AOL Browser problems with javascript

[HPCon]

I have developed a website for a friend who uses the AOL Browser.

The site works fine on Internet Explorer but as soon as he browses it
via the AOL browser version 9.0 the line:

var timer=setTimeou t("parent.main. changeLinks('"+ typeVar+"')", 500);

seems to fail.
No error message is received.

The changeLinks function updates the links array for the page to open
a new window which shows a picture of the product, simple javascript
call.
e.g. d.links[i].href = "javascript:Dis playImg(\'xxx.j pg\')";

I have noticed that they are using IE 5.5 and this is displayed as the
browser and version through AOL, so I am trying to get them to update
to IE6 and hoping it cures the problem. However they are worried about
their customers who also use AOL or IE 5.5 or below

the website is http://www.heathcoteaudio.co.uk

any ideas what the problem could be???

[Andrew Urquhart]

Re: AOL Browser problems with javascript

*HPCon* wrote in comp.lang.javas cript:[color=blue]
> I have developed a website for a friend who uses the AOL Browser.
>
> The site works fine on Internet Explorer but as soon as he browses it
> via the AOL browser version 9.0 the line:
>
> var timer=setTimeou t("parent.main. changeLinks('"+ typeVar+"')", 500);
>
> seems to fail.
> No error message is received.
>
> The changeLinks function updates the links array for the page to open
> a new window which shows a picture of the product, simple javascript
> call.
> e.g. d.links[i].href = "javascript:Dis playImg(\'xxx.j pg\')";
>
> I have noticed that they are using IE 5.5 and this is displayed as the
> browser and version through AOL, so I am trying to get them to update
> to IE6 and hoping it cures the problem. However they are worried about
> their customers who also use AOL or IE 5.5 or below
>
> the website is http://www.heathcoteaudio.co.uk
>
> any ideas what the problem could be???[/color]

Hmmn, almost everything I do at that website throws javascript errors.
The site doesn't function at all without javascript enabled - that is
not a smart move if your friend wishes his company to be listed on
Google and other search engines. On the front page there's a note that
says: "We are a small company ..." - sorry to be blunt, but I wouldn't
have thought they could afford to throw away customers through such a
bad website. Write the site for the web, not for one version of one
browser.

E.g.:
With javascript enabled I'm presented with a warning message telling me
that there's a problem with my browser - excellent way to turn off the
customers' shopping desire. I then notice that much of the layout is
broken. I visit a link in the side bar, a javascript error and no
content in the page. Click, I'm done with that site and onto the next
shop.
--
Andrew Urquhart
- FAQ: http://www.jibbering.com/faq/
- Archive: http://groups.google.com/groups?grou...ang.javascript
- Contact me: http://andrewu.co.uk/contact/

[Robert]

Re: AOL Browser problems with javascript

In article <5f39fbca.04092 70729.370ca2e@p osting.google.c om>,
peter@conwaycla n.com (HPCon) wrote:
[color=blue]
> I have developed a website for a friend who uses the AOL Browser.
>
> The site works fine on Internet Explorer but as soon as he browses it
> via the AOL browser version 9.0 the line:
>
> var timer=setTimeou t("parent.main. changeLinks('"+ typeVar+"')", 500);[/color]

I'd invoke a local function that invoked changeLinks.

Perhaps this style of referencing another frame will help:
top.frames["nameframe1 "].invokeDisplayC olor();

[color=blue]
>
> any ideas what the problem could be???[/color]

For developing an Internet application, it is best to do your
development work in a gekco based browser like Firefox. Why? Firefox
implements only the W3C standards. IE implements the W3C standards plus
a bunch of MS only things. This means once it works in Firefox, it will
be an easy port to IE. Firefox provides a javascript console for error
message, a debugger, a DOM viewer, etc.

Folks do not link horizontal scrolling. You should avoid this on your
page.

Robert

[Richard Cornford]

Re: AOL Browser problems with javascript

Robert wrote:
<snip>[color=blue]
> For developing an Internet application, it is best to do your
> development work in a gekco based browser like Firefox. Why?
> Firefox implements only the W3C standards.[/color]

Stating that Firefox (or any Gecko browser) implements *only* the W3C
standards would be completely untrue. In addition to the W3C DOM
standards, Gecko browsers implement numerous Microsoft DOM features
(innerHTML, offset/clientWidth/Height, etc) and probably (numerically)
more Mozilla proprietary features even than Microsoft managed to stuff
into Windows IE. Try, for example, enumerating the properties under -
window.Componen ts.interfaces - and see how many of the 150-odd object
references returned can be found in a W3C standard.

I don't think there is a single browser that implements only the W3C
standards (NetFront probably comes closest). And a browser that did
probably wouldn't be that useful to script (beyond the relatively
trivial).

<snip>[color=blue]
> Firefox provides a javascript console
> for error message, a debugger, a DOM viewer, etc.[/color]
<snip>

That is probably a much better reason for using Firefox for development.
Though it is not the only W3C standard browser with a accurate/useful
error reporting mechanism build in.

Richard.