IE6 Layout

PiKe · 18 Feb 2011 at 10:02

My site is looks broken in IE6, I believe it's to do with how it interprets css and margin widths. I need some way of experimenting with changing the css until it looks correct, in firefox there is firebug, is there anything for IE6?

I know IE6 is out of date but some users still use it.

Sp00n · 18 Feb 2011 at 10:30

http://tredosoft.com/Multiple_IE

Short of that I don't really know of any other way, to be honest IE6 is down to 4% of IE's total usage, I wouldn't bother coding for it unless you know for a fact that your demographic is going to be using it.

gord · 18 Feb 2011 at 10:51

Closest IE6 has to Firebug is the IE Dev Toolbar. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=95e06cbe-4940-4218-b75d-b8856fced535

It's a bit more limited. But common practice for compatibility testing of a site is to just view it using that browser and make the amends to the code. Microsoft provide free VMs of IE6, 7, 8 on different OS if you want to test natively and different versions.

Muel · 18 Feb 2011 at 10:53

Average statistics mean nothing. You need to look at your logs and see if anyone has used IE6 to access the site in question, then you need to decide whether to support it.

Personally I always support it, and IE5.5 (for lulz) too. What I'll be doing on my new site though is to present a black and white version of the site for IE6, with no decoration at all, with a message urgeing people to get a modern browser.

Draeger · 18 Feb 2011 at 11:12

Sp00n said:
to be honest IE6 is down to 4% of IE's total usage, I wouldn't bother coding for it unless you know for a fact that your demographic is going to be using it.

Agreed. I wouldn't bother making sure the code works in IE 6. The amount of people still using it doesn't concern me in the slightest. Browsing habits have to move on and progress and there has to be a point where we as web devs say "No - I'm not playing anymore" when it comes to old browser technology. Otherwise people will still be coding for 5.5 and 6.0 for years to come.

I'm more interested in cross browser compatibility between the main players tbh.

Anyone who knows even a little about PC's and yet is still using IE 6.0 should be taken out in the street and given a damn good thrashing.

MikeHiow · 18 Feb 2011 at 11:18

IE6 is actually pretty easy if you use a reset css - most of it from there is substituting padding's from widths with an IE6 only stylesheet.

Those who state that no one uses IE6 any more are quite simply wrong. There are 1000s of business' workstations running Win2k and XP that still run IE6. According to Statcounter, nearly 9% of the browser share belongs to IE6 which is more than any version of Chrome or Safari! Will you be avoiding compatibility with webkit? Of course not.

Whilst it's use is declining it cannot be written off just yet, at least not in a commercial environment.

PiKe · 18 Feb 2011 at 11:29

I also have a lovely problem of ie6 under windows98 that generates an 'operation aborted' error due to the following:

Code:

  require: function(libraryName) {
    // inserting via DOM fails in Safari 2.0, so brute force approach
    document.write('<script type="text/javascript" src="'+libraryName+'"><\/script>');
  },

but if removed, it breaks the site for modern browsers.

and yes it's a website aimed at other businesses and unfortunately quite a few don't bother updating (win98 ffs).

MikeHiow · 18 Feb 2011 at 12:29

Use a Javascript framework like jQuery or Prototype.

Sp00n · 18 Feb 2011 at 13:02

Windows 98? :eek:

Muel said:
Average statistics mean nothing. You need to look at your logs and see if anyone has used IE6 to access the site in question, then you need to decide whether to support it.

...which is why I said check your demographic.

Izi · 18 Feb 2011 at 14:05

IETester is your friend.

<div class="container"> <- put your width and height on this
<div class="content"> <- put your padding on this
lorum
</div>
</div>

Sorts out the padding bug