Make WordPress Core

Opened 12 years ago

Closed 11 years ago

Last modified 16 months ago

#20839 closed enhancement (maybelater)

"Visit plugin site" should open in a new window

Reported by: empireoflight's profile empireoflight Owned by: helen's profile helen
Milestone: Priority: normal
Severity: minor Version: 3.4
Component: Administration Keywords: has-patch close target-blank
Focuses: ui, accessibility Cc:

Description

It's weird to take users off the site when they click on this link in the plugins section. Just a little thing to make the experience that much better :)

Attachments (3)

20839.patch (1.3 KB) - added by SergeyBiryukov 12 years ago.
20839.2.patch (4.0 KB) - added by SergeyBiryukov 12 years ago.
visit-plugin-site.png (15.8 KB) - added by toscho 12 years ago.
show domain name in link

Download all attachments as: .zip

Change History (57)

#1 @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

  • Component changed from General to Administration
  • Keywords ux-feedback added

#2 @jane
12 years ago

  • Component changed from Administration to UI
  • Keywords needs-patch added; ux-feedback removed
  • Milestone changed from Awaiting Review to Future Release
  • Severity changed from normal to minor
  • Type changed from feature request to enhancement

Usually we try to keep links in same tab, but I agree that in this case a new tab would be appropriate. It's not really clear from the link text that it's an external link, a lot of people expect something like a mini-site hosted on .org (and I've also heard people wish that's where everything was so they could be sure it was trustworthy etc).

#3 follow-up: @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

  • Keywords has-patch added; needs-patch removed

Should "Visit author homepage" link be opened in a new tab as well? 20839.patch handles both.

#4 @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

  • Component changed from UI to Administration
  • Keywords ui-focus added

#5 @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

  • Milestone changed from Future Release to 3.6

#6 in reply to: ↑ 3 @lessbloat
12 years ago

Replying to SergeyBiryukov:

Should "Visit author homepage" link be opened in a new tab as well?

I think so, yes. 20839.patch looks good to me.

#7 @TheAdityaJain
12 years ago

  • Cc mail@… added

#8 @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

20839.2.patch does the same for themes.

#9 @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

  • Keywords commit added

#10 @helen
12 years ago

  • Owner set to helen
  • Resolution set to fixed
  • Status changed from new to closed

In 23394:

Open external links to plugin homepages, plugin author homepages, and theme author homepages in a new window/tab. props SergeyBiryukov. fixes #20839.

#11 @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

In 1203/tests:

Correct expected results in get_plugin_data() and WP_Theme tests. see [23394]. see #20839.

#12 @toscho
12 years ago

  • Cc info@… added

This should be tested in Safari on iOS. There is a limit of open tabs: 8 on iPhone and iPod touch, 9 on iPad (24 since iOS 6).

What happens when the new tab crosses that limit? Is the result predictable for the user?

#13 @helen
12 years ago

What is a website (any site) supposed to do about that? Not being snarky, genuinely asking.

#14 @toscho
12 years ago

Not sure. In a regular website forced new windows should be avoided. In this case … maybe announce it somehow?

As a keyboard user I have to say, I don’t like new windows, Ctrl+back works much better than closing the new tab and searching for the previous. I don’t understand what problem was solved here. When a user wants to visit the plugin page, the plugin list in wp-admin is the obvious starting point, isn’t it?

#15 @helen
12 years ago

Read comment:2 for the reasoning.

#16 @toscho
12 years ago

I read that, I just don’t understand what is wrong with the current window. target=_blank breaks the back button/shortcut. Why is that better than the current behavior?

#17 @helen
12 years ago

It's an external site that isn't required to be on .org. Who knows what you could encounter - multiple redirects away, etc. This is a specific case (or rather, set of cases) and I agree that it's an appropriate place for a new window/tab.

#18 follow-up: @toscho
12 years ago

  • Resolution fixed deleted
  • Status changed from closed to reopened

Please leave the decision to the user. The normal and expected behavior of a link click is new content in the same tab. The user’s tab arrangement is not WordPress’ business. If you really need a forced new window write a plugin for that.

Even in those rare cases where the linked page breaks the back button (examples? never seen that), the user will always be able to find her WordPress dashboard again.

I know how little my opinion counts here … please ask at least on http://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/ for feedback before you push this into a release.

#19 in reply to: ↑ 18 @scribu
12 years ago

Replying to toscho:

Even in those rare cases where the linked page breaks the back button (examples? never seen that)

No one gave that as a reason for the change.

#20 @mark-k
12 years ago

my 2 cents

There is no consistency right now. wordpress.org links in the help section open in a new window while in the bottom or dashboard they open in the same window.

IMO if external links are somehow a problem (and here I'm totally with toscho, user knows better and should be trusted to know how he wants to open a link based on his needs) the fix should be in JS and add the target attribute automatically to all the external links, including the dashboard and any pages added by plugins.

If there will be a filter to not execute this code maybe even toscho will be happy ;)

#21 @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

  • Keywords commit removed

#23 follow-ups: @helen
12 years ago

We are talking about links that may or may not be on .org. What .org links in other places do is largely not relevant to this specific set of cases.

I'm confused about what the issue at hand is - is it that iOS has limitations or is it that there's opposition to ever opening a link in a new window/tab?

#24 in reply to: ↑ 23 @mark-k
12 years ago

Replying to helen:

We are talking about links that may or may not be on .org. What .org links in other places do is largely not relevant to this specific set of cases.

I don't mind opening anew ticket for the rest of the links, but feels like a waste of time when it can all be handled here.

The point is that a plugin might insert many more links into the admin page and there is no reason the same logic will not be applied to them. Either all links open in new window or none.

I'm confused about what the issue at hand is - is it that iOS has limitations or is it that there's opposition to ever opening a link in a new window/tab?

Both.

#25 in reply to: ↑ 23 @toscho
12 years ago

Replying to helen:

I'm confused about what the issue at hand is - is it that iOS has limitations or is it that there's opposition to ever opening a link in a new window/tab?

As a keyboard user I’m naturally against forced new windows. :)

On the other hand, I might be biased, that’s why I want to read what other people with an accessibility focus have to say. Th iOS problem is secondary, but it should be tested, and the final solution should result in a predictable UX – for everyone.

#26 @rmccue
12 years ago

I agree, opening in a new window is unpredictable and it affects accessibility. Instead of forcing behaviour, why not indicate that it's an external site. For example, the icon Trac uses for external links indicates fairly clearly that the link is not related to the current site.

#27 follow-ups: @esmi
12 years ago

The Trac icon option might work if the icon had alt text. But it still relies on sighted users understanding what that icon means. and spawning any new window without warning is a massive problem for switch users who may end up effectively stranded in the new window.

#28 in reply to: ↑ 27 @rmccue
12 years ago

Replying to esmi:

The Trac icon option might work if the icon had alt text. But it still relies on sighted users understanding what that icon means. and spawning any new window without warning is a massive problem for switch users who may end up effectively stranded in the new window.

Absolutely, both alt text and a title would be needed. Also, I meant not opening in a new window but instead showing an icon, just to clarify. It would help that we have other links there, so the difference would help to distinguish it.

#29 in reply to: ↑ 27 ; follow-up: @ceo
12 years ago

My understanding is that the idea is to differentiate a site that's not on .org, but I don't think merely opening in a separate window expresses this point. If this is the information/warning we're trying to give to the user, is there not a more definitive way to do that?

Forced new windows are generally undesirable. I don't even think that's just a "special needs" feeling, but I could be wrong. Personally, I have my browser set to suppress those into new tabs and even that can be cumbersome.

Replying to esmi:

The Trac icon option might work if the icon had alt text. But it still relies on sighted users understanding what that icon means. and spawning any new window without warning is a massive problem for switch users who may end up effectively stranded in the new window.

I fervently agree.

Last edited 12 years ago by ceo (previous) (diff)

#30 in reply to: ↑ 29 @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

Replying to ceo:

Forced new windows are generally undesirable.

FWIW, in most browsers target="_blank" (added in [23394]) opens a new tab, not a window.

#31 @esmi
12 years ago

New window or new tab - doesn't really matter. It's still commandeering the user's browser which is irritating at best and catastrophic at worst. Ideally, the user should be able to decide how they want to open a link. If offsite links are flagged up in some way, let them decide if they want to open it in the same tab or a new one.

@toscho
12 years ago

show domain name in link

#32 @toscho
12 years ago

We could just add the domain name to the link text:

screenshot

Last edited 12 years ago by toscho (previous) (diff)

#33 @empireoflight
12 years ago

After reading all the arguments against this I agree it's a bad idea.

#34 @DrewAPicture
12 years ago

  • Keywords close added

I see no problem with opening external links in new tabs. If we want to add icons or something to designate external links, great, let's do that in a separate ticket.

#35 follow-up: @ocean90
11 years ago

Should we revert [23394] for now an revisit it later?

#36 in reply to: ↑ 35 @toscho
11 years ago

Replying to ocean90:

Should we revert [23394] for now an revisit it later?

Yes, I think so.

#37 @nacin
11 years ago

In 24583:

Revert [23394] until there is a consensus on target="_blank" (or not) for these external links. see #20839.

#38 @nacin
11 years ago

  • Milestone changed from 3.6 to Future Release

#39 @nacin
11 years ago

In 1306/tests:

Update tests for [24583]. see #20839.

#40 @helen
11 years ago

  • Milestone Future Release deleted
  • Resolution set to maybelater
  • Status changed from reopened to closed

We can revisit later, if so desired.

#41 @SergeyBiryukov
11 years ago

#28153 was marked as a duplicate.

#42 @SergeyBiryukov
10 years ago

#29377 was marked as a duplicate.

This ticket was mentioned in Slack in #core-editor by iseulde. View the logs.


8 years ago

#44 @SergeyBiryukov
7 years ago

#41202 was marked as a duplicate.

#45 @SergeyBiryukov
7 years ago

  • Focuses accessibility added
  • Keywords target-blank added

#46 @rinkuyadav999
7 years ago

+1 for this. I expect, external links should open in new tab. Now want to leave Dashboard :( Simply these are not links of Dashboard.

#47 @SergeyBiryukov
4 years ago

#50240 was marked as a duplicate.

#48 @SergeyBiryukov
4 years ago

#52807 was marked as a duplicate.

#49 @knutsp
4 years ago

#52807 was marked as a duplicate.

#50 @SergeyBiryukov
2 years ago

#56571 was marked as a duplicate.

#51 @TimothyBlynJacobs
18 months ago

#58262 was marked as a duplicate.

#52 @jason2022
18 months ago

This one seems like a no-brainer: when viewing the plugins listing page in wp-admin, several of the plugins have a "visit plugin site" link, which I expect would open the target page in a new window when clicked. Yet it navigates away from the wp-admin website and takes me the plugin's website.
There are several tickets to get this fixed, this core ticket looks like it was opened 11 years ago! Yikes!

The comments here are TLDR, for what seems like it should be an easy fix. It is a minor inconvenience, but eleven years without a fix? My morning alarm only allows me to snooze 3 times :)

I'll live without this obviously, but it would be nice to get this bug fixed.

#53 @costdev
18 months ago

The short version of the above comments is:

  • Forcibly opening in a new tab not only makes a decision for the user, but this impacts accessibility for users of assistive technology.
  • If external links are indicated, a user will know that it's an external link and can then decide whether to open the link in a new tab.

This is an enhancement request, not a bug - Things are working as intended, and folks are discussing whether or not this should be changed.

Ultimately, forcibly opening a new tab leaves users with no way to prevent a new tab opening. Keeping things as they are means users can choose whether to open a new tab or not.

Current:

  • No new tab: Just click/tap the link.
  • New tab:
    • Click the scroll wheel, OR
    • Right click and choose open in new tab, OR
    • CTRL + Click, OR
    • If on mobile, press and hold and select new tab.

Forcing a new tab:

  • No new tab: No option.
  • New tab: Just click/tap the link.

IMHO, the inconvenience caused to those negatively affected by new tabs outweighs the inconvenience of other users using one of at least 4 options available to them.

#54 @SergeyBiryukov
16 months ago

#58812 was marked as a duplicate.

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