difference between href="#" and href="javascript:void(0)"

If we have a link and we want it to execute a javascript function, there seems to be 5 ways at least:

<a onclick="foo()">Next Image</a>

HTML:

<a href="#" onclick="foo()">Next Image</a>

HTML:

<a href="javascript:foo()">Next Image</a>

HTML:

<a href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="foo()">Next Image</a>

HTML:

<a href="#" onclick="foo(); return false;">Next Image</a>

HTML:

method 1 usually won't change the mouse cursor to a "hand cursor", so maybe it is not as desirable in some cases.

method 2 seems to cause the page to shift to a new location sometimes on IE 6 and IE 7. (to top of page?)

method 3 ... should work... but is it an old school way and should be avoided for modern browsers?

method 4 should work well... except in article http://blog.reindel.com/2006/08/11/a-hrefjavascriptvoid0-avoid-the-void/
the author seems to suggest it may break sometimes and try never to use href="javascript:[anything]"

method 5 may work the best? according to the article above, that may be the best way as it doesn't use href="javascript:[something]" and the return false part will cause the href="#" not to be evaluted, so that's the best way? thanks very much!

 

javascript:void(0)

Code (javascript):

Its a pseudo-protocol and not recommended for usability and accessibility reasons.
Google for JavaScript best practices and you will know few more related ones!

 

what about

<a style="cursor:pointer" onclick="foo()"></a>

HTML:

so you have got cursor, and you dont need any unnecessary javascript voids

 

Aye, I'd use with no href.

But just make all links have the hand cursor by putting this in your CSS:

a{
    cursor:pointer;
}

Code (markup):

 

The advantage of using with href="#url" and onclick event in that the software can be functional even if javascript is disabled.

For eg: Disable the javascript and then try to rep some user in this forum. You will taken to the reputation page. If you had no href parameter or set it to #, you wudn't be able to give rep with disabled javascript. Thats called as graceful degradation!

 

I am all for accessibility, and that is definitely the way to do it, but if you don't have a server side equivelant (which you should) or its for flashy effect only, there is no need for a href.