accessible popups

**coffeeKid** · Jun 12, 2002, 12:42

i was wondering if anyone knows of a better way to make a popup accessible to folks with out javascript...

this is what I have currently:

<a href="http://www.cnn.com/" target="newWindow" onclick="window.open(this.href, this.target,'toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,status=0,menubar=1,scrollbars=1,resizable=0,width=450,height=550'); return false">click here</a>

I know it isn't quite right...
mainly i want to be able to spec out the popup for people with js and for those that don't - i just want to open a new window.

any help is great. thanks.

**creole** · Jun 12, 2002, 13:08

If a user doesn't have Javascript then you're not gonna get a popup. Simple as that.

Actually...

You might be able to use Flash to trigger a popup window. Using FS commands inside a movie timeline would do it.

If you've got Flash, try that.

**Jack Michaelson** · Jun 12, 2002, 13:44

It seems to me that you can't find out if someone has js or not by using js. Not sure though.
I think you have to use something else (ie. PHP) than Javascript to detect wether the user has js or not.

If he does: pop-up script
if he doesn't: new window script.

Does this help?

**coffeeKid** · Jun 13, 2002, 16:36

i am not trying to find out if the user has javascript or not...
i will assume that they do. but - i don't want to exclude the few folks that visit without javascript. those with javascript will get a nicely formatted window sized to my specs. those without javascript will get a new window using plain ol' HTML (target="newWindow").

this method works for the most part... but it has a few problems (for example... in NS6 mac it opens the popUp and targets a new window). I just want to see if there is a better way.

thanks for the comments.

**mattjacob** · Jun 13, 2002, 17:29

The method you're using already makes it more accessible than most popups because of the this.href. That's about as good as it gets.

**w3exit** · Jun 13, 2002, 18:01

Surfers w/o JS enabled a/cs for less than 0.5% of users. Check your stats ...

it shouldn't matter if they can't see it .. just show them a msg to update their browser

**mattjacob** · Jun 13, 2002, 18:32

Originally posted by w3exit
just show them a msg to update their browser

But don't you get it? It doesn't rely on whether or not the person has JavaScript; the link will open either way.

**Andrew-J2000** · Jun 13, 2002, 20:50

Originally posted by Jack Michaelson
It seems to me that you can't find out if someone has js or not by using js. Not sure though.
I think you have to use something else (ie. PHP) than Javascript to detect wether the user has js or not.

If he does: pop-up script
if he doesn't: new window script.

Does this help?

You can detect where someone has js on. You can do this in a variety of ways, using serverside and clientside,

ie
[VBS]
<html><body>
<% set browObj = Server.CreateObject("cyScape.browserObj")
browObj.GetExtProperties
response.write "Is JavaScript enabled: " & browObj.JavaScriptEnabled %>
</body></html>
[/VBS]
http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/webtec...awk/faq5.shtml

there are other methods btw

**coffeeKid** · Jun 13, 2002, 23:00

"Surfers w/o JS enabled a/cs for less than 0.5% of users. Check your stats ... "

that may be true for the web population in total... but i often deal with a specific user group that is much higher...
blind folks using lynx for instance... and upgrade won't help them...

---

to the person that mentioned testing to see if someone has js enabled...
i've used a solution where the js hid a <div> containing navigation for those without js - at the same time I had it write a new <div> containing the fancy pants version for those that did have js. so if the js wasn't enabled the default <div> couldn't be hidden and the fancy one couldnt be written...
it wasn't testing so to speak... but it easily did the job.

i've also done similar things with "display:none" in my css to show and hide info from browsers..

just make sure you know how things break and you can find away to make it work.

---
thanks for the comments everyone.

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