Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Targeting Windows

The problem with a hypertext medium is that when users click on an interesting link that takes them off your page, they might never come back. One solution to this problem is to make the target document appear in a second browser window that opens automatically. In that way, your page is still readily available in the background.

This technique is not without controversy, however. Windows that open automatically, also known as pop-up windows, are now strongly associated with intrusive web advertising. The population’s distaste for them is so strong that there are a slew of pop-up blocker programs on the market and even built right into browsers. Consider whether a pop-up window is the best solution given the fact that some users may not see that content. Pop-up windows are also problematic from the standpoint of usability and accessibility. If you do use a pop-up window, it is advised that you let users know what to expect by adding a comment such as “link opens in new window.”

Tip

The following technique simply opens a new browser window but does not control its size. To do that, you must use JavaScript.

To launch a new browser window for the linked document, use the target attribute in the a element. Setting the target attribute to the standardized "_blank" value causes the browser to open a fresh browser window. For example:

<a href="http://www.oreilly.com/"target="_blank">...</a>

Note that _blank opens a new browser window every time. So if you set every link on ...