[WEB4LIB] Re: Little popup windows...HTML question

[Nancy Sosna Bohm]

Included in the head of my spawned (and re-used :)) window is the following 
bit of script which closes the window in 3 seconds (you can make it shorter 
or longer by changing the number from 3000 to, say, 4500 for 4.5 seconds). 
This makes it virtually (pun intended) fool proof.

<script language="javascript">
<!--hide
setTimeout('this.close()',3000)
//end hide-->
</script>




At 08:41 AM 5/9/00 -0700, Thomas Dowling wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Robin Zalben" <zalbenrl at alverno.edu>
>To: "Multiple recipients of list" <web4lib at webjunction.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2000 10:57 AM
>Subject: [WEB4LIB] Little popup windows...HTML question
>
>
> > For our database list, I'd like to make small html files which give
> > descriptions of the databases.  Something where you would click on the
>"i"
> > and up would pop a small window with the basics of the database.
> >
> > This may be (hopefully) a simple question, but how can I make a new
>window
> > open up, and how can I size it so it is only the size of the
>information?
>
>Simple question, somewhat involved answer.
>
>Speaking as someone who has implemented pop-up windows a number of times,
>I have to say that pop-up windows are almost always bad.  They constitute
>a serious accessibility problem, they're liable to confuse novice users
>with multiple overlapping windows, and the pixel-based dimensioning you
>can throw at them has very little connection to the font-based
>dimensioning you really want.  We only use them as an accompaniment to
>session-based interfaces where navigating the main window out of the
>logical path of the search session has greater risks than opening a new
>window.
>
>That said, most solutions combine a JavaScript window.open command and a
>target attribute in an HTML link.  Here's one way to do it.  I'm sure a
>JavaScript ace can do it more gracefully:
>
><a href="foo.html"
>   onClick='TipWin =
>window.open("","DBNote","menubar=yes,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=
>yes,width=400,height=250"); TipWin.focus()'
>   target="DBNote">Database Description</a>
>
>[Note that the onClick attribute value--everything between the single
>quotes--should be on one line.]
>
>IMO, you are honor bound to A) consider other design alternatives first,
>B) ensure that the links are usable without JavaScript enabled, C) give me
>my standard controls and menus in any new window you open, and D) re-use
>the same external window rather than spawning an uncontrolled number of
>new windows.
>
>Thomas Dowling
>OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
>tdowling at ohiolink.edu