JavaScript showModalDialog Guide

showModalDialog is a JavaScript method used to display a modal dialog box.

A modal dialog is a special type of dialog box that prevents users from interacting with other parts of the page until the dialog box is closed. When a modal dialog is open, users are unable to click or interact with other elements on the page.

The syntax of showModalDialog is as follows:

showModalDialog(url [, arguments] [, options])

Explanation of parameters:

1. URL: Specifies the URL of the webpage to be loaded in the dialog box.
2. Arguments are optional parameters that can be passed to the dialog box. These parameters can be accessed within the dialog box using the window.dialogArguments property.
3. Options: optional parameters used to specify the style and behavior of the dialog box. It can be either a string or an object.

options may contain the following attributes:

1. dialogWidth: The width of the dialog box (in pixels or percentage).
2. dialogHeight: the height of the dialog box (in pixels or percentage).
3. The distance between the left edge of the dialog box and the left edge of the screen in pixels.
4. The distance between the top of the dialog box and the top of the screen (in pixels).
5. center: Whether to center the dialog box on the screen. It can be either yes or no.
6. Resizable: Can users adjust the size of the dialog box? Options are yes or no.
7. Do you want the scrollbars to be displayed in the dialog box? It can be either yes or no.

In the dialog box, you can set the return value of the dialog and close it using the window.returnValue property and the window.close method. In the page where the showModalDialog is opened, you can access the parameters passed to the dialog using the dialogArguments property, and get the return value of the dialog using the returnValue property.

Keep in mind that the showModalDialog method has been deprecated in modern browsers and is no longer recommended for use. It is advised to use more modern techniques such as using modal dialog boxes with HTML and CSS, or opening a new window using the window.open method and communicating with the parent window through the postMessage method.