Option to show search results in a new window / tab

This is a won't fix, because forcing the results to be opened outside the current window/tab is bad for usability. Please see #359916: Do not open links in a new window anymore which is a similar issue for more information.

While I agree with the arguments proposed in the articles and comments in http://drupal.org/node/359916, I do not think they are entirely applicable to this module.

I have read all of the pros and cons and I feel that for some of my sites, the usability would be greatly enhanced by opening the results in a new tab.

Please share what you have found out, so we can look for the best solution.

I will give you a case study of one of my current projects:

It is an educational site and I want to add a block which lets users search external dictionaries - basically allowing them to copy-paste words from the lesson (node) into the External Search form.

The majority of the test users have said the usability of the site would be enhanced if it opened the external search results in a new tab, especially for "beginner" students who often need to search for several words from each lesson node. Other have said that having several additional windows open with the meaning of words would help them to revise the lesson afterwards, to help them remember the new words they did not know before beginning the lesson. As the module is now, you need to click back and you loose those extenally searched pages.

I think that giving the site developer this option, to determine if the usability is improved or not, would allow for an extra level of flexability to this module (as is done in the External Links module). Maybe set the default to In same window and add a short text about Best Practises and abuse of new window popups just to inform web developers.

That's a good argument. Frankly I was worried that this might be about personal preferences, but it's a good case. I'll put it back in :)

Thanks for listening Xano and I'm glad you see that it can be useful on occasions (perhaps it's one of those rare but reasonable exceptions)

As a user, I am not usually impressed when a new window opens up but there are always those occasions when I feel it is done appropriatly and adds to the usability. I think that flexability and giving developers options is usually the way ahead for modules.

Keep up the good work!

The main problem with opening stuff in new windows is that a lot of people base their decisions/advise on personal opinions: "I like to open links in a new windows...". The point is that if you force links to be opened in a new window, there is no way to open them in the same window anymore, while if you don't enforce it, users are free to choose. However, most users don't know they can open stuff in new windows using their middle mouse button, for instance. IMO that's where the "I would..." opinions come from. This case is slightly different, since there is no way to execute a forms action in a new window like you can with links. Because there is a good use case for an option to select where where the search results should be displayed, I'll add an option.

there is no way to execute a forms action in a new window like you can with links

Exactly, I was going to mention this as well. I think a lot of the reasons to not open a new tabs/windows are irrelavent in the case of this module, as it is a form and not simply a link. You cannot use the right mouse buttom to open form results in a new window, nor bookmark it nor add it as a favourite, .. amongst other common actions users take on links.

Oh, you can definitely bookmark it. Extesea works with GET, so people can just bookmark the URL they are redirected to.