---
title: Link
order: 8
layout: page
---

[[components.link]]
= [classname]#Link#

ifdef::web[]
[.sampler]
image:{live-demo-image}[alt="Live Demo", link="http://demo.vaadin.com/sampler/#ui/interaction/link"]
endif::web[]

The [classname]#Link# component allows making hyperlinks. References to
locations are represented as resource objects, explained in
<<dummy/../../../framework/application/application-resources#application.resources,"Images
and Other Resources">>. The [classname]#Link# is a regular HTML hyperlink, that
is, an [literal]#++<a href>++# anchor element that is handled natively by the
browser. Unlike when clicking a [classname]#Button#, clicking a
[classname]#Link# does not cause an event on the server-side.

Links to an arbitrary URL can be made by using an [classname]#ExternalResource#
as follows:


[source, java]
----
// Textual link
Link link = new Link("Click Me!",
        new ExternalResource("http://vaadin.com/"));
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.link.basic[on-line example, window="_blank"].

You can use [methodname]#setIcon()# to make image links as follows:


[source, java]
----
// Image link
Link iconic = new Link(null,
        new ExternalResource("http://vaadin.com/"));
iconic.setIcon(new ThemeResource("img/nicubunu_Chain.png"));

// Image + caption
Link combo = new Link("To appease both literal and visual",
        new ExternalResource("http://vaadin.com/"));
combo.setIcon(new ThemeResource("img/nicubunu_Chain.png"));
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.link.basic[on-line example, window="_blank"].

The resulting links are shown in <<figure.components.link.basic>>. You could add
a " [literal]#++display: block++#" style for the icon element to place the
caption below it.

[[figure.components.link.basic]]
.[classname]#Link# Example
image::img/link.png[]

With the simple constructor used in the above example, the resource is opened in
the current window. Using the constructor that takes the target window as a
parameter, or by setting the target window with [methodname]#setTargetName()#,
you can open the resource in another window, such as a popup browser window/tab.
As the target name is an HTML [literal]#++target++# string managed by the
browser, the target can be any window, including windows not managed by the
application itself. You can use the special underscored target names, such as
[literal]#++_blank++# to open the link to a new browser window or tab.


[source, java]
----
// Hyperlink to a given URL
Link link = new Link("Take me a away to a faraway land",
        new ExternalResource("http://vaadin.com/"));

// Open the URL in a new window/tab
link.setTargetName("_blank");
        
// Indicate visually that it opens in a new window/tab
link.setIcon(new ThemeResource("icons/external-link.png"));
link.addStyleName("icon-after-caption");
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.link.target[on-line example, window="_blank"].

Normally, the link icon is before the caption. You can have it right of the
caption by reversing the text direction in the containing element.


[source, css]
----
/* Position icon right of the link caption. */
.icon-after-caption {
    direction: rtl;
}
/* Add some padding around the icon. */
.icon-after-caption .v-icon {
    padding: 0 3px;
}
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.link.target[on-line example, window="_blank"].

The resulting link is shown in <<figure.components.link.new-window>>.

[[figure.components.link.new-window]]
.Link That Opens a New Window
image::img/link-new.png[]

With the [literal]#++_blank++# target, a normal new browser window is opened. If
you wish to open it in a popup window (or tab), you need to give a size for the
window with [methodname]#setTargetWidth()# and [methodname]#setTargetHeight()#.
You can control the window border style with [methodname]#setTargetBorder()#,
which takes any of the defined border styles [parameter]#TARGET_BORDER_DEFAULT#,
[parameter]#TARGET_BORDER_MINIMAL#, and [parameter]#TARGET_BORDER_NONE#. The
exact result depends on the browser.


[source, java]
----
// Open the URL in a popup
link.setTargetName("_blank");
link.setTargetBorder(Link.TARGET_BORDER_NONE);
link.setTargetHeight(300);
link.setTargetWidth(400);
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.link.target[on-line example, window="_blank"].

In addition to the [classname]#Link# component, Vaadin allows alternative ways
to make hyperlinks. The [classname]#Button# component has a
[parameter]#Reindeer.BUTTON_LINK# style name that makes it look like a
hyperlink, while handling clicks in a server-side click listener instead of in
the browser. Also, you can make hyperlinks (or any other HTML) in a
[classname]#Label# in HTML content mode.

== CSS Style Rules


[source, css]
----
.v-link { }
  a { }
    .v-icon {}
    span {}
----

The overall style for the [classname]#Link# component is [literal]#++v-link++#.
The root element contains the [literal]#++<a href>++# hyperlink anchor. Inside
the anchor are the icon, with [literal]#++v-icon++# style, and the caption in a
text span.

Hyperlink anchors have a number of __pseudo-classes__ that are active at
different times. An unvisited link has [literal]#++a:link++# class and a visited
link [literal]#++a:visited++#. When the mouse pointer hovers over the link, it
will have a:hover, and when the mouse button is being pressed over the link, the
[literal]#++a:active++# class. When combining the pseudo-classes in a selector,
please notice that [literal]#++a:hover++# must come after an
[literal]#++a:link++# and [literal]#++a:visited++#, and [literal]#++a:active++#
after the [literal]#++a:hover++#.