Problems with Popup Window

[Newbie]

Hello all~
I have got some questions about popup window, hope that someone can
help me..
m(_ _)m~thx~

when a popup window appear, can I force users to focus on the popup
window "ONLY"
that mean, if users don't close the popup window, they can't do
anything to other ie window(include close the opener window...etc)

 

[Richard Cornford]

Hello all~
I have got some questions about popup window,
hope that someone can help me..
m(_ _)m~thx~

when a popup window appear,

*IF* a popup window appears, not "when"; there is an ever increasing
likelihood that users will be operating some sort of pop-up blocker.

can I force users to focus on the popup
window "ONLY"

No, the user can do whatever they like.

that mean, if users don't close the popup window, they can't do
anything to other ie window(include close the opener window...etc)

There are scripts that attempt to lock the user into a particular
action. They are counter-productive because if the user needs to do
something else they will be annoyed if they are prevented from doing it.
As usual, in response to anything that annoys users, browser settings
and 3rd party software is/are available to disable/defeat the annoying
scripts. Rendering the attempt to lock the user into a cause of action
unreliable and meaning that the rest of the script (and/or server-side)
has to cope with both the conditions that would have applied without the
attempt and the conditions that would result from its success. And if
the former is handled then there was no need to attempt to lock the user
in in the first place.

Browser windows do not make viable modal dialog boxes.

Richard.

 

[William Morris]

*IF* a popup window appears, not "when"; there is an ever increasing
likelihood that users will be operating some sort of pop-up blocker.


No, the user can do whatever they like.

Unless, as in our case, you're writing a business application in which case
a measure of control over use actions is needed.

There are scripts that attempt to lock the user into a particular

in in the first place.

Browser windows do not make viable modal dialog boxes.

Yes they do, but only for Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher. While I agree in
principal with you, Richard, as it pertains to general use webpages, for
business apps modal dialogs are a necessity. Newbie, have a look at the
function call ShowModalDialog on MSDN:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...r/dhtml/reference/methods/showmodaldialog.asp

 

[Richard Cornford]

Unless, as in our case, you're writing a business application in
which case a measure of control over use actions is needed.

If a "business application" is an internal (Intranet) application (and
preferably with a long-term commitment to a particular browser type)
then some control over the users is achievable. If it is an e-commerce
Internet "business application" then it should be appreciated that
attempting to control the users will provide no more than the illusion
of control, rather than the real thing, and that every attempt to
control that succeeds will be directly turning away customers.

Yes they do, but only for Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher.

A browser window on IE 5.5+ is much the same as a browser window on any
other browser, and they don't make good modal dialogs.

While I agree in principal with you, Richard,
as it pertains to general use
webpages, for business apps modal dialogs are a necessity.

Modal dialogs can make sense in any context (web or otherwise) but they
don't require new browser windows (or the IE 5.0+ only
wondow.showModalDialog method) to be successfully implemented. The
"in-window pop-up" concept is well suited to modal dialogs, can be
successfully implemented on more browsers than any window-based
approach, are not subject to the actions of pop-up blockers and can
facilitates some fall-back options when client-side scripting is not
available.

Newbie, have a look at the function
call ShowModalDialog on MSDN:

It is only appropriate to needlessly restrict functionality to one
browser type when it is know that there is only that browser operating
in the environment, as might be the case on an Intranet.

Richard.