URL BBcode

[jumborex]

I do not know if this has been already discussed. I made a search but apparently it is not in the topics...

I would like to understand why now the URL doesn't open a new window.
And, if it's possible to define a URL BBcode opening a new browser window.
Thanks.

[dhn]

I would like to understand why now the URL doesn't open a new window.

Read this article on usability. Opening new browser windows is something that should be left to the user and not the browser. If you want to open a new window, all you need to do is right click or hold down shift when clicking on a link. But if you wanted to open a link on the same page, there is no way to do it. Also, every modern browser supports tabbing and opening new tabs with middle clicking a link.

The target attribute, and therefore the behaviour to open new windows is no longer allowed in proper XHTML.

And, if it's possible to define a URL BBcode opening a new browser window.
Thanks.

Yes it is, with only editing one line of a template. But we strongly advise against it.


edit, I'll just paste the above link:

Opening up new browser windows is like a vacuum cleaner sales person who starts a visit by emptying an ash tray on the customer's carpet. Don't pollute my screen with any more windows, thanks (particularly since current operating systems have miserable window management). If I want a new window, I will open it myself!

Designers open new browser windows on the theory that it keeps users on their site. But even disregarding the user-hostile message implied in taking over the user's machine, the strategy is self-defeating since it disables the Back button which is the normal way users return to previous sites. Users often don't notice that a new window has opened, especially if they are using a small monitor where the windows are maximized to fill up the screen. So a user who tries to return to the origin will be confused by a grayed out Back button.

[Highway of Life]

Alt + Click on a link usually accomplishes the invited ash tray dump function.

[gspark]

Yes it is, with only editing one line of a template. But we strongly advise against it.

I tend to disagree with some designers nonsensical theories

I personally would like to have this option enabled,
what area of the template has to be edited in order to allow the _target in a link to open in a new window ?

This should really be standard practice especially on a forum where you may want to stay in the forum while browsing another site in a different window,

This comes down to user preference and most users would prefer this option, I read that link about the vaccum cleaner salesman and find it absurd in relation to allowing url to open in new window.

[3247]

Read this article on usability.

This article ist outdated. Opening new browser windows was mildly annoying back then: You can close the old window and use the new one.

Nowadays, as tabbed browsing has become more popular, it is extremly annoying: Opening a new window does, well, open a new window when the user actually wanted to reuse an existing tab in the existing window. But he can't just use that window and close the old one because the old one will likely contain the current browsing environment with multiple tabs.

I tend to disagree with some designers nonsensical theories

These are not "desingers nonsendical theories" (sic!). They are facts proven by usability experts in proper usability studies.

This comes down to user preference and most users would prefer this option, I read that link about the vaccum cleaner salesman and find it absurd in relation to allowing url to open in new window.

Users only prefer this option until they learn how to open a link in a new window or tab. When they've managed to learn this basic browsing skill, they don't want others to interfer with their window managment.

BTW, asking users what they prefer is often a bad idea wrt usability. Often users will tell you they prefer one thing but tests show that they are actually more productive or happier with another thing.

[drewtscott]

hese are not "desingers nonsendical theories" (sic!). They are facts proven by usability experts in proper usability studies.

While these may be studies about browsing the internet "in general" you also have to take into account that different sites are used for different purposes. We run a site where many of our sections are devoted to posting links to stories held on another site and reviewing them in a thread found on our site. Obviously if the users are going to be directed away from our site by clicking the link, they're far less likely to go through the effort of coming back to review the story as planned. Yes, I know you can shift click, alt click, middle click, stand on your head while juggling, etc to open in a new window/tab, but when it comes right down to it, sometimes the site should just do the work for the user.

I understand that guidelines have to be set, but you can't generalize what sites "should" do without taking into account that what is written is not always what is correct.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that the dev team had to make a decision and I fully support it as such. However, I will probably be one of those who overrides the decision per our forum needs.

[jumborex]

[...] you also have to take into account that different sites are used for different purposes. We run a site where many of our sections are devoted to posting links to stories held on another site and reviewing them in a thread found on our site. [...] Don't get me wrong, I understand that the dev team had to make a decision and I fully support it as such. However, I will probably be one of those who overrides the decision per our forum needs.

I agree upon this idea. 8) I imagine that a good solution would be to give a standard choice to the Administrator: the link opens a new window, or the link do not opens a new window, according to what is better for the site.

Note: By the way: do a HTML command exists to open a window in a new tag? I never have seen up to now! 8O

[goreSplatter]

Note: By the way: do a HTML command exists to open a window in a new tag? I never have seen up to now! 8O

If a new tab is what you meant, then yes. There's a "command":

Code: Select all

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

That should do it. The target-Attribute also accepts these values:

• _self - open link in the current window/tab
• _top - when using framesets this link will kill all frames and open w/o frameset
• _parent - almost the same as _top this will only kill the parent frameset
• _blank - open in a new window

[/color]

[jumborex]

[...]

Code: Select all

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

That should do it. The target-Attribute also accepts these values:

• _self - open link in the current window/tab
• _top - when using framesets this link will kill all frames and open w/o frameset
• _parent - almost the same as _top this will only kill the parent frameset
• _blank - open in a new window

[/color]

Yeah! A tab was what I intended, ok! But the _blank attribute opens a new window, I think... Not a new tab

[goreSplatter]

You will have to acknowledge that tabbed browsing is quite a newer invention than the target attribute of an anchor. It actually depends on the individual client's browser which way the _blank value of that attribute is interpreted. I configured my FireFox to open those links in a new tab instead of a window.