Bug 91722 – Executing window.open with setTimeout does not work

• Component: New Bugs
• Status: UNCONFIRMED

[Norimasa Hayashida]

Executing window.open with setTimeout (e.g. setTimeout(function(){ window.open("http://www.webkit.org"); }, 0);) does not work.
A given url should be opened in a separate window.

Such JavaScript code works on the other browsers.

[Alexey Proskuryakov]

I think that it's intentional as part of pop-up blocking.

Is this breaking an existing site, or a project that you're working on? In the latter case, what are you trying to achieve at high level?

[Norimasa Hayashida]

Disabling the "Block pop-up windows" option seems to resolve this issue.

I feel strange a bit because just executing window.open("http://www.webkit.org"); works even the option is enabled, and also  executing setTimeout(function(){ window.open("http://www.webkit.org"); }, 0);) works on WebKit for Windows even the option is enabled.

I just want to open a page in a separate window (or tab) few seconds after a user clicks a link.

[Alexey Proskuryakov]

> I feel strange a bit because just executing window.open("http://www.webkit.org"); works even the option is enabled, and also  executing setTimeout(function(){ window.open("http://www.webkit.org"); }, 0);) works on WebKit for Windows even the option is enabled.

window.open only works when invoked from a user gesture handler (such as a click event handler).

> I just want to open a page in a separate window (or tab) few seconds after a user clicks a link.

It might be possible to keep user gesture flag in code run inside setTimeout, but I'm not sure about the tradeoffs.

[Adam Barth]

> It might be possible to keep user gesture flag in code run inside setTimeout, but I'm not sure about the tradeoffs.

We do keep it in some cases.  I think there's a time limit and a limit to how much we'll chain it from timeout to timeout.  These things are supposed to match other browsers