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Re: Opening new windows

for

From: Austin, Darrel
Date: Feb 8, 2005 9:48AM

> Tell me more Darrel. Do you mean that to force a new window, you have
> to use JavaScript or some other scripting language for which support
> is not guaranteed? Or do you mean that the document will
> automatically open in your browser if you have the appropriate
> plug-in installed but will open in another application window
> otherwise? What happens if you don't have the plug-in or the desktop
> application required to view the file? Does it offer to save it for
> you?

Let's take PDF files as an example. There are two ways to view PDF files
online:

1) using the PDF plug-in, you can have it open inside your browser's
viewport

2) not using the PDF plug-in, you can have your browser do what you want it
to do...typically either prompting you to save it somewhere, or else
downloading it for you and opening it in your PDF-viewing application of
choice.

A PDF is *not* a web document. Nor is an Excel file or Word document, etc.
However, companies have built plug-ins for browsers that will allow you to
view it inside the browser. Personally, I find these terribly confusing, but
hey, they are there.

So, what happens to a PDF in the browser is out of your (as the web
developer) control. They may have a plug-in, they may not. They may have the
plug-in, but have turned the option to use it off. They may be using a
browser that doesn't support the plug in. Etc.

If you target a PDF in a new window:
one of two things will happen:

1) if the person has a browser that supports the PDF plug in, and they have
it installed, and activated, the PDF will open in this new window.

2) everyone else will be asked to download the PDF, and then a blank
browser window will pop-up.

-Darrel