Voiding a return value from JavaScript

Voiding a return value from JavaScript

When using the JavaScript command inside a link specification (HREF), you have to make sure the command does not return any value. Look at the following link that is generated by this code.

<A HREF="javascript:window.open('http://www.docjs.com/', '',
'width=640,height=480')">Doc JavaScript</A>
Click the Doc JavaScript link above and see how the page is reloaded with just a single word: [object]. The reason is that javascript:window.open() returns an object and the link tries to interpret the object as a URL, unsuccessfully of course.

You can solve this problem by masking a void return value. Here is the link again:

Doc JavaScript

And here is the corresponding code:

<A HREF="javascript:void(window.open('http://www.docjs.com/', '',
'width=640,height=480'))">Doc JavaScript</A>

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This was first published in June 2001

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