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Cross Browser Testing Explained
July 20th, 2009 | Posted in Web Design.
So you’ve just finished your spiffy new website. You’ve checked the spelling, images and links. But did you check for cross-browser compatibility?
Sadly, all web browsers are not created equal. Each one has its own little quirks and mishaps. It is important to make sure that all of your finished sites work and display properly in Safari, Opera, Firefox, Chrome and of course Internet Explorer.
One browser you should still test for is Internet Explorer 6. This browser has been notorious for causing many headaches in the web world. Though it is two versions old, it is still widely used since many IT departments and less tech-savvy users are gun shy of upgrading. This has sparked numerous online movements to attempt the demise of this die hard monster.
So how do you test out sites in different browsers? Check out these free options:
BrowserShots
One of my favorite online tools to use is called BrowserShots. BrowserShots allows you to enter your URL and select which browsers and operating systems you wish to view your site in. Your site then goes into a queue with a network of computers that will visit your site and take a snapshot for your review. This process can take hours to complete, but with a Priority Processing account this time can be cut in half.
MultipleIE
Want to run multiple versions of Internet Explorer on your computer for testing? Try MultipleIE. This has been handy to test sites in older versions of IE.
Virtual PC
Unfortunately, after upgrading to Vista, I found that MultipleIE doesn’t work on a Windows Vista system. Thankfully, I use Microsoft Virtual PC with the Internet Explorer 6/XP image. Virtual PC basically lets you load another computer within another computer. In my case, I’m loading up XP in a window on my Vista machine. This allows me to run my site through IE6.
Related posts:
- 5 Tips on Web Site Quality Control
- Split Testing Software — What You Need To Know.
- The Web Designer’s Toolbox
- How to Create a CSS Drop Down Navigation
- Social Networking Explained
