How do I get files to upload in a separate tab/window or to download outside of the web browser?

[swold]

Hello-

I am sending a timed quiz to an individual student. She will need to use documents to write an essay, so she will need to be looking at the documents throughout the essay writing process. When I try to open the PDF file within the quiz, it opens the file in the same tab as the Canvas quiz. This is an issue since the quiz is timed. I know I can have students right click on the file and have them open it in another tab/window,  but is there a way to set it so it automatically opens files in a new tab instead of closing down the Canvas page? 

Thanks!

[Chris_Hofer]

 @swold ...

I'm not sure if this will work on everyone's browser (it may depend on a user's browser settings, I'm not sure), but you could try the Ctrl+K trick.  In your quiz, go to the question where you've got the PDF file linked.  Edit that question, and then highlight the link to your PDF file.  Press Ctrl+K on your keyboard.  This will bring up an "Insert link" window.  There should be a dropdown list for "Target".  Select "New window", and click "Ok".  Be sure to "Update Question" and then "Save" your quiz.

I hope that helps, Sam.  Let Community members know if you have any questions about this...thanks!

[JessicaStokes]

Similar question. I have given my students a Research Paper Packet, which is a Google Doc. The Canvas side menus take up enough space that students can't see the packet well when viewing the Google Doc in Canvas. I know that for outside URLs, there is a way to choose to have the document open outside of Canvas. How can I do that with a Google Doc?

[Ron_Bowman]

@JessicaStokes -

In the RCE with the link to the google doc, go into the mode to view the html code (click on the </> link toward the lower left.  Then find the href link and add in target="_Blank" at the end of the reference.  from a web search it should look like the following:
<a href="https://www.w3schools.com" target="_blank">Visit W3Schools</a>

I just tried a link on a canvas page ( I used www.yahoo.com - not google docs, but it should be the same).  It opened in a new window for me.  I then tried a google doc page and it opened in a new page as well.

The method I used, is in the editor write out the text that you want the link to apply to, highlight that text and select the link icon and choose external link.  In the case of the google doc, I opened it up in its own page.  Copy the url from that google doc page and paste it into the url link for your canvas page.  

save the edits.  If you go back and look at the html coding, the target="_Blank" will have been added (or it was for me)

Ron