php $output query

I am trying to get the php script to
ouput the results of mysql and then set the url retrieved to open into a new window with defined height/width.

I have presumed I need to try to get the php script to $output the javascript code but as you cant use "" I cant get this to work. i.e.

$output .= "$cur. <a href='$thisurl]'> $doc</a><br> $desc<br><br> " ;
works fine but doesnt open it in a new window with width/height.

what i need is:
HREF="javascript:location='index.html';window.open('general/what.html','popup',
'HEIGHT=500, WIDTH=400')"

but the " " on each end makes the php invalid

any ideas

why not just escape the " with a \

for example:

echo "some code here and a \" here and another one \" here";

would output:
some code here and a " here and another one " here