# How to link to a specific post without it opening in new "window" or tab?



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Is it possible to provide a link to a specific post so that the post opens within the thread it is a part of, so that the previous and subsequent posts are visible and the post can be viewed in context? 

What happens now is I right click a post in a thread, choose copy link, and paste it. Clicking the link, though, opens the specific post in a new tab in my case, because I'm using Firefox, and I have to click to get back to the thread.

Any tricks to creating a link to a post so it opens "in place" within a thread?

Thanks!


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Drew,

Notice the extensions on the end of each of these links....

http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=1718450&postcount=1

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=1718450#post1718450


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

AirRocker, you do know this stuff don't you? Thanks man, I will have to use that from now on!

(BTW, I think the posts/thread is the kewlest one yet you've shown me)


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

smiddy said:


> AirRocker, you do know this stuff don't you? Thanks man, I will have to use that from now on!
> 
> (BTW, I think the posts/thread is the kewlest one yet you've shown me)


I'm not sure of the proper way to obtain those links... but the way I do it is... Click on the post number in the top right corner to create a link to that post only... or you can click on someone's name and do the "Find more posts by ..."... and then select one from that list to get the type of link that will show other posts in the thread... but center on that post first...

No prob smiddy... Glad I could show the posting expert a trick or two...


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

AirRocker said:


> Drew,
> 
> Notice the extensions on the end of each of these links....
> 
> ...


But the difference is that post count is relative, isn't it? What if post 1718450 was the third post, and the previous post gets deleted. If I used the first link format, I'm still linking to the 3rd post, so I'm linking to the wrong post, right? 

It just seems there must be a flag in the VB software to make this easier ... TCF has had it configured that way for as long as I can remember ...


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

AirRocker said:


> I'm not sure of the proper way to obtain those links... but the way I do it is... Click on the post number in the top right corner to create a link to that post only... or you can click on someone's name and do the "Find more posts by ..."... and then select one from that list to get the type of link that will show other posts in the thread... but center on that post first...


Woah ... that's an AWFUL lot of work!


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Drew2k said:


> Woah ... that's an AWFUL lot of work!


Yeah.. it is a lot of work.. but not sure of another way to do it...

I see what you're saying about a post being deleted... but I believe the post number would still remain the same... so the link should still be valid..


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Drew2k said:


> Is it possible to provide a link to a specific post so that the post opens within the thread it is a part of, so that the previous and subsequent posts are visible and the post can be viewed in context?
> 
> What happens now is I right click a post in a thread, choose copy link, and paste it. Clicking the link, though, opens the specific post in a new tab in my case, because I'm using Firefox, and I have to click to get back to the thread.
> 
> ...


Not sure if this is what you mean, but here's what I do:

If there's a post I want to link to, I go to that thread first. Next, I look for a unique word in that post. So, for example, lets say I wanted to link to AirRockers first post in this thread. He used the word extensions. So, I go to the search this thread and search for extensions (the more unique the word, the fewer posts will come up - depending on the size of the thread). When I search, I click on the link (it will have the arrow and say "click here to be taken right to the post that contains your search hit). I click on that link and then copy and paste what's in the address bar.

Resulting in THIS.

Seems complicated when you read it, but it's really not.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Hmmm... Thanks Stew. That's another option I'll try.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Testing. [post=1718751]1718751[/post]


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

OK, this is stupid, but I just figured out something, and it's easier than I thought.

Hover over the post number and copy the shortcut.

Paste the shortcut and then delete everything for the post number.

Wrap the post number in [post] tags.

Wow ... that's just sill that it's that easy, and the link will open up WITHIN the thread so it's in context!

The only problem I see is the post number is also what is displayed, so it doesn't look like I cat put the link behind custom text ...


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Not sure I understand Drew. Here's your latest post. How would I change it?

http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=1718760&postcount=11


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> Not sure I understand Drew. Here's your latest post. How would I change it?
> 
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=1718760&postcount=11


Baiscally, edit out everytihng but the post number 1718767...

Then put [post] in fron of the number it, and the corresponding closing tag behind it. (The closing tag is [ / post ] without spaces.)

The browser will underline the post number and make it a hyperlink, and when clicked, opens the corresponding post in its proper position in the thread, and not in a separate window.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

[post]1718760[/post]


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Drew2k said:


> Testing. [post=1718751]1718751[/post]


Stew - Click "QUOTE" on my post above that says "Testing" and you'll see how the link is formatted with the POST tags...


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

[post=1718751]Put text here[/post]


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Ok.. I got it...

Click on 'Quote' on my above post to see the code...


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

The only thing I don't like about that, is that for some reason, it doesn't open it in another tab (or was that what you were trying to do?). I don't link hitting my back button, I like links that open new tabs instead.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> [post]1718760[/post]





AirRocker said:


> Testing...
> 
> [post]1718767[/post]


That's weird ... I just quoted both of your posts, and see you're both using the POST tags, so why are yours showing up looking like full links, while mine showed up looking only like a post number?


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> The only thing I don't like about that, is that for some reason, it doesn't open it in another tab (or was that what you were trying to do?). I don't link hitting my back button, I like links that open new tabs instead.


Exactly, I did want to have the post open in the same tab/window and NOT open a new tab or window.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Drew2k said:


> That's weird ... I just quoted both of your posts, and see you're both using the POST tags, so why are yours showing up looking like full links, while mine showed up looking only like a post number?


Because yours actually has the post number inside the post tag:

(post=1718751)1718751(post/) Substitute [ for (

[post=1718751]1718751[/post]

ours doesn't:

(post)1718751(/post) Substitute [ for (

[post]1718751[/post]


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

spartanstew said:


> (post=1718751)*1718751*(post/)


Right... and the area that I bolded, you can insert any text that you want...


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

AirRocker said:


> Right... and the area that I bolded, you can insert any text that you want...


Yup ... I just found that out.


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