The <a> tag

Definition and Usage

The <a> tag defines an anchor element. An anchor can be used in two ways:

1. To create a hyperlink to another document by using the href attribute
2. To create an anchor in a document, by using the name or id attribute

Tips and Notes

Note: A linked page is normally displayed in the current browser window, unless you specify another target:

Examples

Linking to W3Schools:
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com">W3Schools</a>

Opening W3Schools a new Window:
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com" target="_blank">W3Schools</a>

Optional Attributes

Attributes:	Values:	Description:
charset	character_encoding	Sets the character encoding of the page where the link points
href	url	Creates a link to a document
hreflang	language_code	Sets the base language of the page where the link points
name	section_name	Names the anchor so it can be used as the target of a URL in the href attribute. This attribute makes it possible to jump to a specific place in a document. To use this position add the character #, followed by the name to the URL in the link. The id attribute can be used instead of the name attribute
type	mime_type	Gives a hint about the content type of the content where the link points to
rel	alternate designates stylesheet start next prev contents index glossary copyright chapter section subsection appendix help bookmark	Defines a link relationship from the current document to the linked document
rev	alternate designates stylesheet start next prev contents index glossary copyright chapter section subsection appendix help bookmark	Defines a link relationship from the linked document to the current document
target	_blank _parent _self _top	Where to open the linked document. Use it in combination with the href attribute When using "_blank" the link will load in a new window. When using "_self" the link will load in the same frame it was clicked. When using "_parent" the link will load in the parent frameset. When using "_top" the link will load in the full body of the window

Standard Attributes

id, class, title, style, dir, lang, tabindex, accesskey

For a full description, go to Standard Attributes.

Event Attributes

onfocus, onblur, onclick, ondblclick, onmousedown, onmouseup, onmouseover, onmousemove, onmouseout, onkeypress, onkeydown, onkeyup

For a full description, go to Event Attributes.

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