HTML Forum

**Duffx** · 03-14-2005, 11:31 PM

I just ran my website through the validator, and it gave me this:

Code:

Line 66, column 54: there is no attribute "TARGET"

...end a <a href="images/teddy/" target=_blank>teddy bear</a> for valentines day

You have used the attribute named above in your document, but the document type you are using does not support that attribute for this element. This error is often caused by incorrect use of the "Strict" document type with a document that uses frames (e.g. you must use the "Transitional" document type to get the "target" attribute), or by using vendor proprietary extensions such as "marginheight" (this is usually fixed by using CSS to achieve the desired effect instead).

This error may also result if the element itself is not supported in the document type you are using, as an undefined element will have no supported attributes; in this case, see the element-undefined error message for further information.

How to fix: check the spelling and case of the element and attribute, (Remember XHTML is all lower-case) and/or check that they are both allowed in the chosen document type, and/or use CSS instead of this attribute.

How are you supposed to open a link in a new window without using 'target'? Or should you not use "strict" if you want to do that? (I don't really understand why you would use strict if there is no alternative)

**daboss** · 03-15-2005, 12:26 AM

use a javascript popup function.

**Gaffer Sports** · 03-15-2005, 03:12 AM

Try:

target="_blank"

**Thom M** · 03-15-2005, 09:58 AM

Also try it without the _ like this: target="blank" it works for me

**Duffx** · 03-15-2005, 10:56 AM

The link works fine, it's just that the validator doesn't like "target".

http://validator.w3.org/

**Minaki** · 03-15-2005, 11:09 AM

What DOCTYPE are you using?

**Duffx** · 03-15-2005, 12:13 PM

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">

I ended up creating a javascript function as follows:

Code:

function aclick(url){
	window.open(url,'duffx','width=775,height=450,resizable,scrollbars,toolbar,location,menubar,status'); 
}

And I call it by doing

Code:

<a href="images/teddy/" onClick="aclick(this.href); return false;">teddy bear</a>

It passes validation, and this way it's more obvious that I opened a popup because of the smaller size, instead of it opening full-screen. (When I've seen the older generation like my mother browse my website, she always looks for a back button on pages I had open in a new window). If someone has javascript disabled, it just opens the link in the current window.

For those interested, the code

Code:

<a href="images/teddy/" onClick="window.open(this.href); return false;">teddy bear</a>

will do the EXACT same thing as

Code:

<a href="images/teddy/" target=_blank>teddy bear</a>

and still pass strict validation (if anyone cares).

**collyer_1** · 03-15-2005, 08:20 PM

The only problem is that you left out the quotes, the link will work just fine in the form target="_blank" as some of the others have said. The problem is not a complex one.

**Raptre** · 03-18-2005, 04:31 PM

Here is a XHTML 1.0 Strict way of using the target="_blank" function.

<a href="" onclick="window.open('http://yourlink.com/'); return false">

**Duffx** · 03-19-2005, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by collyer_1

The only problem is that you left out the quotes, the link will work just fine in the form target="_blank" as some of the others have said. The problem is not a complex one.

Did you care to read my last post? Again, the link works fine, but the code does not pass strict validation. However, I ended up using the javascript I posted above.

**ElectricSheep** · 03-20-2005, 03:23 PM

"target" is not part of HTML strict (or xhtml strict ) and so was correctly invalidated.

Your solution is ideal if you want to avoid transitional as it allows for non-scripting and pop-up blocking / JavaScript disabled browsers.

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