Close browser/window

[Graham]

What I currently have is a page that opens another browser at 800x600, once
that is loaded I would like to close the orginal page down while keeping the
page that it has just opened open (To make it more clear take a look at
http://www.ithorizon.co.uk).

I have inserted some code below to show what I currently have, but I don't
have the knowledge to amend it, can somone please help.


<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
closetime = 0; // Close window after __ number of seconds?
// 0 = do not close, anything else = number of seconds

function Start(URL, WIDTH, HEIGHT) {
windowprops = "left=100,top=50,width=" + WIDTH + ",height=" + HEIGHT;
preview = window.open(URL, "preview", windowprops);
if (closetime) setTimeout("preview.close();", closetime*1000);
}

function doPopup() {
url = "frame.html";
width = 800; // width of window in pixels
height = 600; // height of window in pixels
delay = 3; // time in seconds before popup opens
timer = setTimeout("Start(url, width, height)", delay*1000);
}
</script>


Many thanks,

Graham
http://www.ithorizon.co.uk

 

[Ivo]

What I currently have is a page that opens another browser at 800x600, once
that is loaded I would like to close the orginal page down while keeping the
page that it has just opened open (To make it more clear take a look at
http://www.ithorizon.co.uk).

Popups aren't a very popular subject in this newsgroup, and if one would
even manage to close the originating window (which it won't), that popup
would die a thousand painful deaths on as many computer screens.
The reason it won't is that if the parent window was not created by your
script, your script does not have the permission to silently bin it. If I
add the line

window.close()

as the last command in your function Start(), which is one way of doing it,
my IE browser generates this confirm box:
"A script on this page is trying to close the window.
Do you want to close this window?"
at which point also people who are not regular to this newsgroup will start
wondering why all this is necessary. Bottom-line: leave the window (or
windows) to the user, they know best how they want to navigate their way
through your site. If you think your site is special and users need
directions, give them, suggest that they close the opener - in plain text.
If you make clear the benefit of doing so, they will.
HTH
Ivo

 

[Graham]

Thanks for getting back to me on this.

The reason I want to get rid of the index.html window once to other window
opens is becouse it serves no purpose being there. Would it be a better idea
to pop a bit of code on there that closes down the window after 10 seconds
of it being open?

I can't seem to find any code on that, would you be able to point me to a
site where I can download it?

Many thanks,

Graham.

 

[Richard Cornford]

The reason I want to get rid of the index.html window once to other
window opens is becouse it serves no purpose being there.

<snip>

The window that the user used to navigate to index.html may not serve
you any purpose but it does serve a purpose for the user. It is, for
example, holding their browsing history, and they are going to want that
in order to get back to their google search page to find themselves the
next site on the list in the hope that it doesn't try to mess around
with their browser windows.

Richard.

 

[Graham]

I suppose this is the sort of answer I was expecting to get earlier on. I
want my site to look in a particular way, is that wrong? If the visiter
don't like it then I'm sure they can go else where. I just can't see the
point of having a window open if it has served its purpose in making the
other window open.

Graham.

 

[Randy Webb]

I suppose this is the sort of answer I was expecting to get earlier on. I
want my site to look in a particular way, is that wrong? If the visiter
don't like it then I'm sure they can go else where. I just can't see the
point of having a window open if it has served its purpose in making the
other window open.

Read the FAQ with regards to top-posting.

There is lots to be said about doing research.

One thing you are failing to realize is that a lot of people (I
included) will never ever see your popup window. AOL's popup blocker is
very adept at killing them, as are my other browsers. Now, when I go to
your page I am going to see a blank window and thats it. So, thats how
you "want your site to look"?

And yes, I can close the browser anytime I want to - it has an X on it
just for that purpose.

Keeping my secrets to myself with regards to anything else - proud of me
Richard? <g>

 

[Ivo]

I suppose this is the sort of answer I was expecting to get earlier on. I
want my site to look in a particular way, is that wrong? If the visiter
don't like it then I'm sure they can go else where. I just can't see the
point of having a window open if it has served its purpose in making the
other window open.

That is not its purpose. Its purpose is to continue showing pages after the
user has seen what he wanted to see (or not).
It has tremendous in value in that it is sized to a particular dimension and
position on the screen that he thought best when he positioned it, it
contains a history list which is unique to that window. You need to turn the
question around, you really do: what purpose serves your popup window? Do
you realize that more than 50 % of users (wild guess, I think I 'm
conservative) have popup blocking software and won't have even a clue why
your site is only a blank page if it doesn't at least say in plain text that
its only "purpose" was to clone itself.
HTH
Ivo

 

[Richard Cornford]

I suppose this is the sort of answer I was expecting to
get earlier on. I want my site to look in a particular way,
is that wrong?

Inside the browser's viewport it is not wrong. It is probably
unrealistic to actually expect it as "look" is not entirely under the
control of the author. But whatever happens outside of the web page
displaying part of the current browser instance is not really the
business of the page author, that is up to the user.

If the visiter don't like it then I'm
sure they can go else where.

Most web sites want visitors they don't serve much purpose themselves
without them.

I just can't see the point of having a
window open if it has served its
purpose in making the other window open.

You see the window as a vehicle for opening a new window, the user sees
it as a piece of software that they opened and are using. Shutting it
down without their consent is no different from someone walking up to
your computer when you are 3/4 of the way through some complex task and
pressing the power button. You don't know what you would be destroying
with your proposed action so you cannot assess its value to the user.

Richard.

 

[Richard Cornford]

Randy Webb wrote:

Keeping my secrets to myself with regards to anything
else - proud of me Richard? <g>

LOL. Yes.

Well I wasn't going to tell ;-)

Richard.

 

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen]

I suppose this is the sort of answer I was expecting to get earlier on. I
want my site to look in a particular way, is that wrong?

The goal is not wrong (only misguided). The means are wrong. Changing
the browser's size or position is overstepping the limit of
hospitality. It will irritate the user. Often so will opening new
windows. Trying to close the current window is pretty darn rude,
destructive and bordering on unforgivable.

If the visiter don't like it then I'm sure they can go else where.

Except back, because you killed their browser window and its history.
Don't do that. It's not your window to close (even if you manage to
find a way to do it).

I just can't see the point of having a window open if it has served
its purpose in making the other window open.

I think Richard Cornford was pretty clear: It *does* serve a purpose
for the user. It holds his history, which is worth more to him than
your site.

/L 'and please don't top post'