Opens a new window and loads the document specified by a given URL.

Syntax

oNewWindow = object.open( [sURL] [, sName] [, sFeatures] [, bReplace])

Parameters

sURL	Optional. String that specifies the URL of the document to display. If no URL is specified, a new window with about:blank is displayed.
sName	Optional. String that specifies the name of the window. This name is used as the value for the TARGET attribute on a form or an anchor element. _blank The sURL is loaded into a new, unnamed window. _media The url is loaded in the Media Bar in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6. Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and later. This feature is no longer supported. By default the url is loaded into a new browser window or tab. _parent The sURL is loaded into the current frame's parent. If the frame has no parent, this value acts as the value _self. _search Disabled in Windows Internet Explorer 7, see Security and Compatibility in Internet Explorer 7 for details. Otherwise, the sURL is opened in the browser's search pane in Internet Explorer 5 or later. _self The current document is replaced with the specified sURL. _top sURL replaces any framesets that may be loaded. If there are no framesets defined, this value acts as the value _self.
sFeatures	Optional. String that contains a list of items separated by commas. Each item consists of an option and a value, separated by an equals sign (for example, "fullscreen=yes, toolbar=yes"). The following features are supported. channelmode = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Specifies whether to display the window in theater mode. The default is no. Internet Explorer 7. channelmode = { yes | 1 } overrides height, width, top, and left values. When active, the Navigation Bar is hidden and the Title Bar is visible. The Channel Band is no longer supported in Internet Explorer 7. Prior to Internet Explorer 7 channelmode = { yes | 1 } displays the Channel Band in theatre mode. directories = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Specifies whether to add directory buttons. The default is yes. Internet Explorer 7. This feature is no longer supported. fullscreen = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Specifies whether to display the browser in full-screen mode. The default is no. Use full-screen mode carefully. Because this mode hides the browser's title bar and menus, you should always provide a button or other visual clue to help the user close the window. ALT+F4 closes the new window. Internet Explorer 7. A window in full-screen mode does not need to be in theatre mode. Prior to Internet Explorer 7 a window in full-screen mode must also be in theater mode (channelmode). height = number Internet Explorer 7. Sets the height of the window in pixels. The minimum value is 150, and specifies the minimum height of the browser content area. Prior to Internet Explorer 7 the minimum height value is 100. left = number Specifies the left position, in pixels. This value is relative to the upper-left corner of the screen. The value must be greater than or equal to 0. location = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Internet Explorer 7. Specifies whether to display the navigation bar. The default is yes. Prior to Internet Explorer 7 this feature specifies whether to display the address bar. The Back, Forward, and Stop commands are now located in the Navigation bar. Prior to Internet Explorer 7 navigation commands were located in the toolbar. menubar = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Specifies whether to display the menu bar. The default is yes. Internet Explorer 7. By default the menu bar is hidden unless revealed by the ALT key. menubar = { no | 0 } prohibits the menubar from appearing even when the Alt key is pressed. The combination of menubar = { no | 0 } and toolbar = { no | 0 } hides the toolbar and disables any additional third-party user interfaces. resizable = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Specifies whether to display resize handles at the corners of the window. The default is yes. Internet Explorer 7. resizable = { no | 0 } disables tabs in a new window. scrollbars = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Specifies whether to display horizontal and vertical scroll bars. The default is yes. status = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Specifies whether to add a Status Bar at the bottom of the window. The default is yes. titlebar = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Specifies whether to display a Title Bar for the window. The default is yes. Internet Explorer 5.5 and later. This feature is no longer supported. The Title Bar remains visible unless the fullscreen sFeature is active. This parameter is ignored prior to Internet Explorer 5.5. It applies only if the calling application is an HTML Application or a trusted dialog box. toolbar = { yes | no | 1 | 0 } Internet Explorer 7. Specifies whether to display the browser command bar, making buttons such as Favorites Center, Add to Favorites, and Tools available. The default is yes. The combination of menubar = { no | 0 } and toolbar = { no | 0 } turn off the Toolbar and any additional third-party user interfaces. Prior to Internet Explorer 7 the toolbar sFeature specifies whether to display the browser toolbar, making buttons such as Back, Forward, and Stop available. top = number Specifies the top position, in pixels. This value is relative to the upper-left corner of the screen. The value must be greater than or equal to 0. width = number Internet Explorer 7. Sets the width of the window in pixels. The minimum value is 250, and specifies the minimum width of the browsers content area. Prior to Internet Explorer 7 the minimum height value is 100.
bReplace	Optional. Boolean that specifies whether the sURL creates a new entry or replaces the current entry in the window's history list. This parameter only takes effect if the sURL is loaded into the same window. true sURL replaces the current document in the history list false sURL creates a new entry in the history list.

Return Value

Returns a reference to the new window object. Use this reference to access properties and methods on the new window.

Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista: Opening a new window from an application (other than the Internet Explorer process) may result in a null return value. This restriction occurs because Internet Explorer runs in protected mode by default. One facet of protected mode prevents applications from having priveledged access to Internet Explorer when that access spans process boundaries. Opening a new window by using this method generates a new process. For more information about protected mode, see Understanding and Working in Protected Mode Internet Explorer. This commonly occurs for applications that host the WebBrowser control.

Remarks

By default, the open method creates a window that has a default width and height and the standard menu, toolbar, and other features of Internet Explorer. You can alter this set of features by using the sFeatures parameter. This parameter is a string consisting of one or more feature settings.

When the sFeatures parameter is specified, the features that are not defined in the parameter are disabled. Therefore, when using the sFeatures parameter, it is necessary to enable all the features that are to be included in the new window. If the sFeatures parameter is not specified, the window features maintain their default values. In addition to enabling a feature by setting it to a specific value, simply listing the feature name also enables that feature for the new window.

Internet Explorer 5 allows further control over windows through the implementation of title in the sFeatures parameter of the open method. Turn off the title bar by opening the window from a trusted application, such as Microsoft Visual Basic or an HTML Application (HTA). These applications are considered trusted, because each uses Internet Explorer interfaces instead of the browser.

When a function fired by an event on any object calls the open method, the window.open method is implied.

<script language="JScript">
function myOpen() {
    open('about:blank');}
</script>
<body onclick="myOpen();">
Click this page and window.open() is called.
</body>

When an event on any object calls the open method, the document.open method is implied.

<button onclick="open('Sample.htm');">
Click this button and document.open() is called.
</button>

Internet Explorer 6 for Windows XP SP2 places several restrictions on windows created with this method. For several of the parameter values listed in the Parameters table, these restrictions are indicated by the minimum value. For more information, see About Window Restrictions.

This method must use a user-initiated action, such as clicking on a link or tabbing to a link and pressing enter, to open a pop-up window. The Pop-up Blocker feature in Internet Explorer 6 blocks windows that are opened without being initiated by the user. The Pop-up Blocker also prevents windows from appearing if you call this method from an onunload event.

In Internet Explorer 6, the _media value of the sName parameter specifies that this method loads a URL into the HTML content area of the Media Bar.

Internet Explorer 7. The Back, Forward, and Stop commands are now located in the Navigation bar of the user interface. Prior to Internet Explorer 7 navigation commands were located in the toolbar.

Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista. Opening a new window from an application other than the Internet Explorer process may result in a NULL return value. This occurs because Internet Explorer runs in protected mode by default. Protected mode prevents applications from privileged access to Internet Explorer when that access spans process boundaries. Because this method opens windows in a new process, protected mode restricts access to the new window. For more information, please see Understanding and Working in Protected Mode Internet Explorer.

  Internet Explorer 8. New windows and pop-ups always inherit the zoom level of the parent window.

Example

This example uses the open method to create a new window that contains Sample.htm. The new window is 200 pixels by 400 pixels and has a status bar, but it does not have a toolbar, menu bar, or address field.

window.open("Sample.htm",null,
    "height=200,width=400,status=yes,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no");

Standards Information

There is no public standard that applies to this method.

Applies To

window, Window Constructor

See Also

About the Pop-up Blocker