Just a test

[alicebentley]

Because I want to see if things work like I think they do when I post a link here.

Shelf Life, edited by Greg Ketter

Comments

[erik]

I always try to remember to add "target=_blank" to links; it makes them open in a new tab so people don't lose their place in their reading here.

[alicebentley]

Oooo Good point!

[alicebentley]

What is the purpose of the underscore in "target=_blank" ?

[erik]

I don't actually know. It's what I was shown, so it's what I do.
Generally though, leading underscores often indicate a meta-variable of some kind. Which would make sense in this case: you're referring to the idea of a blank (new) window, not an existing window named "blank".

[erik]

Yes. If it was "blank" it would create a new tab and name it "blank". Which would then open the next link targeted at "blank" in that tab instead of a new one. "_blank" creates a new tab and doesn't name it anything.

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

yes
more precisely,
<a href="foo.bar.org/baz" target="fubar">link!</a>
The values go inside quotes. I generally just make up a name for the target. Something not likely to be used anywhere else.
So that when the link is clicked it opens in a new tab instead of replacing your page in the same tab.

[erik]

See above; it turns out if you target "_blank" you get a new tab that is not named anything. Which avoids the name collision issue.

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

thanks!
I didn't know the underscore-blank gimmick. It looks like a real bastard shoved in despite conventions, but that's not my problem.

[erik]

It's part of the frames stuff. There are a couple more _foo metas for dealing with frames using target=; _self is just the one that is useful without frames.