[Chapter 21] Reference: Link.target
Author: David Flanagan
Date: Fri Aug 29 11:17:23 1997

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| Chapter 21 JavaScript Reference |

# Link.target Property

## Name

Link.target Property---target window of a hypertext link

## Availability

Navigator 2.0, Internet Explorer 3.0

## Synopsis

    link.target

## Description

`target` is a read/write string property of the Link object. It specifies the name of the frame or window in which the URL referred to by the Link object should be displayed. The initial value of this property is specified by the `TARGET` attribute of the `<A>` tag that creates the Link object. If this attribute is unset, then the default is for the window containing the Link to be used, so that following a hypertext link overwrites the document that contains the link.

Note that the value of `target` is the name of a frame or window, not an actual JavaScript reference to the frame or window itself. The name of a frame is specified by the `NAME` attribute of the `<FRAME>` tag. The name of a window is specified when the window is created with a call to the `Window.open()` method. If `target` specifies the name of a window that does not exist, then Navigator will automatically open a new window to display the URL, and any future links with the same `target` name will use that freshly created window.

Four special target names are supported. The target named `"_blank"` specifies that a new, empty browser window should be created and used to display the new URL. The target `"_self"` is the default; it specifies that the new URL should be displayed in the same frame or window as the link. The target `"_parent"` specifies that the results should be displayed in the parent frame of the frame that contains the link. Finally, the `"_top"` target specifies that the new URL should be displayed in the topmost frame--i.e., that all frames should be removed, and the new URL should occupy the entire browser window.

## See Also

"Form.target", "Link"

Link.search |  | location