Question

I am working on my first project that requires me to worry about cross browser compatibility. Since this is my first time doing so, I dont know how to go about completing the project. I am specifically worried about IE. Should I complete my project in a more graceful browser then hack it to work in IE, or should I simultaneously build my program up in both environments?

Answer 1

Design your site to work in standards complaint browsers first. I always start with Firefox, even when developing on my company Intranet (where everyone uses IE). Doing so will let you focus on getting your markup and CSS correct. This is what is most important.

The important thing to note is that you’ll want to “future proof” your site, and concentrating on a standards compliant browser will help you do that.

Then, once you’re confident your site is looking correct (validators are your friend!), try it out in the versions of IE you want to support. In order to get your layout to look OK in IE, I strongly suggest using different stylesheets for each version of IE, using conditional comments.

Also, you should note that many others have been in the same scenario as yourself, and there is quite a bit of help available. One popular method of forcing IE to behave is the ie-7.js project.

Lastly, be mindful of the top IE bugs, such as:

• IE6 Box Model Bug
• IE6 transparent PNG images (I have used this fix in the past)