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CDubber
CDubber
Known Participant
July 3, 2019
Question

Button opens web page in new browser window sans menu/controls?

  • July 3, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 689 views

Hey all, I'm just now making a serious transition to Captivate after years of using Articulate products.

I'm trying to create a standard opening screen that references multiple web pages for references. How can I create a button action that opens the URL in question in a new browser window sans browser "chrome?" (Menu, toolbars, address bar, etc.) I want the learner to be able to click, read the info in the resulting new web page, then close the new web page and continue with the course. Any advice appreciated. This is probably very simple to do for you experienced Captivate users.

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    2 replies

    David Burnham HBA
    David Burnham HBA
    Inspiring
    July 12, 2019

    This is one where Adobe could learn from Articulate. Miss that I can control the window behaviour from within the authoring tool without having to use a work around that is not part of the application - this is such a basic behavour that we use as ID's and Developers..

      Paul Wilson CTDP
      Community Expert
      Paul Wilson CTDPCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      July 11, 2019

      Set the action for your button to Execute Javascript and use the following script. Change the URL and the dimensions to values appropriate for your situation.

       

      url = "web address goes here";

      window.open(url, "window name", "height=600,width=800");

       

      I've tested this in all the popular Windows web browsers but keep in mind that LMS or corporate environments might block this functionality. Test it in your environment to be sure.

      Paul Wilson, CTDP
      CDubber
      CDubberAuthor
      Known Participant
      July 15, 2019

      Thanks Paul. After further research/experimentation, I realized current browsers don't allow you to force open a new window but rely on the individual's browser preferences to determine whether it's opened in a new window or a new tab. I decided ultimately this might confuse the learner and decided to incorporate the linked text directly into some pop-up windows within the course itself.

      I also agree with David - I loved how Articulate allows you to specify the course browser appearance before publishing. Presenting browser back/forward buttons in addition to the course back/forward buttons is problematic for our learners. I liked being able to launch a course that looked like its own standalone application, one that filled the screen entirely to hide distractions and eliminated potentially-confusing browser controls.

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