Disable Link from HREF Attribute?

[Jamie Jackson]

I know that it's possible to return false in an onClick to disable a
link. Is there a way to do this within the HREF attribute?

Something like:
<a href="javascrip t: return false;"> ?

Thanks,
Jamie

[McKirahan]

Re: Disable Link from HREF Attribute?

"Jamie Jackson" <mcsqueebagePle aseDontSpamMe@h otmail.com> wrote in message
news:bkcqn0d2ar cc143l12csijpfm 7cgedtn5d@4ax.c om...[color=blue]
> I know that it's possible to return false in an onClick to disable a
> link. Is there a way to do this within the HREF attribute?
>
> Something like:
> <a href="javascrip t: return false;"> ?
>
> Thanks,
> Jamie[/color]

Perhaps you want this:

javascript:void (0)

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen]

Re: Disable Link from HREF Attribute?

Jamie Jackson <mcsqueebagePle aseDontSpamMe@h otmail.com> writes:
[color=blue]
> I know that it's possible to return false in an onClick to disable a
> link. Is there a way to do this within the HREF attribute?
>
> Something like:
> <a href="javascrip t: return false;"> ?[/color]

If you decide to use a javascript:-href (which there are good reasons for
not doing <URL:http://jibbering.com/faq/#FAQ4_24>), then to avoid having
the page replaced by the value of the expression, the expression must
evaluate to "undefined" .

Example:
<a href="javascrip t:document.form s[0].elements[1].value='foo';vo id 0;">...</a>
(The operator "void" always gives the value "undefined" , whereas the
variable "undefined" wasn't defined in earlier browsers).

It would still be better to do:
<a href="youNeedJS .html"
onclick="docume nt.forms[0].elements[1].value='foo';re turn false;">...</a>
or even better:
<input type="button" value="..."
onclick="docume nt.forms[0].elements[1].value='foo';re turn false;">

/L
--
Lasse Reichstein Nielsen - lrn@hotpop.com
DHTML Death Colors: <URL:http://www.infimum.dk/HTML/rasterTriangleD OM.html>
'Faith without judgement merely degrades the spirit divine.'

[Lee]

Re: Disable Link from HREF Attribute?

Jamie Jackson said:[color=blue]
>
>I know that it's possible to return false in an onClick to disable a
>link. Is there a way to do this within the HREF attribute?
>
>Something like:
><a href="javascrip t: return false;"> ?[/color]

Why use a link at all?
It might help to know what you're trying to accomplish.

[Jamie Jackson]

Re: Disable Link from HREF Attribute?

On 25 Oct 2004 10:36:59 -0700, Lee <REM0VElbspamtr ap@cox.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Jamie Jackson said:[color=green]
>>
>>I know that it's possible to return false in an onClick to disable a
>>link. Is there a way to do this within the HREF attribute?
>>
>>Something like:
>><a href="javascrip t: return false;"> ?[/color]
>
>Why use a link at all?
>It might help to know what you're trying to accomplish.[/color]

Okay, I'm tasked to put disclaimers on external links. However, the
site is data-driven, and I'd like to come up with a way to do this in
the least obtrusive way (without going around and changing hardcoded
links, and links within databased "articles." )

Here's what I came up with, but it's working in Opera, and not in IE.
(Any insight into getting it to work with IE?)

Overview: I'm using JS to retroactively give every external link an
onClick prompt method. I'm a newbie, so I'd appreciate any peripheral
tips, too.

<script type="text/javascript">
function promptBeforeOpe ning () {
if (confirm("LEAVI NG SITE X\n\nYou are about to leave site X \n\nTo
proceed to the Web site, please select the OK button.")) {
// confirmed: thank you, drive through
return true;
} else {
// user has cancelled, don't go to link
return false;
}
}

/* The following function will take every external link on the page,
** and modify it to use a prompt
*/
function disclaimOutside Links(d, urlExclusions) {
var href="";
var exclusionPatter ns = new Array();
var matchFound;
var origOnClick;
// make an array of exclusion patterns for later use
for (var h=0; h < urlExclusions.l ength; h++) {
exclusionPatter ns[h] = new RegExp(urlExclu sions[h], 'i');
}
// loop over all links
for (var i=0; i < d.links.length; i++) {
// reset some vars to their defaults
matchFound = false;
origOnClick = "";
// loop over all exclusion patterns
for (var j=0; j < exclusionPatter ns.length; j++) {
if (exclusionPatte rns[j].test( d.links[i].href ) ) {
// exclusion pattern matched, set matchFound to true, and
break loop
matchFound = true;
break;
}
}
// if matchFound is false, tweak the link's attributes
if (! matchFound ) {
// save a copy of any onClick that the link may have originally
had
origOnClick = d.links[i].onclick;
// rewrite the link's onClick to prompt before going
d.links[i].onclick = "return promptBeforeOpe ning();";
// d.links[i].href += "#hi"; // debugging
if (origOnClick != null) {
// old onClick exists, so append it to the new one
d.links[i].onclick += origOnClick;
}
}
}
}
/* URL Exclusion Array
** URLs that have this substring should not be disclaimed
*/
urlExclusions = new Array(
"subdomain.stag e.domain.com",
"subdomain.dev. domain.com",
"dom1.com/dir1/dir2",
"dom2.com/dir3/dir4",
".gov",
"mailto:",
"excludeMeFromD isclaimer"
);
// Switch all of the document's links now
disclaimOutside Links(document, urlExclusions);
</script>