperfeito.
- Renato Russo -
Now playing: Squeeze - Up The Junction

[Toby Inkster]

Els wrote:

Unfortunately JavaScript doesn't tell me their mental state. You're
good with scripts - can't you write one that does? ;-)

<script type="text/javascript">
var answer = confirm("Do you want to leave the site?");
var i = new Image();
if (answer) {
i.src = "/counters/mad-people.cgi";
} else {
i.src = "/counters/non-mad-people.cgi";
}
</script>

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me ~ http://tobyinkster.co.uk/contact

[Els]

Toby Inkster wrote:

Els wrote:

Unfortunately JavaScript doesn't tell me their mental state. You're
good with scripts - can't you write one that does? ;-)

<script type="text/javascript">
var answer = confirm("Do you want to leave the site?");
var i = new Image();
if (answer) {
i.src = "/counters/mad-people.cgi";
} else {
i.src = "/counters/non-mad-people.cgi";
}
</script>

<g>

Makes me think about adding an "Exit" link to my navigation and having
some scripts run from there :-)

--
Els http://locusmeus.com/
Sonhos vem. Sonhos vão. O resto é imperfeito.
- Renato Russo -
Now playing: Squeeze - (This Could Be) The Last Time

[Stan Blazejewski]

On Thu, 12 May 2005 06:58:43 -0500, kchayka <us****@c-net.us> wrote:

Stan Blazejewski wrote:

The 'viewing window' (or frame) is used to display full size pictures. If I
view the picture in a separate window, IE will resize any 'too big' pictures to
fit the window but if I view the picture in the 'viewing window' (or frame) it
is not resized

This is an option in IE, see Tools->Internet Options->Advanced, under
Multimedia

You cannot control this for your visitors, only for yourself.

Fair enough (you learn something new every day), but that doesn't explain why it
refuses to resize in a frame but works fine in a separate window. Obviously, IE
has this defaulted to 'on' so I expect most people (like myself) would be
getting a resized picture.

--

Australia isn't "down under", it's "off to one side"!

st******@netspace.net.au
www.cobracat.com (home of the Australian Cobra Catamaran)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cobra-cat/

[dwight.stegall]

This is very simple.

<a href="yoururl" target="anyunreservedword">LinkName</a>

Let's say your target is "bird". Use target="bird" in every link you
want to open in that targeted window and all of them will.

[David Dorward]

dw************@gmail.com wrote:

This is very simple.

If you read the message you responded to again (on the subject of which -
you seem to have forgotten to quote any of it, this makes it rather
difficult to follow the thread) you'll note that it is not as simple as it
appears.

The OP was pretty specific in that he wanted the window to gain the focus
when the link was clicked, as the technique you proposed loads the page in
the window without giving any indicate to the user that it is doing so.

--
David Dorward <http://blog.dorward.me.uk/> <http://dorward.me.uk/>
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