Question

How do I make a user’s browser blink/flash/highlight in the task bar using JavaScript? For example, if I make an AJAX request every 10 seconds to see if the user has any new messages on the server, I want the user to know it right away, even if he is using another application at the time.

Edit: These users do want to be distracted when a new message arrives.

Answer 1

this won’t make the taskbar button flash in changing colours, but the title will blink on and off until they move the mouse. This should work cross platform, and even if they just have it in a different tab.

newExcitingAlerts = (function () {     var oldTitle = document.title;     var msg = 'New!';     var timeoutId;     var blink = function() { document.title = document.title == msg ? ' ' : msg; };     var clear = function() {         clearInterval(timeoutId);         document.title = oldTitle;         window.onmousemove = null;         timeoutId = null;     };     return function () {         if (!timeoutId) {             timeoutId = setInterval(blink, 1000);             window.onmousemove = clear;         }     }; }()); 

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Update: You may want to look at using HTML5 notifications.