Tag: `<a>`

`<a>` Syntax

Syntax Diagram for `<a>`
Opening Tag					Content	Closing Tag
Open	Parameter	=	Value	Close	Content	Closing Tag
`<a`	`href`	`=`	`"`url`"`	`>`	hyperlinked text and/or graphics	`</a>`
	`name`	`=`	`"`name`"`
	`target`	`=`	`"`name`"`
			`_self`
			`_parent`
			`_top`
			`_blank`

`<a>` Description

The <a> defines an "anchor," that is, a place whose location is known and can be navigated to or from.

href

Specifies, along with the "url", the "hyperlinked reference" to which the user will go when clicking on the enclosing text or graphic. This is the "go to" form of the anchor tag. There are three different forms of the URL:

URLs in an href can be absolute locations, as in:

<a href="http://www.co.com/Finance.html">text</a>

They can also be relative locations, as in:

<a href="Finance.html">text</a>
In this case, Finance.html is in the same directory as the referencing document.
<a href="Operations/Finance.html">text</a>
In this case, Finance.html is in a subordinate directory (called Operations) that is in the same directory as the referencing document.
<a href="../Finance.html">text</a>
In this case, Finance.html is in the parent directory of the referencing document.
<a href="../Operations/Finance.html">text</a>
In this case, Finance.html is in a "sibling" directory to the directory containing the referencing document (i.e., the directory "Operations" and the directory containing the referencing document are both within a common parent directory).
And finally, if you want to go to a location within a document other than the top of that document, you specify the location identifer after a "pound sign" (#):

<a href="Finance.html#LastYear">text</a>
Go to the location identified by the LastYear tag in the Finance.html document.
<a href="#LastYear">text</a>
Go to the location identified by the LastYear tag in the current (referencing) document.

For more details, see the URL page.

name

Specifies a location that will appear at the top of the screen when an "href" form of the anchor is activated (by clicking). This is the "come from" version of the anchor tag.

target

Specifies the manner in which the next document is to be loaded. (This form applies only to the "href" form of the anchor tag, not the "name" form, and then only in a framed context; see <frameset>). The possible values are:

target=name causes the document to be loaded into the frame whose name is name (this name was defined in a <frame> tag).
target=_self causes the document to be loaded into the frame in which the hyperlink that was activated resides. In other words, the hyperlink causing the action will no longer be visible after the action takes place, because the document containing the hyperlink is replaced by the document that the hyperlink referenced. This is the default.
target=_parent causes the document to be displayed in the parent frame of the frame containing the hyperlink that was activated. If the frame has no parent frame, _parent does the same thing as _self.
target=_top cause all frames to be removed, and the referenced document to be loaded into the main browser window.
target=_blank causes the referenced document to be loaded into a new, separate, unnamed browser window.

`<a>` Examples

This "absolute reference" markup: See <a href="http://www.apple.com" target=_top>Apple's website</a> for more information. . . .causes the following to be displayed (click on it to see that it works):

See Apple's website for more information.

This "relative reference" markup: See the <a href="body.html">body</a> tag for more information. . . .causes the following to be displayed (click on it to see that it works):

See the body tag for more information.

This markup goes to a location within a document: See the <a href="frameset.html#frame">frame</a> tag for more information. . . .causes the following to be displayed (click on it to see that it works):

See the frame tag for more information.

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Tag: <a>

<a> Syntax

<a> Description

<a> Examples

Tag: `<a>`

`<a>` Syntax

`<a>` Description

`<a>` Examples