target=" blank" or not to " blank"

[tonynoriega]

trying to catch up on whats the most user friendly these days...

shoul i still use target="_blank" or use a javascript to open a new window?

i like both, but is one valid and the other not?

[jimbeetle]

It was deprecated but is making a comeback in HTML 5.

[bill]

How are they handling this in HTML 5? It's been tough working around the lack of a target in some circumstances. I've tried to stay away from them because they were deprecated.

[vincevincevince]

Would be great if we could have target="_tab" and target="_sidebar" (etc.)

[webfoo]

I've used target="_blank" for many years, and never had a problem. I can't believe that targets were deprecated.

With JavaScript, the issue is whether or not the user supports it. The user could have JavaScript turned off, or a pop-up blocker.

Perhaps you could derrive a clever combination of the two? If you do, please share!

Vince, I'm right with you on target="_tab". Up for suggesting this to the W3C?

[Demaestro]

The advantage with opening a window with JS is that you can close it from the window that opened it... if you use the target=_blank then you have no more control over that window from the parent window.

So I have always used that as my guide... if I need to further close or control the child window with the parent I use Js... if I don't care about what the user does with it after it is open the I use target.

[phranque]

i thought you could name the target anything so it should be possible to close that named window.