IE5 - do I bother?

[Seminara]

Hi all

The following page is exhibiting major layout problems in IE5 on a PC:

http://kxweb.kineticsolutions.co.uk/Seminara/choose.html

I'm seeing about a meters worth of pixels in between most div rows! Can anyone spot the reason or reasons why?

Thanks
Humbled Newbie

 

[Ghodmode]

To answer the question in the subject, I wouldn't bother. I think that most of the people viewing a hotel web site would be doing so from home on an average computer bought within the last couple of years. They're not going to be using IE5.

I think that most IE5 users will be in companies with especially strict rules for their employees about software updates. I don't think that you can get newer than IE 5.5 on Windows 95, but not too many people will still be using that.

--
-- Ghodmode

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Not sure why... but why not remove all your styles, then add them in a bit at a time to find out the offending one(s)?

Hope this helps,
Dan

[tt]Dan's Page [blue]@[/blue] Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/dan/

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[Seminara]

That's a good idea. I'll try it if I'm granted the time...probably won't be however!

Thanks

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

And in answer to the question "IE5 - do I bother?" - surely this is a decision the client should be making?

Dan



[tt]Dan's Page [blue]@[/blue] Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/dan/

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[Seminara]

Absolutely - well - normally yes. But this s a demo and the client hasn't taken a position one way or the other as yet. To be seen.

Thanks again.

 

[ChrisHunt]

Can anyone spot the reason or reasons why?

There's way too much going on in that markup to spot anything much. It looks like a table-based layout, where you've swapped all the <tr>s and <td>s for <div>s, but otherwise left it alone. It ought to be possible to get a simpler structure into your HTML document, and still present it the same way in the CSS.

That would give you the option of serving up a simpler stylesheet (or even no stylesheet at all) to any older browsers which can't cope.

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[Seminara]

Hi Chris

Sounds very logical and I'm sure you're correct. However, I'm really a front end person and self taught (worst of all combinations) so it's not suprising my code looks like tables as that's what I 'grew up' with.

Thanks anyway

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

I'm really a front end person and self taught (worst of all combinations) so it's not suprising my code looks like tables as that's what I 'grew up' with.

Interesting... I'm a 'front end guy' (for after all, HTML and CSS are the 'front end', are they not?). I grew up with tables and framesets, having been totally self taught. But at some point (normally after having been told too many times to count ;-)) you realise that there are other ways to lay out pages, and so start taking sites you've already done and applying these new techniques to them.

It's a great way to learn.

Dan

[tt]Dan's Page [blue]@[/blue] Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/dan/

[/tt]

 

[ChrisHunt]

In my opinion, tables-disguised-as-<div>s gets you the worst of both worlds. You're getting hardly any of the benefits of CSS-based layout, but losing the support of using a method (tables-for-layout) with which you're familiar and confident. Either invest some time in learning to use CSS properly, or stick with tables.

It's tricky initially to let go of the rows-and-columns mindset and start structuring documents according to their content rather than their appearance. Once you get into the swing, though, you'll never want to go back.

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[Seminara]

I'm sure you're both correct. My level of knowledge is definitely below the standard it needs to be (based on time constraints or employers not willing to invest in 'real' training).

Can either of you recommend any user friendly books for beginners (which is what I am) or even better, training courses in London? (I'm UK based)

Cheers