UBB.Developers Forums UBB.threads 6 Bug Reports Problem in new Netscape version

In the new Netscape version (6.01) when you are logged in and are viewing a post the buttons for "edit" and "reply" are not shown. They are in the source but the HTML code is not compatible for some reason. I am getting a lot of complaints from people using this browser asking how they reply to posts? Any ideas?

Can't see any problems that would cause that, but I'll have to download Netscape 6.1 tommorow from work and check. The only thing that I can think of that would be causing this is if the tables were messed up, but can't find any problems with that.

Naw, net6 is much more picky about the code. I use net 6 a lot lately and I'm still having probs with w3t.

The Show/Edit users screen won't work in net 6 either, as well as the search engine. I want to throttle the AOL goons for breaking a perfectly good browser! []/w3timages/icons/frown.gif[/]



- Six
[email protected]
mYth productions

I ran a few W3T pages through www.w3.org's html validator, and every page came back with a few serious flags that could cause more standard complient browsers to incorrectly handle page rendering. Tables tend to be a very sticky issue when it comes to proper cross browser compatibility. I think it would be important that the php generated pages comply with the W3 HTML and CSS rules, in order to ensure that the pages are as solid as possible across browsers. I think it is not a pitfal of Netscape for developing a compliant browser, as much I think N6 is a bugy browser.

-e

This is something I brought up once some time ago. It is impossible to edit a w3t generated page in Dreamweaver (try it and see what happens!), and other editors. It seems to be somewhere in the narrow limits of bad HTML code that it looks well in most browsers while not being really good HTML code, but luckily it is working []/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/]. But a review of the generated code should come, in my opinion, for a future upgrade.

But be it for a future upgrade. I would probably not give it priority right now as it seems to be working fine in most browsers... but sooner or latter it will be a real problem. Or as you say, if Netscape 6 is giving problems to your users the problem might need to be handled sooner than I thought, I personally received no reports yet.

As for the generated pages to comply with the W3 HTML and CSS rules... sadly being W3 compliant does not necessarily mean being cross-browser compliant. And since the CSS files are edited by the user himself -at least if he wants to customize the look of the forum, there is no way for w3t co control that, but it can control the html code.

Mateo Byler
CruceDeCaminos.com

Mateo,

In reply to your comments on W3 standards and cross browser compatibility, I think you are a little off about your assertion that to be W3 complaint does not mean to be cross browser compliant. W3 standards are what we have to negotiate a common ground between the various products on the market. True, perhaps this forces developers to the lowest common denominator. But it still the best starting point we have as web developers to ensure that are pages are accessible to the widest audeince range.

Further, I have yet to come across a page that is W3 compliant and does not render near to perfect with 3+ generation browsers. By testing php generated pages with the W3, or other HTML validators, you are taking a solid step forward in making certain that your code is as solid as possible. My fresh install shows that several scripts produce broken / slightly messed up tables when checked in W3 validator. While this renders fine in IE 5.5, N6 which is a complaint browser that doesn't do lots of error checking chokes on some stuff.

In terms of intergrating PHP generated pages into a HTML based deveopment package, something like PHP Coder http://www.phpide.de/ is a nice app that allows you to parse you php files live so you can see what your pages look like as you develope.

Regards

This subject was brought up a few days ago at the LinkExchange mailing list. Read about it here, look at digests 331, 332, 333.
Basically, what you say is how it should be. But browser makers dont follow all of W3C rules.

By the way, according to The Web Standards Proyect Netscape 6 is the most standards-compliant browser available.

Mateo Byler
CruceDeCaminos.com

Mateo,

True, alot of the browsers out there aren't fully W3 compliant, but all of them do share the most basic W3 standards. This as a starting point, the lowest common denominator, alows us to build pages that are cross browser accesssible. The W3 standards aren't something utopian that we shoudl be hoping for in the future, but it offers us a framework today to build accessible web site.

I fI have a chance I'll read up on your suggests. Thanks.

Regards

Because not a single browser is fully W3C compliant, W3C is "not compliant" with all the browsers rules... []/w3timages/icons/wink.gif[/]
Anyway, I agree on that it is always best to make it W3C compliant as long as you browser check it anyway.

Mateo Byler
CruceDeCaminos.com

I've come across 2 significant bugs in W3T when browsing with NN 4.7


The first has to do with corrupt tables, which seem to be a problem througth all the script files. The big problem with this is that poll results aren't viewable at all because of this.

The seconf has to do with attached files with spaces in there names. When I click on the link for an attached file that is named "Something or Other.txt", it comes up fine in IE 5.5, as I converts the spaces into an escape character. NN 4.7 doesn't do this and tryies to bring up the file "Something", which doesn't exsist.

Has anyone else come across these problems? Are there easy to implement solutions?

-e

Sorry abotu that. I take back the comment about the poll results not being viewable in NN 4.7 It turned out to be a small problem in my footer ( a totaly seperate table!). The problem that I outlined in regards to attahced files is still an issue.

-e