anchor tag target attribute value

[mj09]

what is the difference between the "_top" and "_parent" value for the target attribute of the Anchor tag? They seem to be doing the same of opening the link in the whole window. Using Javascript "parent." you can target the individual frames but how is this done using _parent in html

e.g <a href=&quot;

http://xy.com&quot;;

target=&quot;_parent&quot;>link</a>

When I read the explanation for &quot;_parent&quot;, the books say that when used with frames it opens up the document in the parent window or parent frame of the current frame.... but no matter which child-frame i use this attribute the page opens in the whole window...

Would appreciate some help with examples.

Thank you

 

[link9]

Well, if you had a nested frameset, then it would matter.

If you ask for _parent in a frame that is a member of a single frameset, then the _parent will always be the entire page, but take this as an example:

mainFrame
|
|---------
| |
| childFrameSet
| |
| -------------------------
| | |
| navPage someOtherPage
|
--------Main page

In this setup, if you opened something with _parent on &quot;Main Page&quot;, then the link would open up in &quot;Main Page&quot;.

However, if you asked for _parent in &quot;someOtherPage&quot;, then the link would open up in &quot;ChildFrameSet&quot;

Whereas the _top would always open it in &quot;Main Page&quot;.


Paul Prewett

 

[link9]

err... up there where I was saying the links would open up in &quot;Main Page&quot;, I meant &quot;mainFrame&quot;

sorry for the confusion.