Starting your website in a popup window

• Download RuniingSiteAsPopup - 2.08 KB

Introduction

ASP.net has provided very rich environment for web development; and its keep on improving the development experience.

Most of the times we come across a problem to compare the look & feel of windows application with web application (because our clients ask us to do that :( ) and I am sure that it might have happened with most of us (especially developers working on re-engineering projects)

Details

We were in need to find a solution to open very first page of our site as a popup window, and the only solution I got is to take help from my girlfriend...... i.e. Javascript :)

Using the code

Using the following steps, you can easily achieve this feature.

1. Add a default.htm page in root of your web project.
2. Write the javascript code on top of that page (ref. attached project also).
3. Give name & path (if required) of the page you want to open in popup (most of times its default.aspx)
4. Make default.htm as start page for that site.

Hooray.... you have successfully configured popup functionality for you website.

<script type="text/javascript" language="'javascript'">
    window.onload = poponload; 
    function poponload()
    {   
        try
        {                                
            //Set variables, version is IE version number
            var ua = window.navigator.appVersion;
            var msie = ua.indexOf ( "MSIE " );
            var version = ua.substring(msie+5,msie+6);
            //Open new window
            var now = new Date();
            var hour        = now.getHours();
            var minute      = now.getMinutes();
            var second      = now.getSeconds();
            var monthnumber = now.getMonth();
            var monthday    = now.getDate();
            var year        = now.getYear();
            var winName='master'+year+monthnumber+hour+minute+second;/*making window name dynamic*/
            /*fo in query parameter is used to tell that this site is first opening, returnURL will be used in case of forms authentication*/
            var win = window.open ('default.aspx?fo=1', winName, "fullscreen=no,scrollbars=1,resizable=1,status=1,dependent=yes,alwaysRaised=yes");
            if(!win)
            {
                alert("Popups are blocked.\nMust allow popups to run the application");
            }
            else
            {              
                //Check version number and run correct code
                if (version >= "7")
                {
                    if (win) 
                    {
                        window.open('', '_parent','');
                        window.close();
                    }
                    
                } 
                else 
                {
                    self.opener = this;
                    setTimeout('self.close()',500);
                };
            }
        }
        catch(ex){alert(ex.message);}
    }
</script>

Checking Popups are blocked

var win = window.open ('default.aspx?fo=1', winName, "fullscreen=no,scrollbars=1,resizable=1,status=1,dependent=yes,alwaysRaised=yes");
            if(!win)
            {
                alert("Popups are blocked.\nMust allow popups to run the application");
            } 

You can also use the above code snippet in your application only to check that whether any respective popup is opening in browser or it is blocked by the browser / google toolbar.

Browsers Compatible

• IE6 +