HTML Links and Anchors (HTML Tutorial part 13)

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The web got its spidery name from the plentiful connections between web sites. These connections are made using anchor tags to create links. Text, Images, and Forms may be used to create these links.

HTML - Hypertext Reference (href)

The href attribute defines reference that the link refers to. Basically this is where the user will be taken if they wish to click this link.
Hypertext references can be Internal, Local, or Global.
  • Internal - Links to anchors on the current page
  • Local - Links to other pages within your domain
  • Global - Links to other domains outside of your site

HTML Code:

Internal - href="#anchorname"
Local - href="../pics/picturefile.jpg"
Global - href="http://www.tizag.com/"

HTML - Text Links

Use the <a></a> tags to define the start and ending of an anchor. Decide what type of href attribute you need and place this attribute into the opening tag. The text you place between the opening and closing tags will be shown as the link on a page. Use the demonstration below as a reference.

HTML Code:

<a href="http://www.tizag.com/" target="_blank" >Tizag Home</a>
<a href="http://www.espn.com/" target="_blank" >ESPN Home</a>
<a href="http://www.yahoo.com/" target="_blank" >Yahoo Home</a>

Global Link:

HTML - Link Targets

The target attribute defines whether to open the page in a separate window, or to open the link in the current browser window.

HTML Code:

target="_blank"Opens new page in a new browser window
_self"Loads the new page in current window
_parent"Loads new page into a frame that is superior to where the link lies
_top"Loads new page into the current browser window, cancelling all frames
The example below shows how you would link to ESPN.COM, a popular sports web site. The target attribute is added to allow the browser to open ESPN in a new window, so that the viewer can remain at our web site. Here's the example.

HTML Code:

<a href="http://www.ESPN.com" target="_blank">ESPN.COM</a>

_blank Target:

HTML - Anchors

To link to sections of your existing page a name must be given to the anchor. In the example below, we've created a mini Table of Contents for this page. By placing blank anchors just after each heading, and naming them, we can then create reference links to those sections on this page as shown below.
First, the headings of this page contain blank, named anchors. They look like this.

Tizag's Own Code:

<h2>HTML Links and Anchors<a name="top"></a></h2>

<h2>HTML Text Links<a name="text"></a></h2>

<h2>HTML Email<a name="email"></a></h2>
Now create the reference links, placing the pound symbol followed by the name of the anchor in the href of the new link.

Anchor Code:

<a href="#top">Go to the Top</a>

<a href="#text">Learn about Text Links</a>

<a href="#email">Learn about Email Links</a>

Local Links:

HTML - Email Links

Creating an email link is simple. If you want somebody to mail you about your site a good way to do it is place an email link with a subject already in place for them.

HTML Code:

<a href="mailto:email@tizag.com?subject=Feedback" >Email@tizag.com</a>

Email Links:

In some circumstances it may be necessary to fill in the body of the Email for the user as well.

HTML Code:

<a href="mailto:email@tizag.com?subject=Feedback&body=Sweet site!">
Email@tizag.com</a>

Complete Email:

HTML - Download Links

Placing files available for download is done in exactly the same fashion as placing text links. Things become complicated if we want to place image links available for download. The best solution for images is to use a thumbnail link that we discuss in the next lesson.

HTML Code:

<a href="http://www.tizag.com/pics/htmlT/blanktext.zip">Text Document</a>

Download a Text Document:

HTML - Default Links; Base

Use the <base> tag in the head element to set a default URL for all links on a page to go to. It's always a good idea to set a base tag just incase your links become bugged somewhere down the line. Usually set your base to your home page.

HTML Code:

<head>

<base href="http://www.tizag.com/">

</head>