[Web4lib] Browsers to test

[Andrew Hankinson]

On 5/29/07, Robert Sullivan <robert.g.sullivan at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > It's pretty much impossible to get modern browsers and legacy browsers
> to
> > agree on the same code.  Browsers such as NS4 should be obsoleted ASAP,
> same
> > with IE4 and possibly IE5.  If you absolutely need to support these
> > browsers, you're probably better off redirecting them to a bare-bones,
> > text-only version of the site.
>
> How about coding for modern browsers and hiding the styles from
> browsers or devices whoch don't support them?  Not only does this
> avoid the maintenance issues of a duplicate version of a site, but a
> site which can be used without its CSS will also make it easier for
> speech browsers and devices with limited CSS support (cell phones
> etc.)


D'oh!  That's what I meant, the right words just didn't get from my brain to
my fingers.

Of course, this also means that coding without using tables for layout is
especially important.

> You should ensure you support at least one browser on the three major
> > operating systems.  Nothing bugs me more than a Windows-only website!
> > Firefox 2 is a definite since it's on all three (FF1 is a maybe - any
> > computer that can run FF2 can run FF1), Safari, Konquerer, and Opera.
>
> While not everyone has access to a Mac, an old PC which is too slow
> for modern applications might still be able to run the latest version
> of the Kubuntu Linux distribution so you could test with Konqueror.
> If that's all you want to do with it, you don't have to know anything
> about Linux to set it up.


Who needs a Mac to test Safari? ;)
There's a Windows Browser that uses WebKit (the same rendering engine as
Safari) available as an Open Source project.

http://try.swift.ws/

I don't have access to a Windows machine, but it looks like it's worth a
shot.

-A

--
> Bob Sullivan
> Schenectady Digital History Archive
> <http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/>
> Schenectady County (NY) Public Library
>