var seconds_win = '';

var _POPUP_FEATURES = 'location=0,scrollbars=1,resizable=1,statusbar=0,toolbar=0,menubar=0,width=700,height=580';

function raw_popup(url, target, features) {
    // pops up a window containing url optionally named target, optionally having features    
    if (!features){
		features = _POPUP_FEATURES;
    }
    if (!target){
		target = '_blank';		
    }
    seconds_win = window.open(url, target, features);
    seconds_win.focus();
    return seconds_win;
}

function link_popup(src, features) {
    // to be used in an html event handler as in: <a href="..." onclick="link_popup(this,...)" ...
    // pops up a window grabbing the url from the event source's href
    return raw_popup(src.getAttribute('href'), src.getAttribute('target') || '_blank', features);
}