Re: target attribute of anchor tags

On Wed, 7 Aug 2002, Daniel Terry wrote:

>     When validating a page I was working on last night, I noticed
> something a little odd.  My page (
> http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~dsterry/n307/index.html ) validates fine on
> HTML 4.01 - Strict except the TARGET attribute of any anchor tags I
> used.  I realize it will validate under HTML 4.01 - Transitional with
> the TARGET attributes there, but it seems odd to me that such a basic
> thing does not conform to the standards.  Other than resorting to
> JavaScript, there is no other way to insure that a link will open in a
> new window as is often desirable for outside links without using a
> TARGET="_blank" attribute.

As a user, I don't find that desirable at all.  If I wanted a new window,
I'd open it myself.

> Why would this not be allowed as part of
> the HTML 4.01 - Strict spec?

HTML 4 Strict is about structure, and targeting windows is about
presentation.

-- 
Liam Quinn