[External Tools] Automatically open new tab for links/external tools set to 'Load in a new tab'

[tokheimc]

Previously under the title "Link to External URL"

When linking to an external url that Canvas will not (or cannot) embed, link should automatically open in a new tab or window.  Currently, Canvas opens another page saying you have to open it in a new tab, then you have to click that link to do that.  Why not just go directly to that page in a new tab?  Links in other locations already do this.

If Canvas is worried a user would be confused by being outside of Canvas suddenly, perhaps they could flash a redirect page saying they are leaving the course and to close this tab to return, or something along those lines.  

Comments from Instructure

New behavior governing external tool links was released to production in November 2019. For more information, please read through the Canvas Deploy Notes (2019-11-20)

[ybakos]

Make it work exactly like what happens when I do this:

[ybakos]

Regarding the navigation to an "external url module item" via the prev and back buttons, make that behavior exactly the same as it is now. It's fine.

Let's only please change the behavior in the main Modules list.

[GideonWilliams]

Maybe I am missing the point here? If I create an external link I want the link to open up in a new window. I think that is all we are asking?

The link opens up directly in a new window and we remove the [unnecessary] jumping off page in Canvas that tells me what I already know (that I need to open it up in a new window)

[ybakos]

I concur. No idea why this has become so overly complicated to understand.

[erinhmcmillan]

Comments from Instructure

For more information, please read through the Canvas Deploy Notes (2019-11-20)

[ybakos]

Thank you Erin.

Please communicate that this feature has not been understood as expressed by the audience here.

I'm sorry to be blunt, but this is super frustrating for what seems to be a straightforward change.

Please see the comments above.

Here is the single most important acceptance test to prove that this is complete per the discussion here:

When clicking on an External URL that was created with "Load in a new tab" checked,

the browser's location should not change. The url in the address bar should not change. Absolutely nothing should change in the current browser tab.

[ybakos]

External URLs do not load in new tab · Issue #1414 · instructure/canvas-lms · GitHub 

I've added a note to the issue. The Expected Behavior has not been fulfilled.

[GideonWilliams]

Thanks so much ybakos‌ for following this through and posting a note that the changes are not visible...

Notice that there is an extra notice saying we will see this in our beta instance on 21st November.

Message at top a little confusing, perhaps needs to be more clear saying when it will be on beta..

Looking forward to this being sorted and hope it will also be the case for the Office365 integration too...

[erinhmcmillan]

Hi, Yong,

The engineer who reviewed this feature used this idea explicitly to make the change to open to a new window. However, the window opens as is because of security concerns with the browser.

This change is in beta and will be in production on 11/20, as per the date of the deploy notes title. It only affects Modules.

Thanks,

Erin

[ybakos]

Thank you, erinhallmark‌. But according to  @GideonWilliams ‌, it's not in beta yet?

If what is in beta right now on 11/11/19 is the implemented feature, then the comments in this thread still hold true: clicking a link marked "open in new tab" should not change the current browser window's location.

By changing the location of the current window, we break the standard behavior that has been the norm on the web for 20 years!