Netscape 7 drop downs

[Leenie]

Has anyone else noticed that some drop down's in Netscape 7 do not work that do work in IE. For example in

http://www.homedepot.ca

when I am trying to look at online catalogues. You get to 2 drop downs where you are supposed to be able to enter your province and city, but nothing shows up under the drop down. Works fine in IE 6. Is is just that some people have not set up their websites to work with Netscape 7 or is it a setting I can change?

Colleen Lane
Milton Public Library

 

[tviman]

One of the problems is that the page is trying to call a javascript function that doesn't exist. Another problem is that the menu script is written in Dreamweaver which is notorious for not doing a very good job. I visit quite a few Canadian sites and run into the same problem. I'm not saying that this is a Canadian problem - maybe Dreamweaver is more prevently used there than in the states.

There's always a better way. The fun is trying to find it!

 

[Leenie]

If it's a javascript function that doesn't exist, then why does it work in IE? On the dreamweaver issue, is it that IE can handle Dreamweaver written scripts, but Netscape can't?
Thanks.

Colleen Lane
Milton Public Library

 

[tviman]

IE does some strange things... it has the ability to fix poor programming errors with a "I know what you wanted to do" type of deal. While this may be OK for some, for others like myself who are professional programmers, this isn't OK. All it does is create the problems you have found along with propagating poor programming practices.

Dreamweaver is basically a code generator. Like IE, it creates code based on what it thinks you want. Again, there's nothing wrong with code generators except that in almost every case it adds in "extra" code that just isn't necessary - and is often confusing or conflicting with other code. Or, as in the case of IE, dreamweaver will use some scripting code that was designed strictly for IE and not the other 150 browsers on the market - but will never tell the "programmer" what it did, or why.

There's always a better way. The fun is trying to find it!

 

[Leenie]

So, I guess I just live with it if it isn't a setting that I can change.
Thanks for all your helpful info.

Colleen Lane
Milton Public Library

 

[tviman]

What you should do is write to the webmaster, or to the company itself, and tell them that they have a problem with their web pages. In fact, here's the javascript error code for the page you're trying to use:

Error: sel.options.remove is not a function
Source File:

http://www.homedepot.ca/escalate/store/ValidateInputs?pls=hd_canada_gift&validNextPage=storecatalog

Line: 23

and here is the actual code from that page showing the problem:

function makeselect(sel,arr,arr1)
{
var i;
var opt;
var len=sel.options.length
for(i=0;i<len;i++)
	{
	[COLOR=red]sel.options.remove(0);[/color]
	}
opt = document.createElement("OPTION");
opt.value="";
var name = sel.name;
	if(name.length>4)
		opt.text="Select Province";
	else 
		opt.text="Select City";
sel.options.add(opt);
for(i=0;i<arr.length;i++)
	{
	opt = document.createElement("OPTION");
	opt.value=arr[i];
	opt.text=arr1[i];
	sel.options.add(opt);
	}
}

Here's the interesting thing... this error doesn't happen at the

http://www.homedepot.com

web site!

There's always a better way. The fun is trying to find it!

 

[Leenie]

Thank you soooo much for all that info. Do you think I could find an email address for the webmaster, though. I just took a guess and tried webmaster@homedepot.ca. I forwarded all the code and it hasn't bounced back yet so we'll see if I get any response.
Again, thanks.

Colleen Lane
Milton Public Library