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MODX Community Forums Archive

Manager: Why javascript to open links?

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    warenhaus Reply #1, 12 years ago
    Maybe it has been discussed already, I searched but didn't find anything:

    Why does the manager use javascript to open links such as "View site" or all the links in the "Support" menu?

    I constantly find myself middle-clicking on them in Firefox (to open in new tab).

    wouldn't a simple 

    <a href="http://modx.com/forums" target="_NEW">
    suffice instead of 
    <a onclick="window.open('http://modx.com/forums');" href="javascript:;">

    ?
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      • 84 Posts
      warenhaus Reply #2, 12 years ago
      (please note, the forum seems to change some of the html above. all I want to know is: why window.open instead of a regular link?
      • AMDbuilder Reply #3, 12 years ago
        I don't have an answer for you, but I have also found this annoying at times. You many want to file this in the tracker (tracker.modx.com) so it get's included in a future release, or if they decline it, they will give a reason why.
          Patrick | Server Wrangler
          About Me: Website | Tweets |  MODX Hosting
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          • 84 Posts
          warenhaus Reply #4, 12 years ago
          filed: http://tracker.modx.com/issues/7714
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            whistlemaker Reply #5, 12 years ago
            Why?
            Perhaps because javascript is useful for some of the links (see below for an example) and it easier to make them all the same way (i.e. with a template)

            for example this menu item link:
            <li>
<a href="javascript:;" onclick="
MODx.msg.confirm({
    title: _('remove_locks')
    ,text: _('confirm_remove_locks')
    ,url: MODx.config.connectors_url+'system/remove_locks.php'
    ,params: {
        action: 'remove'
    }
    ,listeners: {
        'success': {fn:function() { Ext.getCmp('modx-resource-tree').refresh(); },scope:this}
    }
});">Remove Locks<span class="description">This will remove any locks that are on any manager pages as a result of other users editing them.</span>
</a>
</li>
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              warenhaus Reply #6, 12 years ago
              Quote from: whistlemaker at May 03, 2012, 07:21 PM
              easier to make them all the same way (i.e. with a template)

              if you browse through the menu items you will notice that most of the links do not use javascript. When all a link does is call "window.open" on "onclick", the most basic function of the anchortag should be used instead.
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                whistlemaker Reply #7, 12 years ago
                When all a link does is call "window.open" on "onclick", the most basic function of the anchortag should be used instead.
                Totally agree.

                I was just trying to figure out the why - I started at the left Site menu and looked at the code and all I saw were href="javascript:;" - I guess I missed expanding the Dashboard menu and was too lazy to continue and check every menu