For example, there is some JavaScript code which has a click handler which determines where the user should be redirected to. Let's say it's just a redirection random link that is calculated when the user clicks the link.
Here are some scenarios:
If the user left clicks on the link, the intention of the user is to keep the navigation in the same tab, which works fine with
window.location.If the user middle clicks this link, to the user it appears that the website has hijacked the middle click and simply ignored it, redirecting the user within the same tab instead of a new tab.
Also, as someone just commented (and deleted the comment?), another scenario is modifier keys can also suggest to the browser to open a new tab, or even a new window.
Another suggestion is being able to open a link in a new tab or window via the context menu. This is less important, but definitely the same usability issue.
I've seen this issue on many websites, notably for me, Google Analytics, where almost every time I middle click, this effect happens.
A good example of what some JavaScript code needs to is:
Process some data, then send off a XHR request that needs to be completed before allowing the user to continue to the link they clicked on.
How do you get around this? e.g. are there ways to detect if the user has expected the link to appear in the new tab, and if so, is it possible to load up a new tab? Maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way around?