Item links no longer open in new window (2.19 regression)

[deathbybandaid]

Many feeds contain descriptions with clickable images such as:

<description><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP0IXzgRnak"><img alt="Youtube" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jP0IXzgRnak/maxresdefault.jpg"></a></description>

In Selfoss 2.18, clicking the image opens the href link in a new browser tab. Whereas, in Selfoss 2.19, the link opens in the same tab as Selfoss itself.

I personally leave Selfoss open while at work, so this behavior is undesirable (for me). Maybe besides credentials, there could be user-based settings for how these are handled, or a global config property? Or if assuming my desired behavior for this is what most people would prefer, then that could be the primary behavior?

[jtojnar]

There are two different variants of clickable images:

• Coming from feed item description – those will behave as specified in the feed. For example, the one in OP will open in the same window since it does not have target="_blank" attribute.
• selfoss thumbnails for spouts that support them (e.g. YouTube, Images…) – those will open in a new window/tab: https://github.com/fossar/selfoss/blob/77dedc11ffb24301fd268451977e2fe2a6a2c121/assets/js/templates/Item.jsx#L466

You can distinguish them since item content/description will only show after expanding the item, whereas thumbnails will be always visible. Unless you set show_thumbnails=0 in which case they will behave identically. Then you might want to check in the web browser developer tools whether the link is inside <div> with class entry-thumbnail or entry content.

[deathbybandaid]

I'll have to look at how I create my feeds, I just noticed this as a change from 2.18 to 2.19

[deathbybandaid]

Just looked at a random github release feed (Jackett).

This (like many other projects) link commits in the release thread.

Within Selfoss 2.18, clicking these opens them in a new tab, where 2.19 opens within the same tab, and I have to use my browsers back function/button to get back to Selfoss.

This looks to affect all links and not just the ones hiding behind images.

[jtojnar]

Weird. I do not remember it doing that. But I have always used latest dev version and always use middle mouse button. Will try to verify.

[deathbybandaid]

I'm simultaneously running 2.18 to test things back and forth.

[jtojnar]

Yeah, I will need to check the source code why it behaved that way. Maybe we opened all links using window.open.

[jtojnar]

Yeah, probably this code:

https://github.com/fossar/selfoss/blob/2.18/public/js/selfoss-events-entriestoolbar.js#L9-L14

[jtojnar]

It should be as simple as adding a.setAttribute('target', '_blank'); to https://github.com/fossar/selfoss/blob/77dedc11ffb24301fd268451977e2fe2a6a2c121/assets/js/templates/Item.jsx#L42

But will need to think about if we always want that or should make it configurable. If one wants to open a link in new tab they can always use a middle mouse button. But if we reverted to the previous behaviour and the user wants to leave selfoss, they can no longer use left mouse button for that. Or maybe the left/middle button will still carry the distinction of opening the page in foreground/background and if we added a configuration option no-one would use it.

[deathbybandaid]

I'd say configurable would be the best route to go. Unfortunately the middle click on my mouse at home doesn't work half the time, and I'm too cheap to buy a new mouse :)

[deathbybandaid]

waiting for cloudsmith to publish the new archive, but again, thanks for your typical fast responses!

[jtojnar]

I hate mouse producers that cheap on middle buttons, I already had to RMA my current mouse after two months of use and it has been five months and the mouse wheel starts to bug again :rage:

For now, I returned the 2.18 behaviour. We can make it configurable if someone wants the 2.19 behaviour.

[jtojnar]

Thank you for reporting the all discrepancies you find. It has been so long I used 2.18 I might not notice a regression.

[deathbybandaid]

No problem,,, looks like there's some checks not passing for that commit, so no cloudsmith update

[jtojnar]

Ugh, GitHub is failing again with Error 500. Re-ran the action, hoping it was just transient. Unfortunately, GitHub has been steadily becoming less and less stable in the past two years.

[jtojnar]

Third time's the charm. Holding my thumbs.

[deathbybandaid]

Just grabbed 2.19-6decc7c and it works perfectly, Thanks!

It's no problem for me to report stuff. I use Selfoss as much as I use Plex Media Server, and I would never expect fixes/changes without doing an issue thread.