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How can I launch the eMail client, and then do a page redirect with Javascript?

Answer 1

+1 A:

This will work only if the client's browser knows which E-Mail client to open for mailto: links in the first place. If the user uses a web-based client that is not registered with the browser, nothing will happen.

Also, it could be that security settings prevent mailto: links from opening programmatically, or will prevent it in the future.

I wouldn't rely on this to work either way, only as a nice optional convenience function.

Anyway, to answer your question, can you try setting a timeout between the two calls? Maybe the location refresh is just too quick for the browser to catch up.

location.href="mailto:[email protected]&body=Hello!";
setTimeout(function(){ location.href = 'newPage.html' },  500);

Pekka 2010-02-03 15:11:07

lol you beat me while I was testing my answer. I found that a timeout interval of 0 works fine at least in Chrome. I'm also out of votes or I would +1 :-)

Andy E 2010-02-03 15:17:00

LOL! That's three of us now, my friend. :-) But I still like Mic's answer.

T.J. Crowder 2010-02-03 15:17:53

Answer 2

+4 A:

Try using something like:

<a href="mailto:[email protected]" onclick="window.location.href='np.html'">send</a>

Instead of at the onload.

Mic 2010-02-03 15:14:34

On now *that's* smart. But I'd include a slight delay before changing the window location in the `onclick` handler.

T.J. Crowder 2010-02-03 15:15:55

Generally speaking, I actually much prefer this solution, but in this specific case I think it's better for me to stick with the javascript based solution.

T.R. 2010-02-03 15:33:38

This is really smart. +1.

Pekka 2010-02-03 15:40:21

Nice solution, indeed. But please don't forget the final " after the second url. ;)

Marcel Korpel 2010-02-03 15:55:17

@Marcel I added the missing "

Mic 2010-02-03 19:07:28

Answer 3

+1 A:

On the whole, I tend to think security settings will get in your way and would recommend just giving the user a boring old-fashioned mailto link to click. (Edit: Perhaps one set up like Mic suggests.)

That said, I wonder if things become any more reliable if you introduce a delay:

function myFunc() {
    location.href = "mailto:[email protected]&body=Hello!";
    setTimeout(function() {
        location.href = "newPage.html";
    }, 500);
}

T.J. Crowder 2010-02-03 15:15:04

Answer 4

+1 A:

Changing the href property will start a location load, changing it again afterwards will cancel the previous navigation.

It appears that IE6 will start the e-mail client immediately upon setting the property, then continue the javascript execution. Other browsers appear to do things differently, and the second location load will cancel the first.

I managed to work around this in Chrome with a timer, it might work for other browsers too:

function myFunc(){ 
  location.href="mailto:[email protected]&body=Hello!"; 
  window.setTimeout(function () { location.href="newPage.html" }, 0); 
}

Andy E 2010-02-03 15:15:37

Jinx! But I think I beat you by seconds... ;-)

T.J. Crowder 2010-02-03 15:17:19

32 seconds to be exact lol. Need to start exercising my fingers more ;-)

Andy E 2010-02-03 15:18:47

Yeesh, and he gives it to you instead of me. The bum. ;-) 32 seconds! Eons!

T.J. Crowder 2010-02-03 15:29:20

Sorry, had to choose one!

T.R. 2010-02-03 15:39:44

Stop whining, I beat you *both* by 4 minutes! :) On the other hand, @Andy E you took the time to actually test it, so the mark went to the right person.

Pekka 2010-02-03 15:41:12

@T.R.: And you chose the right one. @Pekka: Oh, I agree (about Andy), I'm just joking around. :-) (But for the record: I'm pretty sure I posted my answer before you edited yours.)

T.J. Crowder 2010-02-03 15:47:46

@T.J.Crowder: Right, I edited mine a few minutes later, you're right.

Pekka 2010-02-03 15:49:03

@Pekka: You beat my answer with your edit, so it must have been really close. I have questions sorted in order of oldest so that I mark the first correct one but I supposed that doesn't always work with edits. @T.J. Crowder: I knew you were joking ;-)

Andy E 2010-02-03 16:13:30

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How can I launch the eMail client, and then do a page redirect with Javascript?

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