[javascript] Is there a way to get a <button> element to link to a location without wrapping it in an <a href ... tag?

Just wondering if there is a way to get a HTML <button> element to link to a location without wrapping it in an <a href... tag?

Button currently looks like:

<button>Visit Page Now</button>

What I would prefer not to have:

<a href="link.html"><button>Visit Page Now</button></a>

The button is not being used within a form so <input type="button"> is not an option. I am just curious to see if there is a way to link this particular element without needing to wrap it in an <a href tag.

Looking forward to hearing some options/opinions.

Well, for a link, there must be a link tag around. what you can also do is that make a css class for the button and assign that class to the link tag. like,

#btn {_x000D_
  background: url(https://image.flaticon.com/icons/png/128/149/149668.png) no-repeat 0 0;_x000D_
  display: block;_x000D_
  width: 128px;_x000D_
  height: 128px;_x000D_
  border: none;_x000D_
  outline: none;_x000D_
}

<a href="btnlink.html" id="btn"></a>

You can make it a non-submitting button (<button type="button">) and hook something like window.location = 'http://where.you.want/to/go' into its onclick handler. This does not work without javascript enabled though.

Or you can make it a submit button, and do a redirect on the server, although this obviously requires some kind of server-side logic, but the upside is that is doesn't require javascript.

(actually, forget the second solution - if you can't use a form, the submit button is out)

LINKS ARE TRICKY

Consider the tricks that <a href> knows by default but javascript linking won't do for you. On a decent website, anything that wants to behave as a link should implement these features one way or another. Namely:

• Ctrl+Click: opens link in new tab
  You can simulate this by using a window.open() with no position/size argument
• Shift+Click: opens link in new window
  You can simulate this by window.open() with size and/or position specified
• Alt+Click: download target
  People rarely use this one, but if you insist to simulate it, you'll need to write a special script on server side that responds with the proper download headers.
  
  

EASY WAY OUT

Now if you don't want to simulate all that behaviour, I suggest to use <a href> and style it like a button, since the button itself is roughly a shape and a hover effect. I think if it's not semantically important to only have "the button and nothing else", <a href> is the way of the samurai. And if you worry about semantics and readability, you can also replace the button element when your document is ready(). It's clear and safe.

Here's a solution which will work even when JavaScript is disabled:

<form action="login.html">
    <button type="submit">Login</button>
</form>

The trick is to surround the button with its own <form> tag.

I personally prefer the <button> tag, but you can do it with <input> as well:

<form action="login.html">
    <input type="submit" value="Login"/>
</form>

Just do this

<button OnClick=" location.href='link.html' ">Visit Page Now</button>

Although, it's been a while since I've touched JavaScript - maybe location.href is outdated? Anyways, that's how I would do it.

<form action="portfolio.html">
 <button type="link" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">View Work</button>
</form>

I just figured this out, and it links perfectly to another page without having my default link settings over ride my button classes! :)

Here it is using jQuery. See it in action at http://jsfiddle.net/sQnSZ/

<button id="x">test</button>

$('#x').click(function(){
    location.href='http://cnn.com'
})