script to open a new window and populate it with a single item from a list

[TPK]

Here is what I want to do with javascript.

On a page with text place a javascript link that:

1) When a user clicks the link (onClick) a new browser window opens
(the easy part) NewWindow =
window.open("wi ndowpage.html", "newWin","width =100,height=100 ")

2) Once the window is open I want to pull a specific item from a list
of items (array) and populate the open window with only that item. The
list of items would be in a separate .js file. Call it "definitions.js "

3) The (example) list of items (on definitions.js) has a list of terms
and definitions:

Example List:
TermArray = new Array();
DefinitionArray = new Array();

TermArray[0] = "Stop Sign"
DefinitionArray[0] = "Stop Sign: A red sign with the word STOP.";

TermArray[1] = "Yield Sign"
DefinitionArray[0] = "Yield Sign: A yellow sign with the word YIELD.";

TermArray[2] = "Go Sign"
DefinitionArray[0] = "Go Sign: A green sign with the word GO.";

TermArray[3] = "Right Turn Sign"
DefinitionArray[0] = "Right Turn Sign: A white sign with an arrow
pointing RIGHT.";

4) The new browser window can then be closed by clicking a
"javascript:win dow.parent.clos e()" link.

So basically I'd like to pass a variable, but I'm not exactly sure
how structure the script on the referring page/link.
Can anyone send me a link to a resource that would describe doing this
or can show me the script?

Thank you,
TPK

[somejeff]

The cleanest way to pass a variable is to send it as part of the URL.

for example, your link would be:
<a href="#" onclick="descri be('Stop Sign');">Stop Sign</a>

your javascript on the main page would be:

function describe(term) {

window.open("wi ndowpage.html?" +term,"newWin", "width=100,heig ht=100")
}

(essentially the URL of the window that pops open would be
"windowpage.htm l?Stop%20Sign")

The scripting in that window, looks for the term after the '?' in the
URL like this:

var term = location.href.s ubstring(locati on.href.indexOf ("?")+1);
// essentially everything the "?"

then look up the term in your array.

By the way, your definitions arrays would probably work out better if
they were like this instead:

DefinitionArray = new Array();
DefinitionArray["Stop Sign"] = "Stop Sign: A red sign with the word
STOP.";
DefinitionArray["Yield Sign"] = "Yield Sign: A yellow sign with the
word YIELD.";
DefinitionArray["Go Sign"] = "Go Sign: A green sign with the word GO.";
DefinitionArray["Right Turn Sign"] = "Right Turn Sign: A white sign
with an arrow pointing RIGHT.";

That way you can then use:

document.write( DefinitionArray[term]);