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Lanark
Lanark
Participating Frequently
March 28, 2023
Question

Dreamweaver CC Named Anchor Tag Missing?

  • March 28, 2023
  • 3 replies
  • 885 views

Insert > Named Anchor

This command has been removed. Does it exist elsewhere, or does one have to hand code the HTML in DW?

 

A previous thread on this states that "Named anchors are deprecated since HTML4" but I can find no mention of this anywhere in the HTML 4 specs, indeed the w3c pages themselves use named anchors for navigation.

[deprecation of this tag was stated in a now edited page on the less than reliable w3schools website, so that may be where this idea came from].

 

Are there any good reasons why we should switch away from using <a id="e"></a>Example

(performance perhaps?)

and are there any easy ways of entering Named anchors with DW now that the menu option has been removed?

Thanks

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    3 replies

    Jon Fritz
    Community Expert
    Jon FritzCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 28, 2023
    quote

    Insert > Named Anchor

    This command has been removed. Does it exist elsewhere, or does one have to hand code the HTML in DW?


    ...

    Are there any good reasons why we should switch away from using <a id="e"></a>Example

    (performance perhaps?)...


    By @Lanark


    When the name attribute was deemed obsolete in the html spec, Adobe felt the need to remove the Named Anchor function from DW, just like they did with absolute positioned element options when they fell out of vogue (there was also a short time period where they removed table functions too).

    <a name="yournamehere"> is obsolete. It does work in all browsers and will continue to do so until it doesn't.

    <a id="youridhere"> is acceptable...

    ...however, you can target any element by its id. Because of that, it tends to get a little redundant/unnecessary to add the extra <a> tags into your html to jump around when you can just target the id of a <div> or <h1> or any other element in your html.

      Lanark
      LanarkAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      March 28, 2023

      Thats a good point, but I think there is value in separating ID's used for code and markup and anchor IDs used for hyperlinks. You may have a naming convention for IDs but for an anchor which will be visible in the url, it is better to have an SEO friendly name.

      Also Dreamweaver displays anchors with an handy anchor symbol in the WYSIWYG editor.

      Nancy OShea
      Community Expert
      Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 28, 2023

      It's up to the web developer (you) to create the ID name.  If it's not "SEO friendly," that's on you; not the web specs or the software.

       

      IDS are unique & prefaced by a hashtag:

      #unique_id, #happydance, #foo, #whatever_you_wish

       

      Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
      BenPleysier
      Community Expert
      BenPleysierCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 28, 2023

      I asked your question using Bing Chat with this result

       

       

      Wappler is the DMXzone-made Dreamweaver replacement and includes the best of their powerful extensions, as well as much more!
        O
        osgood_
        Legend
        March 28, 2023
        quote

        I asked your question using Bing Chat


        By @BenPleysier

         

        Have you found a new toy?

        BenPleysier
        Community Expert
        BenPleysierCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        March 28, 2023

        With so many things in past tense, it is great to have something to look forward to. I think that you know the feeling.

        Wappler is the DMXzone-made Dreamweaver replacement and includes the best of their powerful extensions, as well as much more!
        Lanark
        LanarkAuthor
        Participating Frequently
        March 28, 2023

        I should add that <a name="e"> is definitely deprecated, but I'm talking about using an ID.

        O
        osgood_
        Legend
        March 28, 2023

        Search Google for 'How to create css rules in Dreamweaver".

         

        No reason you can't add an id to an anchor tag.  Its generally useful for jumping to a specific place within a page from a link.

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