Cross Browser Compatibility!
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| by Warren Baker |
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 There are literally hundreds of web
browsers in use around the world. All of them implement
the W3C document standards a little differently. Web
designers must wrestle with these differences to make a
web site work. This article discusses the effect those
different implementations has on design.
What is Cross Browser Compatibility?
If a web page is completely cross-browser compatible, it
will look more or less the same in all of the existing web
browsers. The most commonly used browsers are Internet
Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Firefox and Opera.
Each one of these browser implements HTML, JavaScript and
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) a little differently. Some
difference only create cosmetic difference others can
break the webpage. The situation gets worse because each
browser is free to implement "enhancements" to
the W3C standard version of each of these formats.
Then to compound matters even more the underlying
operating systems also creates difference in how the
computer displays graphical elements and text differently.
When you add the fact that people are also using multiple
versions of each of the browsers, no wonder web designers
get headaches.
So what is a web designer to do?
Obviously, 100% compatibility with all potential browsers
is impossible. But it is possible to design your web page
so it will work in the most popularly used browsers.
To accomplish that, a web designer must write
squeaky-clean code that conforms to the W3C standards to
get consistent results across all browser platforms. The
whole idea behind the standards is that if each browser
adheres to the same set of rules, you will get more or
less consistent results in all of the existing browsers.
Conforming can be a real challenge. It will limit some of
the neater effects available in specific browsers. There
are online code validators available. You can validate
HTML code at http://validator.w3.org,
the validator can also validate your CSS and links. The
service is free.
The validator checks your code based on the DOCTYPE you
specify on the webpage. The DOCTYPE tells the browser
which version of HTML or CSS the web page is using.
HTML Editors
There are some compatibility issues associated with
anything other than hand coding for HTML (and for that
matter, even with hand coding.)
Best Choice - The best choice for compatibility is
Dreamweaver but you cannot use layers. Layers must be
converted to tables to be used.
Worst Choice - The worst choice is FrontPage. FrontPage is
loaded with problems because it uses Microsoft and
therefore internet explored specific code. Items that will
not work in other browsers include:
* Marquees - you can use a JavaScript scroller to create a
similar effect that will work in the most common browsers.
* bgsound tag - this is IE specific. * Page Transitions -
this is IE specific. * Front Page generated Style sheets -
this is IE specific and can have unexpected results or
crash other browsers. * Front Page generated DHTML - it is
better to use JavaScript to create the effects you want
since it is more likely to be cross browser compatible. *
Hover Buttons - this is IE specific and has been know to
crash browsers including older versions of IE. You can use
JavaScript, flash or CSS to get similar effects.
Other HTML Editors - the rest of the HTML editors will
fall somewhere between Dreamweaver and FrontPage in cross
browser compatibility. You just have to test the code your
HTML editor generates.
CSS Style Sheets
Not all of your style sheets will work correctly in all of
the browsers. However, style sheets rarely crash a web
browser, but sometimes the pages will be downright ugly if
not completely unreadable. One of the major CSS problems
is absolute positioning since most browsers do not support
it and it will cause different block to overlap others and
create a jumbled mess.
Flash
Flash is great for adding style to a webpage and
Macromedia provides flash plug-ins for all of the major
web browsers. But don't build the entire site with flash.
Browser for the blind, most handheld devices do not
support flash.
A small but significant number of users don't like it and
don't install the plug-in so they won't be able to access
a flash site. Also, search engines spyders can't follow
the links on a flash site and won't index it.
Graphic Links
While these are attractive, they have the same problems as
flash with browsers for the blind and hand-held devices.
Always use the alt tag with graphics.
Bottom Line - even code that is validated may not work
correctly in all the major browsers. The best way a web
designer can create cross browser compatibility is to test
all of their web pages in the most popular browsers to see
what happens. Personally, I find that a combination of
style sheets and tables works best to ensure my pages look
good in all of the browsers.
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| About
the Author: Warren Baker is an Internet business
consultant for WebDesigners123. WebDesigners123 connects
the Freelance
Web Designer with Webmasters who need their
services. |
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