TIP 183: Opening New Windows

Little windows that pop up without warning are a nuisance, but a window that opens when a user needs more information can be a very effective design solution. In this tip, we show how easy it is to create just such a new window. Follow these straightforward steps:

1.	Select text and create a null link by typing a pound sign (#) into the URL field of the Inspector palette. (You can also use an image for the linkjust select the image and use the Link tab of the Inspector to create the link.)
2.	In the Actions palette, select the event to use as a trigger. In this example we'll use Mouse Click.
3.	Create a new Action by clicking the New button on the right.
4.	Select Link > Open Window from the Action pull-down list.
5.	In the Actions palette, choose the options for your window. In this example, we made a window 300x300 pixels in size and disabled the browser's Menu and Tools (Figure 183). Figure 183. Set options for your pop-up window in the Actions palette.
6.	Create a new window in any size and with or without the browser interface features such as scrollbars and menus. Use the Fetch URL tool to link to the page that will load into the new little window.

Closing Windows

This Action is the simplest of all. To close a page, add a link saying something like, "Close this Window." Then attach the Close Window Action to the Mouse Click event. When the user clicks the link, the window goes buh-bye.

You'll need to preview this Action in a browser, because GoLive's preview will not open a new window for you. Click the Preview in Browser button on the toolbar and click the link to open the new window.