Open link in new window

How do I tell a link to automatically open in a new browser window? I've tried
looking at the code from different sites that I know do this, but I can't
figure out where it is in their code. I just want to make it so that all the
links from my site to other sites open a new window so I don't lose viewers.
Another question that is kinda-sorta web design, but maybe not really... We
have an Excel file published on the web (on our database host's website, so
there's nothing I can do about their site if that has anything to do with it)
that is a list of documents, with links to all of those documents, which are
also on the host's site. I'm pretty sure I heard that there is no way to get
the documents (Word and Excel files) to open in Word or Excel when you download
them. Is this true? Right now they automatically open in the same browser
window, and everytime you hit the 'Back' button to get back to the list it puts
you at the worksheet that it originally opens (so you always lose your place,
very annoying when you're in a hurry). Right click + 'Open in new window'
doesn't work. I know that I may not be able to fix any of this because it's in
Excel and not actually an html document, but if anyone knows of a way to do
this I would love to hear it.

To tell you the truth, I only use _blank, I haven't really tried the other ones. Sorry, just play with them and see.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 15:56:36 +0000 (UTC), Lana May
<webforumsuser (AT) macromedia (DOT) com> wrote:

How do I tell a link to automatically open in a new browser window?

Add:
alt="_blank"
to all the <a href="" >
you want to.

On the GUI version the atribute is called ALT and you drop down to _blank
--
Alexandro Colorado
------------------------------
Support Engineer
InterAKT Online
http://www.interaktonline.com
Tel: 40(21) 312.5312

Alexandro Colorado wrote:

How do I tell a link to automatically open in a new browser window?

Add:
alt="_blank"
to all the <a href=""
you want to.

On the GUI version the atribute is called ALT and you drop down to _blank

Hmmm ... ALT != TARGET ;-)


Gary

.oO(Lana May)

How do I tell a link to automatically open in a new browser window? I've tried
looking at the code from different sites that I know do this, but I can't
figure out where it is in their code. I just want to make it so that all the
links from my site to other sites open a new window so I don't lose viewers.

Don't do it. You'll probably lose more visitors with opening new windows
for external links. Users know how to use the back button it they want
(it's the second most feature in a browser!), but if you open a new
window this button won't work anymore. This will be very annoying and
confusing for average users surfing with full-screen browsers, because
they won't recognize the new window.

From a usability point of view there's no reason to open new windows, in
fact it's only a good idea in very rare cases. Better leave the choice
up to the users if they want a new window or not.

Micha