Expression Web using Parallels - Problem

Google Chrome and Safari do not display page correctly

[Liane]

Long story short:

I am using Microsoft Expression Web to build my pages. This after getting a new iMac and discovering that Dreamweaver (and several other programmes I used regularly) no longer worked.

Because I am on a Mac, I have to use parallels to work in Expression Web. Because I am using parallels, I can only check my pages (visually) in IE while working in the programme.

After changing my main inquiry page, that displayed correctly in IE and Firefox, I discovered that it is totally wonky in Google Chrome and Safari. Unfortunately, I have now overwritten the old page.

I no longer have the old code to compare it to the new page and can't for the life of me find the error. Sigh.

Any suggestions?

[aristotle]

It might be worth checking to see if the Wayback Machine (archive.org/web) has preserved a copy of the old page. Another possibility is to check if Bing or Google still has a cache of the old page.

[Liane]

Thanks Aristotle. I'll give it a shot.

[drhowarddrfine]

I am hoping you are not using IE as the first test of your page.

[Liane]

IE is the only browser I have available to me in Parallels. But I have checked all other pages using Safari (which seems to be the most finicky) and they are all OK.

I obviously did something to my inquiry page that both Google Chrome and Safari don't like. The page is fine in the other major browsers.

I was able to locate a copy from the Way Back Machine from April, 2004. Lots of things have changed on the page since then, but it is still structurally the same page. I will hopefully be able to find the glitch by comparing the two. I just haven't located it yet!

Of course, it has to be the most complicated page on my site! Sigh.

[phranque]

have you validated the markup?

[Liane]

Yes, the markup passes on all pages … including the wonky one! That's what I don't understand.

[drhowarddrfine]

If you use IE to initially test your markup, you will be in a world of hurt when trying to get that same markup to work in the other better browsers. You can never, ever trust IE to do anything right so using IE to initially test your markup is like using a broken calculator to test formulas against work calculators.

The web developer's mantra is: "If it works in IE, but not the other browsers, my markup is wrong!"

[lucy24]

The subtitle of this thread says "not displaying correctly". Even before reading the whole thread, my immediate question was: not correctly ... or not as intended?

If the only browser that displays the page as intended is MSIE, the chances are pretty strong that "as intended" does not mean "correctly".

'Tis the season for wild generalizations...

[Liane]

It displays as intended as well as correctly in Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox, Sea Monkey, Dillo and Netscape but blows out in Google Chrome and Safari.

I have tested all pages of the site using the WC3 validator and they all passed. No errors, no warnings. This is the only page giving me grief.

I realise there is an error in my code but am unable to find it. Time to start from scratch and rebuild the page.

I have no options at the moment. As I explained, I am using Microsoft Expression Web in Parallels to build my pages. Because I am using parallels, I cannot import or open any other browsers. IE is it!

I am using this combination due to a time crunch. I have to get things done and done yesterday! When I have more time, I will find a better solution but for now, I am doing the best I can with what I have.

Thanks for the help all.

I'll slink away now.

[Liane]

Fixed!

Displaying "as intended" on all major browsers.

[ken_b]

Fixed!

Aww, come on, tell us how you fixed it!

Did you find a specific issue? What was it?

Or did you rebuild from zero without spotting the problem(code?)?

[Liane]

I figured out that it had to be something screwy with the basic page.

I simply cut the meaty contents out of the page, uploaded the empty page with just the header, footer and nav bar and sure enough, the problem was with the basic page structure itself.

I still couldn't locate the problem so I took another (good) page, copied it, gutted it, pasted in the contents of my inquiry page and that was that. Redid the headers, and tags … and Bob's your uncle!

I spent hours trying to find the bad code and simply couldn't spot it. This was the only solution I could think of.

Code (of any kind) is not my first, second or third language!

[Kendo]

Something does not sound right here...

that IE is the only browser available to Parallels

.

Myself, others on my team and also clients, use Parallels on a Mac to install and run Windows for testing and to run software that is otherwise not available for Mac.

With Parrallels installed on a Mac we can install as many different Windows OS as we like and simultaneously and each virtual Windows runs just like a normal installation of Windows... there is no limit to which browsers can be installed. In fact on my Mac, I have about 12 different web browser brands running in Windows.

[Liane]

Kendo,

I am running on an iMac with OS 10.8.5

I tried several times to download browsers into Microsoft Expression Web but each time it failed.

Can you tell me the trick to it? They simply won't install.

[not2easy]

In MAC, when you run Windows via Parallels, you would install those alternate browsers in Windows, not in Expression Web. I use an iMac with OS 10.8.5 and have parallels to check things on Windows platform, but the Safari, FireFox and IE are installed in Windows, separately from the Safari and FF installed on the Mac.

[Liane]

not2easy said:

… but the Safari, FireFox and IE are installed in Windows, separately from the Safari and FF installed on the Mac.

Hmmm … ok, I didn't know I could do that, but how do I check pages … *while building them* … if I install Firefox and Safari (and I hope Google Chrome) on Windows if the browsers aren't within Expression Web itself?

[not2easy]

Sorry, I can't help you with that, never used Expression Web, but if it works through a browser, it should work with more than one browser. Is it possible to paste the URL into the address bar on FF or Safari? Have you looked at Super Preview? I saw that the MS site has lots of answers if I do a search, but you know what version you're trying to use so you might find more specific help from Microsoft.

Even on Windows you can open and view a HTML file that's stored in a folder on your computer using any browser.

[bill]

not2easy is right about SuperPreview. That is one way you would check the site on multiple browsers with Expression Web.

The WYSIWYG preview you see in Expression Web is a unique standards based renderer. You would just use that to get a general idea of what your code would look like, then you'd want to test in the actual browsers.

It would be easier just to individually install the browsers you want to test against in Windows.

[Liane]

Wonderful suggestion ... thanks for the help guys! I'll give it a shot. :)