<meta name="description" content="A description of HTML 4.0's BASE element for setting a document's base URI.">
<meta name="keywords" content="BASE, base element, base URI, base URL, base href, baseref, HyperText Markup Language, HTML, HTML4, HTML 4.0, Web Design Group, WDG, <base> tag, <BASE> tag">
<li class=transitional>TARGET=<var><a href="../values.html#frametarget">FrameTarget</a></var> (frame to render links in)</li>
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<th>Contents</th>
<td>Empty</td>
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<th>Contained in</th>
<td><a href="head.html">HEAD</a></td>
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<p>The <strong class=html>BASE</strong> element defines the document's <em>base <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr></em> for resolving relative <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr>s contained within the document. A document cannot contain more than one <strong class=html>BASE</strong> element. When present, the <strong class=html>BASE</strong> element must appear in the <strong class=html><a href="head.html">HEAD</a></strong>, prior to any elements that include a partial <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr>.</p>
<p><strong class=html>BASE</strong>'s <strong class=html>HREF</strong> attribute, required in <a href="../html/doctype.html#strict">HTMLá4.0 Strict</a>, specifies the absolute <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr> used to resolve relative <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr>s. See <cite><a href="http://www.stack.nl/%7Egalactus/html/urls.html">Using Relative <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Locator">URL</abbr>s</a></cite> for more details on using and resolving relative <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr>s.</p>
<p>Most Web pages do not require an explicit base <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr> since the document's <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr> is a suitable base. An explicit base <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr> is only required when the same document may be accessed at different <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr>s or when the document has no <abbr class=initialism title="Uniform Resource Identifier">URI</abbr> (<abbr title="for example"><i lang=la>e.g.</i></abbr>, sending an <abbr class=initialism title="HyperText Markup Language">HTML</abbr> document by e-mail).</p>
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<p><a name="target">The <strong class=html>TARGET</strong> attribute</a> is used with <a href="../frames/index.html">frames</a> to specify in which frame all links in document should be rendered by default. The target frame specified by <strong class=html>BASE</strong> can be overridden by a given link using the link's <strong class=html>TARGET</strong> attribute.</p>
<p>If no frame with the specified target name exists, the links are rendered in a new window unless overridden by the user. Special frame names begin with an underscore:</p>
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<li><strong class=html>_blank</strong> renders the links in a new, unnamed window</li>
<li><strong class=html>_self</strong> renders the links in the current frame</li>
<li><strong class=html>_parent</strong> renders the links in the immediate <strong class=html><a href="../frames/frameset.html">FRAMESET</a></strong> parent</li>
<li><strong class=html>_top</strong> renders the links in the full, unframed window</li>
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<h2>More Information</h2>
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<li><a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/links.html#edef-BASE">BASE in <abbr class=initialism title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> HTMLá4.0 Recommendation</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html32#base">BASE in <abbr class=initialism title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> HTMLá3.2 Recommendation</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/html-spec/html-spec_5.html#SEC5.2.2">BASE in HTMLá2.0 Standard</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.htmlhelp.com/reference/wilbur/head/base.html">BASE in <abbr class=initialism title="Web Design Group">WDG</abbr> HTMLá3.2 Reference</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hut.fi/u/jkorpela/HTML3.2/5.7.html">BASE in <cite>Learning HTMLá3.2 by Examples</cite></a></li>