Disabling the Context Menu - DHTML Lab - DHTML Diner | 5

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Disabling the Context Menu



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To disable the context menu for as many instances as possible in a page, in as many browser versions and platforms as allowable, we can use the following:

document.oncontextmenu = function(){return false}
if(document.layers) {
    window.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN);
    window.onmousedown = function(e){
        if(e.target==document)return false;
    }
}
else {
    document.onmousedown = function(){return false}
}
We do not need much in the way of browser sniffing, so the code remains fairly clean: 

document.oncontextmenu =
     function(){return false}
 - disables menu for IE5 Windows for all elements
- code not harmful to other browsers 
if(document.layers) {
    window.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN);
    window.onmousedown = function(e){
        if(e.target==document)return false;
    }
}
 - disables menu for Navigator 4.x, except for links, images and other elements that respond to mousedown.
- code will cause errors in other browsers, so a simple browser sniff for NS 4.x using if(document.layers) is used. 
else {
    document.onmousedown =
         function(){return false}
}
 - disables menu for IE Macintosh for all elements.
- code is hidden from NS by else statement
- not harmful to IE for Windows.

Produced by Peter Belesis and

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Created: April 28, 2000
Revised: April 28, 2000

URL: http://www.webreference.com/dhtml/diner/contextmenu/5.html