ALA Style Sheet Switcher - IE bug?

some bugs seen in IE6 and IE7

[luispunchy]

Hi all. I am using the ALA javascript-based stylesheet switcher (a list apart dot com /articles/alternate/)

This works fine in Firefox and Opera, but I encounter the following buggy scenarios in IE flavors:

1. IE7 (full install) - A form on my page does not show the input fields (text input, textarea input) when you switch back to the preferred CSS from the alternate style sheet. Click on the preferred switcher link again or otherwise refresh the page, and everything shows up. Very strange.

2. IE6 (standalone install version) - the switcher only works on the current page. Hit reload/refresh or go to any other page, and the style sheet reverts to the preferred CSS - seems IE6 is not keeping the cookie.

Anybody else experience similar bugs with this switcher? I think perhaps the IE6 bug is related to the fact that it is a standalone install. But IE7 not showing form inputs is strange.

I will post a small test case if I can replicate one. Otherwise, send me stickymail and I can send you a URL for the fullblown version.

[SuzyUK]

I think you're right about the IE6 'bug' I too use an IE6 standalone for testing and it doesn't keep JS logins/cookies (not that I want it to)

I think the IE7 'bug' could be hasLayout related, peekaboo the disappearing content bug that was supposedly fixed for IE7 has been known to appear in certain circumstances.

IE7 also has a bug with Form Input elements so I'm assuming it could be a mixture of the two with the initial switch not being enough time to redraw, whereas a refresh does.

as a test perhaps you could add "zoom: 1;" to the actual form and/or even a div containing the form, I'm thinking out loud and can't remember exactly what the Form bug in IE7 needed to fix it, so if you've still got your test page try that (in both stylesheets) but.. I'm not convinced ;)

I know you're thinking of going PHP for the styleswitcher so if the stylesheets are the same I'm not sure why the JS one would be buggy if the PHP one is OK.. :o

[luispunchy]

Yes - it is very strange that the JS version of the switcher results in this IE7 bug (which does have some peekaboo similarity to it, btw, but i'm not sure), while the PHP version doesn't have any problem like this.

Since I've abandoned the JS version in favor of PHP (no reliance on client-side browser, JS on/off), I won't spend time testing for *why* the JS version was throwing this buggy result in IE7 or how to fix it... at least not right now. (I'm still trying to the PHP switcher version to work exactly right as well... different issue)

But my curiosity is endless, so someday... If I manage to test the JS version and find anything interesting, I'll be sure to post the results here!

Thanks again.