Re: Popup windows & style sheets

Bert Bos wrote:

Sometime ago (when I was making my self a homepage) I thought, I'd use 
the new netscape features and load some of the pictures and stuff into a 
new browsers copy (with the target function). I let the idea go, because 
as the new browsers copy netscape started were always the same size as 
the old one, the viewer might not have noticed the new browser.  Seems we 
have a problem of that kind here as well.

> - if the pop-up contains a hyperlink and the user selects it, where
>   should the result go?

To the main window perhaps, if no other target was mentioned.  

> - if the pop-up has a more permanent character, like a new window,
>   then you get into user-interface problems: in principle, no new
>   windows should appear, unless explicitly opened by the
>   user. Otherwise he might not know how to get rid of them again.

I think the problem isn't that they don't know how to close the window, 
but how they will notice that they have multiple windows open.  I think 
by default, all new windows should be smaller in size than the "main" 
window.

> - do we want to specify how long the pop-up stays on screen? until the
>   mouse is released? but then you can't click in it any more.

The first thought I had was double-clicking it, but then there is the 
problem of someone putting a whole window size imagemap in it.. Then you 
couldn't click it any more.  The best way seems to be to provide it with 
a small (or large) close button.

> - do we want to specify whether it has an `OK' button or something
>   else?

I think a 'CLOSE' button would be much nicer...

> The best solution so far seems to allow pop-ups that display an
> element or a linked document, and that contain some platform dependent
> `OK' button to close it. If the displayed text contains a hyperlink,
> than selecting it also closes the pop-up.

And display the hyperlink on the main windows... sounds fair!

> It is also easy to replace with something else in browsers that don't
> do pop-ups (because they don't run under a windowing system, or
> otherwise).

The text-based lynx (you all know lynx, don't you) can do popups, why 
couldn't the others!

-- 
Heikki Vesalainen
http://www.clinet.fi/~wes/
wes@clinet.fi

Received on Monday, 18 March 1996 16:35:46 UTC