Re: Browser support for CSS and DHTML

Hi John and list

Like you, I used to concern myself with older browsers, going to great
lengths to make sure a site I developed would look OK in such old browsers
as Internet Explorer 2/3, Netscape Navigator 2/3 and NCSA Mosaic 3.
.
However, I have (only today) decided to follow the WaSP Browser Upgrade
Initiative (see http://www.webstandards.org/upgrade/).  I believe I got the
link from this list (was it Christopher who gave us that one?  I'm getting
old!)

I will write valid HTML4 or XHTML1, combined with valid CSS.  Some sites
might look less attractive in IE3 or NN3.  Can't be helped.  If someone
still wants to use a black&white TV without an aerial, IMO they forego the
right to complain about poor picture quality.  And of course, buying a new
TV would cost them money, but most browsers are FREE these days, as
downloads and often on CD's that come with magazines.  The only time I will
not follow this approach is when a customer doesn't want me to.

I have not yet started to re-design my business site (will do that later),
but have started re-developing the "Beginners' Website Design Tips" site
(non profit, more of a hobby site but with advertising for my business) at
http://www.bwdzine.com/bwdt/    The "home" and "site planning" pages are now
written in valid XHTML 1.0, and the site uses valid CSS.  The "Designing"
page is still in valid HTML 4.01.

I was surprised at how easy it was to convert from (already valid) HTML to
XHTML.  It's a pity that my WYSIWYG editor destroys my valid code, as it
means I've had to go back to hand coding (or at least, fixing the code
before uploading to the server)

The pages mentioned above look best in IE4 and 5.5 (surprise, surprise),
almost as good in Opera 4 and not too bad in NN4.03 and 4.77 (on PC's
running Win95 and 98, at resolutions ranging from 640x480 in 256 colors to
1280*1024 in TrueColor).  They still display OK in NN3 and IE3.

If anyone wants to visit the site with another configuration and see how it
looks, be my guest.  Feedback on the success (or failure) of this approach
(not a critique of the site) is welcome (off-list).

I realise this does not answer your question directly, but it might give you
some food for thought.

Regards
--
Bert Doorn, Web Developer
Author of Beginners' Website Design Tips
http://www.bwdzine.com/bwdt/

HTML: hwg-basics mailing list archives, maintained by Webmasters @ IWA