DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

[Steve Pugh]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:[color=blue]
>Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > wrote:
>[color=green]
>>Hang on. You have <a href="">text</a> and you've styled it so that it
>>has a changing background on :hover, right?[/color]
>
>No. It just stays as text. But a couple of nested divisions before it,
>just float to the left, and can contain a button and hover-button,
>separately, for a single anchor tag which duplicates the href link.[/color]

So you actually have two links to the same resource?
[color=blue]
>Some of my styles don't do that Typically it's display:none.
>But one does. It's a very different look than the others.[/color]

Yes, different styles produce different looks. You have two links to
the same resource styled differently and you don't want one of them to
be a link? So remove the <a> element from the second one.
[color=blue]
>So I wanted to
>transfer the click, the link, over to the button, and away from the
>text.[/color]

It's impossible (well except by changing the document with JavaScript)
to 'transfer' a link or anything like that. You seem to be implying
that you've managed to do this 'transferring' somehow. Telling us how
would maybe give us some indication of what on earth you're actually
taking about.
[color=blue]
>The text remains. But it doesn't do anything. And I don't know
>how to do that.[/color]

<a href=""><img src="your button" alt=""></a>
the text.

What could be simpler?
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>It would just be slicker to be able
>>>to do that, turn off the text link.[/color][/color]
>[color=green]
>>If you turn off the link then there is no link.[/color]
>
>Exactly.[/color]

Do you want the link to exist or not? I'm very confused.
[color=blue][color=green]
>>If you want to hide the text[/color]
>
>I want the text to remain visible, to identify the button's link.[/color]

Identify it how?
[color=blue]
>Maybe it just can't be done. Again, it would be nicer. But it's no
>loss.[/color]

I have no idea what you're actually trying to do. A URL normally
helps.

Steve

--
"My theories appal you, my heresies outrage you,
I never answer letters and you don't like my tie." - The Doctor

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > <http://steve.pugh.net/>

[Steve Pugh]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:[color=blue]
>Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > wrote:
>[color=green]
>>Hang on. You have <a href="">text</a> and you've styled it so that it
>>has a changing background on :hover, right?[/color]
>
>No. It just stays as text. But a couple of nested divisions before it,
>just float to the left, and can contain a button and hover-button,
>separately, for a single anchor tag which duplicates the href link.[/color]

So you actually have two links to the same resource?
[color=blue]
>Some of my styles don't do that Typically it's display:none.
>But one does. It's a very different look than the others.[/color]

Yes, different styles produce different looks. You have two links to
the same resource styled differently and you don't want one of them to
be a link? So remove the <a> element from the second one.
[color=blue]
>So I wanted to
>transfer the click, the link, over to the button, and away from the
>text.[/color]

It's impossible (well except by changing the document with JavaScript)
to 'transfer' a link or anything like that. You seem to be implying
that you've managed to do this 'transferring' somehow. Telling us how
would maybe give us some indication of what on earth you're actually
taking about.
[color=blue]
>The text remains. But it doesn't do anything. And I don't know
>how to do that.[/color]

<a href=""><img src="your button" alt=""></a>
the text.

What could be simpler?
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>It would just be slicker to be able
>>>to do that, turn off the text link.[/color][/color]
>[color=green]
>>If you turn off the link then there is no link.[/color]
>
>Exactly.[/color]

Do you want the link to exist or not? I'm very confused.
[color=blue][color=green]
>>If you want to hide the text[/color]
>
>I want the text to remain visible, to identify the button's link.[/color]

Identify it how?
[color=blue]
>Maybe it just can't be done. Again, it would be nicer. But it's no
>loss.[/color]

I have no idea what you're actually trying to do. A URL normally
helps.

Steve

--
"My theories appal you, my heresies outrage you,
I never answer letters and you don't like my tie." - The Doctor

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > <http://steve.pugh.net/>

[Mark Johnson]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > wrote:
[color=blue]
>I have no idea what you're actually trying to do. A URL normally
>helps.[/color]

I just got the domain name, last week. I've got nothing on the site,
as yet. I'm working to get the first version ready.

But again, I have a text anchor, with URL, of course. And I have
couple of DIVs, one of which duplicates the link, but both of which
are typically not shown. They are placeholders, as with a number of
other SPANs and DIVs on each page. Some styles use these. Others turn
them off or ignore them. I have one style, among various, that uses
buttons loaded as background images, as an alternative method for an
image swap rollover, using only style sheets, and not javascript. But
since in that style a button is used, is shown, I thought it redundant
to also retain the anchor, the link, for the text, which is still
shown. I wanted it simply to be treated as text, even though it is
marked up with an anchor tag in the XHTML.

Again, I could imagine a javascript work around, at the time the style
is changed. These are selected from a dropdown box, and updated when
the window is resized, in javascript. Part of that could also involve
modifying certain links. But it would be too much of a kludge, I
think. Then again, my use of containers for box corners/ears is a bit
much if only IE would recognize corner-radius (on the other hand, it's
more flexible if you don't simply want a pure radius every time).

Anyway.

[Mark Johnson]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > wrote:
[color=blue]
>I have no idea what you're actually trying to do. A URL normally
>helps.[/color]

I just got the domain name, last week. I've got nothing on the site,
as yet. I'm working to get the first version ready.

But again, I have a text anchor, with URL, of course. And I have
couple of DIVs, one of which duplicates the link, but both of which
are typically not shown. They are placeholders, as with a number of
other SPANs and DIVs on each page. Some styles use these. Others turn
them off or ignore them. I have one style, among various, that uses
buttons loaded as background images, as an alternative method for an
image swap rollover, using only style sheets, and not javascript. But
since in that style a button is used, is shown, I thought it redundant
to also retain the anchor, the link, for the text, which is still
shown. I wanted it simply to be treated as text, even though it is
marked up with an anchor tag in the XHTML.

Again, I could imagine a javascript work around, at the time the style
is changed. These are selected from a dropdown box, and updated when
the window is resized, in javascript. Part of that could also involve
modifying certain links. But it would be too much of a kludge, I
think. Then again, my use of containers for box corners/ears is a bit
much if only IE would recognize corner-radius (on the other hand, it's
more flexible if you don't simply want a pure radius every time).

Anyway.

[Mark Johnson]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>But again, I have a text anchor, with URL, of course. And I have
>couple of DIVs, one of which duplicates the link, but both of which
>are typically not shown. They are placeholders, as with a number of
>other SPANs and DIVs on each page. Some styles use these. Others turn
>them off or ignore them. I have one style, among various, that uses
>buttons loaded as background images, as an alternative method for an
>image swap rollover, using only style sheets, and not javascript. But
>since in that style a button is used, is shown, I thought it redundant
>to also retain the anchor, the link, for the text, which is still
>shown. I wanted it simply to be treated as text, even though it is
>marked up with an anchor tag in the XHTML.[/color]

You know, I wonder if rather than thinking of modifying event
behavior, or rerouting it, that stylesheets could be used to hide a
portion of an anchor, but not the rest? That is - hide the anchor, and
so the behavior, but retain display of the text?

[Mark Johnson]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>But again, I have a text anchor, with URL, of course. And I have
>couple of DIVs, one of which duplicates the link, but both of which
>are typically not shown. They are placeholders, as with a number of
>other SPANs and DIVs on each page. Some styles use these. Others turn
>them off or ignore them. I have one style, among various, that uses
>buttons loaded as background images, as an alternative method for an
>image swap rollover, using only style sheets, and not javascript. But
>since in that style a button is used, is shown, I thought it redundant
>to also retain the anchor, the link, for the text, which is still
>shown. I wanted it simply to be treated as text, even though it is
>marked up with an anchor tag in the XHTML.[/color]

You know, I wonder if rather than thinking of modifying event
behavior, or rerouting it, that stylesheets could be used to hide a
portion of an anchor, but not the rest? That is - hide the anchor, and
so the behavior, but retain display of the text?

[Steve Pugh]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > wrote:
>[color=green]
>>I have no idea what you're actually trying to do. A URL normally
>>helps.[/color]
>
>I just got the domain name, last week. I've got nothing on the site,
>as yet. I'm working to get the first version ready.[/color]

If it was finished we wouldn't need to see it, would we? Stick it on
free web space if you haven't purchased hosting yet.
[color=blue]
>But again, I have a text anchor, with URL, of course.[/color]

<a href="foo">text </a>
[color=blue]
>And I have couple of DIVs,[/color]

<div>...</div>
<div>...</div>
[color=blue]
>one of which duplicates the link,[/color]

Duplicated it how? By containing a _second_ <a href="foo"></a> ?
[color=blue]
>but both of which are typically not shown.[/color]

display: none; or visibility: hidden; ?
[color=blue]
>They are placeholders, as with a number of other SPANs and DIVs on each page.
>Some styles use these. Others turn them off or ignore them.[/color]

You page has multiple style sheets?
[color=blue]
>I have one style, among various, that uses
>buttons loaded as background images, as an alternative method for an
>image swap rollover, using only style sheets, and not javascript.[/color]

As IE does not support :hover except on <a> elements this very
strongly implies that the "buttons" are duplicate <a href="foo"></a>
elements.
[color=blue]
> But
>since in that style a button is used, is shown, I thought it redundant
>to also retain the anchor, the link, for the text, which is still
>shown.[/color]

In general it is poor usability to have multiple links to the same
resource, but it's not an absolute rule. The important point is to
make sure that the user knows that the links are the same - so make
sure that both your text links and "buttons" have clear :visited
styles so that users aren't fooled into following links that they've
already visited.
[color=blue]
>I wanted it simply to be treated as text, even though it is
>marked up with an anchor tag in the XHTML.[/color]

I gave some styles in my first post that hide the appearance of being
a link. Did you try them?

There is no way in CSS to remove the link from an <a> element without
removing the whole element.

Steve

--
"My theories appal you, my heresies outrage you,
I never answer letters and you don't like my tie." - The Doctor

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > <http://steve.pugh.net/>

[Steve Pugh]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>You know, I wonder if rather than thinking of modifying event
>behavior, or rerouting it, that stylesheets could be used to hide a
>portion of an anchor, but not the rest? That is - hide the anchor, and
>so the behavior, but retain display of the text?[/color]

No. The link is a property of the whole <a> element not just part of
it. With JavaScript you can strip out the tags converting the <a>
element into a text node, or remove the href attribute node converting
it into a link-less <a> element. But with CSS all you can do is change
the presentation of the element.

Steve

--
"My theories appal you, my heresies outrage you,
I never answer letters and you don't like my tie." - The Doctor

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > <http://steve.pugh.net/>

[Steve Pugh]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > wrote:
>[color=green]
>>I have no idea what you're actually trying to do. A URL normally
>>helps.[/color]
>
>I just got the domain name, last week. I've got nothing on the site,
>as yet. I'm working to get the first version ready.[/color]

If it was finished we wouldn't need to see it, would we? Stick it on
free web space if you haven't purchased hosting yet.
[color=blue]
>But again, I have a text anchor, with URL, of course.[/color]

<a href="foo">text </a>
[color=blue]
>And I have couple of DIVs,[/color]

<div>...</div>
<div>...</div>
[color=blue]
>one of which duplicates the link,[/color]

Duplicated it how? By containing a _second_ <a href="foo"></a> ?
[color=blue]
>but both of which are typically not shown.[/color]

display: none; or visibility: hidden; ?
[color=blue]
>They are placeholders, as with a number of other SPANs and DIVs on each page.
>Some styles use these. Others turn them off or ignore them.[/color]

You page has multiple style sheets?
[color=blue]
>I have one style, among various, that uses
>buttons loaded as background images, as an alternative method for an
>image swap rollover, using only style sheets, and not javascript.[/color]

As IE does not support :hover except on <a> elements this very
strongly implies that the "buttons" are duplicate <a href="foo"></a>
elements.
[color=blue]
> But
>since in that style a button is used, is shown, I thought it redundant
>to also retain the anchor, the link, for the text, which is still
>shown.[/color]

In general it is poor usability to have multiple links to the same
resource, but it's not an absolute rule. The important point is to
make sure that the user knows that the links are the same - so make
sure that both your text links and "buttons" have clear :visited
styles so that users aren't fooled into following links that they've
already visited.
[color=blue]
>I wanted it simply to be treated as text, even though it is
>marked up with an anchor tag in the XHTML.[/color]

I gave some styles in my first post that hide the appearance of being
a link. Did you try them?

There is no way in CSS to remove the link from an <a> element without
removing the whole element.

Steve

--
"My theories appal you, my heresies outrage you,
I never answer letters and you don't like my tie." - The Doctor

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > <http://steve.pugh.net/>

[Steve Pugh]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>You know, I wonder if rather than thinking of modifying event
>behavior, or rerouting it, that stylesheets could be used to hide a
>portion of an anchor, but not the rest? That is - hide the anchor, and
>so the behavior, but retain display of the text?[/color]

No. The link is a property of the whole <a> element not just part of
it. With JavaScript you can strip out the tags converting the <a>
element into a text node, or remove the href attribute node converting
it into a link-less <a> element. But with CSS all you can do is change
the presentation of the element.

Steve

--
"My theories appal you, my heresies outrage you,
I never answer letters and you don't like my tie." - The Doctor

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > <http://steve.pugh.net/>

[Ulujain]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Jakob wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> I could think of a reason.
> Suppose you want a secret link, a link you don't want strangers to use,
> but for friends or relatives it's OK.[/color]

Set up authentication for it and give your friends and relatives the URL
and the password.

'Later
Peter

--
Peter aka Ulujain - Computing for Fun!

http://www.ulujain.org/

[Ulujain]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Jakob wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> I could think of a reason.
> Suppose you want a secret link, a link you don't want strangers to use,
> but for friends or relatives it's OK.[/color]

Set up authentication for it and give your friends and relatives the URL
and the password.

'Later
Peter

--
Peter aka Ulujain - Computing for Fun!

http://www.ulujain.org/

[Karl Smith]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > wrote:
[color=blue]
> Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >I wanted it simply to be treated as text, even though it is
> >marked up with an anchor tag in the XHTML.[/color]
>
> There is no way in CSS to remove the link from an <a> element without
> removing the whole element.[/color]

To disable a link using only CSS, no JavaScript, position a
transparent element over the link text and give it a higher z-index so
it is "in front of" the link text.

This newsgroup often has messages from people who have accidentally
disabled links while experimenting with absolute positioning.

--
Karl Smith.

[Karl Smith]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > wrote:
[color=blue]
> Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >I wanted it simply to be treated as text, even though it is
> >marked up with an anchor tag in the XHTML.[/color]
>
> There is no way in CSS to remove the link from an <a> element without
> removing the whole element.[/color]

To disable a link using only CSS, no JavaScript, position a
transparent element over the link text and give it a higher z-index so
it is "in front of" the link text.

This newsgroup often has messages from people who have accidentally
disabled links while experimenting with absolute positioning.

--
Karl Smith.

[Steve Pugh]

Re: DYNAMICALLY disable links with CSS?

google-2003-03@kjsmith.com (Karl Smith) wrote:
[color=blue]
>Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Mark Johnson <102334.12@comp userve.com> wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>> >I wanted it simply to be treated as text, even though it is
>> >marked up with an anchor tag in the XHTML.[/color]
>>
>> There is no way in CSS to remove the link from an <a> element without
>> removing the whole element.[/color]
>
>To disable a link using only CSS, no JavaScript, position a
>transparent element over the link text and give it a higher z-index so
>it is "in front of" the link text.[/color]

Does that also disable the link if the user is navigating with the
keyboard rather than the mouse?

Steve

--
"My theories appal you, my heresies outrage you,
I never answer letters and you don't like my tie." - The Doctor

Steve Pugh <steve@pugh.net > <http://steve.pugh.net/>