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It's reading and applying the code inside the conditional [if lt IE 8], even [if lt IE 6].
Is this a known issue with the Virtual IE8, or is there something I can tweak somewhere.. or could this be a clash with the registry settings I have for IE5/6 standalones?
So if your system version of IE is IE8 conditional comments will catch for IE8. If you run a standalone of IE 5.5 when the system uses 8 IE 5.5's conditional comments will be treated like you're using IE 8.0.
Here is a test case from my site's IECCSS tutorial...
<!--[if IE 5.0]><p>Your Windows system of IE is <b>5.0</b>.</p><![endif]--><!--[if IE 5.5]><p>Your Windows system of IE is <b>5.5</b>.</p><![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 6.0]><p>Your Windows system of IE is <b>6.0</b>.</p><![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7.0]><p>Your Windows system of IE is <b>7.0</b>.</p><![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8.0]><p>Your Windows system of IE is <b>8.0</b>.</p><![endif]-->
I find the best way to test is to run IE8 as my main system's version of IE since I can also run in compatibility mode and that most JavaScript bugs that occur in IE6 also occur in IE7...thus with IE8 I can use the web developer tools and debug most IE6 related JScript errors.
Then I run a virtual copy of XP with a system IE6. I have only successfully gotten standalones for IE 4, 5.0, 5.5, and 7.0 to run simultaneously with a system IE6 though I have never been able to successfully verify a standalone IE6 when the system IE is 7.
Lastly I run a second copy of XP with a system IE7.
I test IE 5.5 on the IE6 copy of XP.
I also tend to verify my work with other computers around the house that I have intentionally not upgraded.
- John
I have IE5.5 & 6 running as standalone, and IE7 installed (XP), with IE8 on a virtual PC image. I've never had a problem with the conditionals for the standalones and 7 as there is a registry tweak to encompass them.
You have answered an earlier question I had though, about whether it would now be wise to install 8 and use the compatibility view to test 7. I just wasn't sure if compatibility mode was good enough to test but it seems it is.
I have solved my problem :o and will leave the answer here just in case anyone else should find it useful.
I was testing a locally and the settings (under tools) were such that all "intranet" sites should be displayed in compatibility view. arghh
though the compatibility button is missing from the top menu bar and choices when testing locally, a simple check box, under the tools->settings flicks back and forth from one view to the next instantly, avoiding the restart I'd been hearing about.. (only simple now that I found it of course ;))
anyway turned that off and everything acted as expected, plain conditional test and also the script test that had made me notice in the first place.
thanks again JAB
I installed IE8 and lost the standalones (well no conditionals accepted), however I installed IE7 and 6 on the virtual PC - vhd images from Microsoft.
Then when I fired up my HTML-Kit (old version I'm really attached to) I find it's still using IE7 for its preview pane, which is great news, I can carry on working the same was as I was before but now have IE8 as an immediate test instead of having to open the virtual (I can see 7 in the preview pane).. I was already very rarely having to use the standalone IE6 as it was because I just know it, but still have it there on VPC if I need it - FF is still my default browser but that may change to Safari soon! :)
btw the Meta Equivalent tags..
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=4"> <!-- IE5 mode -->
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=7.5" > <!-- IE7 mode -->
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=100" > <!-- IE8 mode -->
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=a" > <!-- IE5 mode -->
I had these in a page but had never tested them before, I don't even know how or where I found them. Are they still valid?
Anyway they didn't work how I'd hoped, while yes they show the various versions "quirks/features" (like IE5 not centering properly), they don't show the bugs (like double margin) so am thinking they are unstable for using as "quick" test switch
<a href="javascript: if (document.compatMode) {var m=(document.compatMode=='CSS1Compat') ? 'Standards' : 'Quirks'; window.alert(m+' Mode');} else {alert('Unable to determine rendering mode!');}">Detect Rendering Mode</a>
I'm not aware of older X-UA-Compatible meta element values and I've been following the IE blog since before IE7 was even in beta.
Since IE8 can drop down in to IE7 mode and IE7 and IE6 are nearly identical save for a minor number of changes and bug fixes you can use the developer tools in IE8 to deal with most problems you will face in IE6. I still test IE6 in it's own copy of XP to verify things and on rare occasion there is something it doesn't like. Usually it's just CSS.
It was highly agitating to find that compatibility mode was on by default in IE8 so you're not alone.
- John
