Open external URLs in a new window

Personally and professionally I think links should open in the same tab, but some clients insist on opening external links in new tabs.

<?php
/**
 * Override theme_menu_item_link
 * http://api.drupal.org/api/function/theme_menu_item_link/5
 */
function phptemplate_menu_item_link($item, $link_item) {
    // make external links open in new windows   
    $attributes = !empty($item['description']) ? array('title' => $item['description']) : array();
    if (strpos($link_item['path'], 'http://') === 0 || strpos($link_item['path'], 'https://') === 0) {
        $attributes['target'] = '_blank';
    }
  return l($item['title'], $link_item['path'], $attributes, isset($item['query']) ? $item['query'] : NULL);
}
?>

Another example, from a view template:

<?php
$attributes = '';
// ...
if (strpos($field_link_url, 'http://') === 0 || strpos($field_link_url, 'https://') === 0) {
  $attributes .= ' target = "_blank"';
}

?>

<p>
<a href="<?php print $field_link_url ?>"<?php $attributes ?>>
<?php print $image ?>
</a>
</p>

Resolution