Javascripted "back" button (was Re: 404 error messages)

(Sorry about the previous message - sent unintentionally when cutting and
pasting text).


> At 07:31 PM 6/1/99 +0100, Brian Kelly wrote:
> >
> >Good example (I think) can be found at:
> >
> >http://www.keele.ac.uk/foo.html
> >http://www.dmu.ac.uk/foo.html
> >http://www.brookes.ac.uk/foo.html
> >
> >Any comments on these?
> >
>
> Keele and Brookes exceed requirements by far.
>
> deMontfort is not in the same league.  The "home" reference from that
> recovery page is the obscure "DMU" acronym which does not really cut it
for
> this situation.  Then there is that gratuitous javascript link...
>
> Al

Hi Al
   Thanks for the comments.  I included the DMU (De Montford University!)
example as an illustration of use of a "gratuitous javascript link" (which
performs a "Back to previous page" function).
   I agree that if Javascript is switched off or not available this link
would not work, and thus undesirable.  However the link could be created
dynamically using Javascript, and thus only visible if JavaScript is
available.
   I thought it might be desirable to have a Back link *within* the page (as
opposed to part of the browser) - if, for example, the browser navigational
options are disabled, or to provide additional help for a naive user.  The
404 error message could be a good place to implement this as you often want
to go back.
   Any thoughts on this - I've no experience on how browsers other than IE,
NS, Opera, Lynx, Mosaic and Viola implement the Back button.

Thanks

Brian


------------------------------------------------------
Brian Kelly, UK Web Focus
UKOLN, University of Bath, BATH, England, BA2 7AY
Email:  b.kelly@ukoln.ac.uk     URL:    http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
Homepage: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/ukoln/staff/b.kelly.html
Phone:  01225 323943            FAX:   01225 826838

Received on Wednesday, 2 June 1999 04:56:59 UTC