Opening a PDF in a new browser window can be a useful feature when you want to provide your users with an easy way to view important documents without having to leave your website. In this guide, I'll walk you through the steps to open a PDF file in a new browser window in full screen mode.
To achieve this, you will need a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and some JavaScript knowledge. Let's start with the HTML structure. First, create a link to the PDF file you want to open:
<a href="path-to-your-pdf-file.pdf">View PDF</a>
Next, you'll need to add a bit of CSS styling to make sure the new window opens in full screen. You can use the following style in your CSS file:
.pdf-container {
width: 100vw;
height: 100vh;
}
Now, let's add some JavaScript to open the PDF file in a new window:
document.querySelector('a[href$=".pdf"]').addEventListener('click', function(event) {
event.preventDefault();
let pdfURL = this.getAttribute('href');
let newWindow = window.open(pdfURL, '_blank', 'fullscreen=yes');
if (newWindow) {
newWindow.document.write('<div class="pdf-container"></div>');
} else {
alert('Please allow pop-ups for this site to view the PDF.');
}
});
In the JavaScript code above, we first select the link pointing to a PDF file. When the link is clicked, we prevent the default behavior (opening the PDF in the same tab) and get the URL of the PDF file. We then open a new browser window with the 'fullscreen=yes' parameter to make it open in full screen mode.
Inside the new window, we dynamically write an HTML structure that contains an `` element to display the PDF file within a container with the class 'pdf-container'. This allows the PDF to take up the full screen space.
Finally, ensure that your browser settings allow pop-ups from your website. If pop-ups are blocked, the new window may not open properly.
By following these steps, you can enhance the user experience on your website by allowing PDF files to be viewed in a new browser window in full screen mode. This approach can help keep users engaged and prevent them from navigating away from your site to view PDF content.
Try implementing this feature and see how it improves the accessibility and usability of your website for your visitors. Happy coding!