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Browser Windows and Window Navigation Management

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4/8/2010

To simplify the browsing experience, improve performance, and reduce how much memory that is used by the device when the user is browsing, the Internet Explorer Mobile browser uses a single display window. Although sites that are designed for the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser on the desktop computer regularly use multiple windows, the Internet Explorer Mobile browser does not use multiple windows. This results in the following issues:

  • Using the window.open method
    In Pocket PC 2000, calls to the window.open method for the browser fail silently (if script errors are off). Attempts to use the <A HREF="..." TARGET="_new"> frame, or any other nonexistent frame, do not open a new browser window.
    In Pocket PC 2002 and Smartphone 2002, the window.open method for the browser works if it is triggered by a user-initiated navigation, but not if the Web page automatically calls the window.open method to open an advertising window or something similar. For example, if the user taps a link that causes a script to execute, and this action in turn calls the window.open method, that is treated as a user-initiated navigation, and the contents of the specified window are displayed in the browser window. The Back button browses back to the page that caused the window to open.
  • Using the TARGET attribute of the <a> tag
    Using the target=_new attribute together with the <a> tag does not open a second window in the Internet Explorer Mobile browser, because it would with a browser on a desktop computer. You can use the target attribute to point only to a named frame. Using any other specified attribute (for example, target=_new) may cause the Internet Explorer Mobile browser to behave as if you had not specified any target.
  • Other tags that support the TARGET attribute are the <AREA> tag, the <BASE> tag, and the <FORM> tag.
  • Valid values for the TARGET attribute:
    • The browser for Pocket PC 2000 supports the _parent attribute and the _top attribute
    • The browser for Pocket PC 2002 and Smartphone 2002 supports the _blank, _parent and _top attributes
    • The browser for Windows Mobile 2003 and later versions supports the _blank, _parent, _self and _top attributes

See Also

Concepts

Best Practices for E-Commerce
Best Practices for Information Sites

Other Resources

Mobile Web Site Design Overview
Internet Explorer Mobile Overview