Cross Browser Testing - My Nemesis

[Jgall420]

Hello,

I am building a website for my brother's pirate boat business and am having issue's with my base.css versus all-ie-only.css. It seems that on Internet Explorer the website ( www.BlackSparrowPirates.com ) has broken in some areas, which is not surprising, however when I attempt to fix the problem using;

<!--[if IE]>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="all-ie-only.css" />
<![endif]-->

It continues to revert back to the 'broken' version no matter how I change or adjust the numbers. Now I have a PC laptop that is a hundred years old (figuratively of course.) that I have been using along side my MAC to compare what it SHOULD look like via Safari and Firefox (and they look correct) against Internet Explorer.

I have also used Firebug on IE to get it to look right, but every time I save the file and reload the page it goes right back to the incorrect state.

I have checked and double checked all the names and codes and everything is the same, save for the changes I've made to the 'all-ie-only.css', but the website seems to keep reading from the base.css no matter what browser or code or number I change.

Has ANYONE else had this problem or know how to fix this. I need to get this fixed so I can stop listening to my computer illiterate brother b*tch about it.


PLEASE HELP!!!
<3 J

 

[anna]

Hello,

I am building a website for my brother's pirate boat business and am having issue's with my base.css versus all-ie-only.css. It seems that on Internet Explorer the website ( www.BlackSparrowPirates.com ) has broken in some areas, which is not surprising, however when I attempt to fix the problem using;

<!--[if IE]>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="all-ie-only.css" />
<![endif]-->

It continues to revert back to the 'broken' version no matter how I change or adjust the numbers. Now I have a PC laptop that is a hundred years old (figuratively of course.) that I have been using along side my MAC to compare what it SHOULD look like via Safari and Firefox (and they look correct) against Internet Explorer.

I have also used Firebug on IE to get it to look right, but every time I save the file and reload the page it goes right back to the incorrect state.

I have checked and double checked all the names and codes and everything is the same, save for the changes I've made to the 'all-ie-only.css', but the website seems to keep reading from the base.css no matter what browser or code or number I change.

Has ANYONE else had this problem or know how to fix this. I need to get this fixed so I can stop listening to my computer illiterate brother b*tch about it.


PLEASE HELP!!!
<3 J

Question: Are you sure you've uploaded the IE stylesheet to your server? I am unable to click on it when I check your source code.

Question 2: Why do you have two head and body tags?

Question 3: Why are you using HTML for presentation instead of CSS? You really shouldn't be using the <center> or <b> etc. tags...

 

[Jgall420]

Question: Are you sure you've uploaded the IE stylesheet to your server? I am unable to click on it when I check your source code.

Question 2: Why do you have two head and body tags?

Question 3: Why are you using HTML for presentation instead of CSS? You really shouldn't be using the <center> or <b> etc. tags...

I'm using html for presentation because I like it that way and it works, I use <b> and <center> because I can and because that's what I have always used.

The IE stylesheet is on the server, i've uploaded it several times while editing. So it's there. I wouldn't be that dumb.

And where are you getting two head and body tags, there is only one set like it's supposed to be.

And these questions don't answer my problem.

 

[leroy30]

"all-ie-only.css" should be the last css to load so that any style changes overide "base.css".

At the moment base.css is after all-ie-only.css

Not sure if that is your problem but it is the first thing I noticed.

 

[CaldwellYSR]

I'm using html for presentation because I like it that way and it works, I use <b> and <center> because I can and because that's what I have always used.

You're using old standards and invalid code and you wonder why your site doesn't work....
Your validation report... 20 errors

leroy's answer is the correct one I would say, I don't have IE to test it on so I can't 100% confirm the issue.

 

[CaldwellYSR]

Have you tried switching up your approach? Making the all-ie-only.css your default and then using the conditional that it's not ie to catch all other site? I think this might come with some performance issues (confirm anyone?) but it might work or might at least shed some light on what the problem is.

...
<!-- [if !IE]>
    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="main.css" />
<![endif]-->

...
...
...

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="all-ie-only.css" />
</head>

 

[anna]

Caldewell, I haven't gotten to the validation point yet, I like to do it when everything is done, thanks. As for my question...if you don't have an answer then I have nothing else to say.

Excuse my frustration, but I don't see how telling me what else I'm doing wrong is going to help me with my current problem.

Leroy, I tried switching locations of the Css pages and I've got nothing. Any other suggestions?

AND PLEASE FOR ANYONE ELSE READING THIS...CAN YOU JUST ANSWER MY QUESTION? I know what else I need to do, I only need answers for the current problem. Thanks.

I know the answer: stop being a jerk and find a new line of work... If you're using <b> and <center> because you CAN, well then, you're obviously NOT the brightest star in the sky, matey.

 

[Brian Angel]

I know the answer: stop being a jerk and find a new line of work... If you're using <b> and <center> because you CAN, well then, you're obviously NOT the brightest star in the sky, matey.

Heh.. thanks for that.. I wanted to say something along the lines of "Sure I could help you, but the way you treat people here Im gonna keep it to myself..... because I CAN".

 

[che09]

Heh.. thanks for that.. I wanted to say something along the lines of "Sure I could help you, but the way you treat people here Im gonna keep it to myself..... because I CAN".

Haha, I'm keeping it to myself as well. I believe I CAN!

 

[anna]

Heh.. thanks for that.. I wanted to say something along the lines of "Sure I could help you, but the way you treat people here Im gonna keep it to myself..... because I CAN".

Jeez, yeah, all that "because I can" talk was driving me NUTS!! I like to use this analogy when talking about coding- building a website using tables and HTML tags IS certainly possible, just like you COULD technically perform brain surgery with a screw driver, but I wouldn't recommend it.

And Lord knows I'm not the best coder in the world; I taught myself using Dreamweaver code view, so I still have a ways to go yet. But... I'm NOT using deprecated HTML tags and trying to justify it.

 

[Jgall420]

OKay, I apologize for sounding like a jerk. I use <b> and <center> because that is what I was taught to do. Apparently the people that I was taught by were incorrect. I only said because I can once, and was equally frustrated when I wasn't getting an actual answer to my question.

Is it really that surprising that someone would be frustrated by that, when you ask one thing and instead get berated on everything else you are doing wrong. I know there are a ton of mistakes in my code and I am sorry if my irritation at trying to get answer's before a deadline has offended any of you.

I thought this was going to be a helpful community, not one where I'm called names and told that I'm wrong in a rude manner. I can just go home for that. I just graduated from Boston Uni having lernt this stuff and found out that not only did they skip a HUGE amount of important stuff that I now have to teach myself, but now I'm finding out that all the coding they have taught is basically wrong. So again i apologize for allowing my irritation to show that I've not only wasted 4 years of my life studying the wrong information, but a sh*t ton of money and time that could've been used to do something easier.

All I wanted was an answer my stupid question. Not that any of this will matter or make me sound anything less like the loser I know I am. Thanks for all the help.

 

[leahsguide]

"all-ie-only.css" should be the last css to load so that any style changes overide "base.css".

At the moment base.css is after all-ie-only.css

Not sure if that is your problem but it is the first thing I noticed.

thanks for the input!

 

[anna]

OKay, I apologize for sounding like a jerk. I use <b> and <center> because that is what I was taught to do. Apparently the people that I was taught by were incorrect. I only said because I can once, and was equally frustrated when I wasn't getting an actual answer to my question.

Is it really that surprising that someone would be frustrated by that, when you ask one thing and instead get berated on everything else you are doing wrong. I know there are a ton of mistakes in my code and I am sorry if my irritation at trying to get answer's before a deadline has offended any of you.

I thought this was going to be a helpful community, not one where I'm called names and told that I'm wrong in a rude manner. I can just go home for that. I just graduated from Boston Uni having lernt this stuff and found out that not only did they skip a HUGE amount of important stuff that I now have to teach myself, but now I'm finding out that all the coding they have taught is basically wrong. So again i apologize for allowing my irritation to show that I've not only wasted 4 years of my life studying the wrong information, but a sh*t ton of money and time that could've been used to do something easier.

All I wanted was an answer my stupid question. Not that any of this will matter or make me sound anything less like the loser I know I am. Thanks for all the help.

First of all... You're not a loser.

 

[anna]

And you're DEFINITELY not the only one who wasted money on college learning the wrong things...

Your coding will get better, just like mine will. And yes, we ARE a helpful community when people are polite and trying to help themselves, as well.

I know it's frustrating to hear criticism on your coding when you're asking another question entirely, but remember that this is a forum of expert coders, so it's hard to not say anything when you see deprecated tags. I have a thread that I started that hasn't had an answer either- so it goes. Just be patient, and ask again if you can't find the answer.

Now- as far as your question, let me look into a couple of things and check a QR code real quick and I will get back with you within the hour and try to help.

 

[anna]

As far as the IE style sheet, everything in your code looks correct. Here's the mark up I use and the only difference I see between yours and mine is the actual order the words are typed in. Don't know if/how that could have any effect whatsoever, but who knows...

Here's yours:
<!--[if IE]>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="all-ie-only.css" />
<![endif]-->

Here's mine:
<!--[if lte IE 8 ]>
<link href="/Styles/IE78stylesheet.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<![endif]-->

Not trying to insult your intelligence, but have you double checked the path to the IE style sheet to make sure it's correct?

??????? Anyone ???????

 

[Phreaddee]

Is it really that surprising that someone would be frustrated by that, when you ask one thing and instead get berated on everything else you are doing wrong. I know there are a ton of mistakes in my code and I am sorry if my irritation at trying to get answer's before a deadline has offended any of you.

One thing to note: issues generally are RELATED.
you will find from experience that sometimes the issue you think it is, infact is something else. By "fixing" problems in code that may on the surface "appear" unrelated to the initial problem helps in many ways. Namely the more tidy, accurate and error free the markup and css is, the less likely the need for an ie stylesheet becomes. At best you can make it look pretty standardised in all ie back to ie7, with the need for possibly only a few ie specific css, of which you would make a conditional that is SPECIFIC to that version (or below) rather that an all encompassing IE css. The ORDER they are called in the markup, can also affect the way it renders, I believe leroy has already mentioned that.

I just graduated from Boston Uni having learnt this stuff and found out that not only did they skip a HUGE amount of important stuff that I now have to teach myself, but now I'm finding out that all the coding they have taught is basically wrong.

Welcome to the industry! 4 years is a VERY long time in the web development world, and a lot can change. Curriculum approved in 2007 unfortunately wouldnt be as current as what is now "standard" practice.

As a result, you have to always keep learning, daily and sometimes things shift so that what once was OK, now isn't...
Generally speaking, changes are for the better, and <center> is one of those deprecated elements that is now better served in CSS rather than in markup.

'tis a shame that they skipped over things, but hopefully you got something from it. You are not alone in that predicament, unfortunately.

So again i apologize for allowing my irritation to show that I've not only wasted 4 years of my life studying the wrong information, but a sh*t ton of money and time that could've been used to do something easier.

Not entirely wasted if you do want a career in this field.
just dont do table layouts! surely they didnt teach that?

The separation of markup(HTML), presentation (CSS) and behaviour (JS) however is quite an important concept in site building so best to adhere to it as much as possible. Semantic markup helps for SEO purposes as well. As for keeping up to speed with what you need to learn, I strongly advise you to start here.
http://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/htmlcss.html