Targets: what they mean
Tutorial by Gordon
| Description |
TARGET = "_blank"
"_blank" opens the new document in a new window.
This value does not require the use of any frames. "_blank" is popular in web pages which are devoted to links to "other resources on the net". By opening a new window for each resource, the user has a sense of a "main" page (the list of resources) and "secondary" pages (each individual resource). However, this results in cluttering the computer screen, which may irritate some of your readers.
Known Bug Microsoft Internet Explorer
Some versions of MSIE have a bug which renders anchors using "_blank" inoperative.
TARGET = "_parent"
"_parent" is used in the situation where a frameset file is nested inside another frameset file. A link in one of the inner frameset documents which uses "_parent" will load the new document where the inner frameset file had been.
If the current document's frameset file does not have any "parent", then "_parent" works exactly like "_top": the new document is loaded in the full window. Note that "_parent" does not work in a frameset which is merely nested inside another framset in the same frameset file.
"_parent" does not work on some versions of Netscape for the Macintosh.
TARGET = "_self"
"_self" puts the new document in the same window and frame as the current document. "_self" works the same as if you had not used TARGET at all.
TARGET = "_top"
"_top" loads the linked document in the topmost frame... that is, the new page fills the entire window.
TARGET = window name
window name is used to put the linked document in a frame or window other than the frame the link is in. Like targeting a cell in the frames tutorial.
So...
target="_blank
- a new unnamed window (your page name)
target="_self
- is the frame that held the base tags or where you had the link from
target="_top
- replaces the frameset entirely
target="first_window
use this one to open a new window on your site
- opens a new browser window
target="_parent
- loads into the frameset parent of the current document
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