How to Open Links in a Popup Window in PnP Modern Search WebPart (SFx)

Enhancing User Experience with Custom Popup Links in SPFx

In modern SharePoint development, using the PnP Modern Search WebPart (SPFx) to provide configurable search results can significantly improve the user experience. Controlling how links open is a popular feature among developers, especially with the "Detailed List" layout. Normally, links open in a new tab, but what if we want to open them in a popup window?

In this post, we'll look at how to implement this functionality by changing the link behavior of the PnP Modern Search WebPart. Rather than opening the search results in a new tab, we'll show how to force the link to open in a customized popup window, resulting in a more integrated user experience.

The challenge arises when you use a formula like `<a href="{{slot item @root.slots.PreviewUrl}}" target="_blank">`, which defaults to a new tab. However, by using JavaScript, we can override this behavior and open the link in a controlled popup window. This allows for more flexibility in displaying content within the same browsing session.

We'll walk you through the steps required to develop this feature, with a focus on using JavaScript and SPFx to improve the Detailed List layout. Stay tuned as we walk through the solution to ensure your SharePoint site is seamless and user-friendly.

Understanding the Popup Window Solution in SPFx

The scripts listed above adjust the default behavior of links within a PnP Modern Search WebPart (SPFx). By default, links use the target="_blank" tag to open in a new tab. However, the purpose here is to open these links in a popup window, thereby increasing user interaction. To accomplish this, we used the window.open() function, which lets developers open URLs in a new browser window or popup. This function can be adjusted with specific parameters, such as width, height, and other attributes (such as scrollbars or resizability), to ensure that the popup performs as intended.

Overriding the default click behavior of anchor tags is a vital component of the approach. This is done with event.preventDefault(), which prevents the link from opening in a new tab. Instead, we attach an event listener to the link, which activates a custom function (in this case, openInPopup()) that handles the click event and opens the URL in a popup window. This allows developers more control over the link's behavior and results in a more consistent user experience within the PnP Modern Search WebPart.

In addition to dealing with the front-end behavior, we also examined a backend approach using SPFx's built-in decorators like @override. This approach enables developers to directly insert JavaScript into custom WebParts, further modifying the behavior of search results. Overriding the rendering process in SPFx allows us to inject JavaScript code that handles link clicks and opens the necessary material in a popup window. This technique makes the solution more modular and reusable across multiple areas of a SharePoint environment, hence improving maintenance.

Unit testing is critical to ensuring that the popup feature works properly across multiple environments and browsers. Using spyOn() in a Jasmine testing framework validates that the window.open() method is executed with the right arguments. This form of testing identifies potential issues early in the development process and guarantees that the popup windows function as planned. This solution strengthens user interactions in SharePoint's PnP Modern Search WebPart by integrating front-end event handling, backend customisation, and unit testing.

<script>
function openInPopup(url) {
   // Define popup window features
   const features = 'width=800,height=600,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes';
   // Open URL in popup
   window.open(url, '_blank', features);
}
// Override link behavior
document.querySelectorAll('a[data-popup="true"]').forEach(function (link) {
   link.addEventListener('click', function (event) {
      event.preventDefault(); // Prevent default link behavior
      openInPopup(this.href); // Open in popup
   });
});
</script>
// HTML for the link:
<a href="{{slot item @root.slots.PreviewUrl}}" data-popup="true" style="color: {{@root.theme.semanticColors.link}}">
   {{slot item @root.slots.Destination}}
</a>

<a href="{{slot item @root.slots.PreviewUrl}}"
   onclick="event.preventDefault(); window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600');"
   style="color: {{@root.theme.semanticColors.link}}">
   {{slot item @root.slots.Destination}}
</a>
// The window.open parameters define the size and behavior of the popup.

import { override } from '@microsoft/decorators';
import { BaseClientSideWebPart } from '@microsoft/sp-webpart-base';
export default class PopupWebPart extends BaseClientSideWebPart {
   @override
   public render(): void {
      this.domElement.innerHTML = `
         <a href="{{slot item @root.slots.PreviewUrl}}" onclick="openPopup(this.href)">
            {{slot item @root.slots.Destination}}
         </a>
      `;
   }
}
function openPopup(url: string): void {
   window.open(url, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,resizable=yes');
}

describe('Popup Functionality', function() {
   it('should open the link in a popup window', function() {
      spyOn(window, 'open');
      const testUrl = 'http://example.com';
      openInPopup(testUrl);
      expect(window.open).toHaveBeenCalledWith(testUrl, '_blank', jasmine.any(String));
   });
});

Exploring Event Handling and Dynamic JavaScript Injection in SPFx

When working with PnP Modern Search WebPart (SPFx), one useful feature for developers is the ability to dynamically adjust how elements, such as links, behave. The usage of JavaScript event handling provides a plethora of options for personalizing user interactions. Using event listeners to capture and control link clicks creates a more interactive experience. By capturing click events, we may override the normal behavior and open URLs in a controlled popup window. This ensures a smooth transition without disturbing the user's current tab or window.

Customizing links in SPFx WebParts also requires dynamically inserting JavaScript code. The SharePoint Framework (SPFx) provides methods like @override and render() for accomplishing this. By inserting custom JavaScript, developers can change the behavior of search result items without having to make significant modifications to the WebPart itself. This flexibility makes it easy to make global adjustments to all search result links, ensuring that the desired behavior—such as opening in a popup window—is uniform across the platform.

Finally, performance and user experience are critical factors in any web-based system, and the same is true here. By optimizing the use of JavaScript and limiting resource-intensive activities, we can assure that these customizations have no significant influence on page load times or responsiveness. Efficient JavaScript use, combined with backend SPFx modifications, provides a high level of flexibility without sacrificing performance, resulting in a seamless user experience throughout the SharePoint platform.