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Fix for IE8 Design Problem?
Posted 20 March 2009 - 03:56 PM #1
Any idea how to get the yellow box to show up on the right of the product photo in IE8? We're using 1.3.5 SP2.
http://www.presentat...ng-machine.html
Posted 25 March 2009 - 03:32 PM #2
http://www.presentat...color-coil.html
Posted 25 March 2009 - 07:48 PM #3
There are literally 100's (if not thousands) of difference's in the way browsers will parse web pages. This has been going on since the beginning of Internet time.
Expecting MS to release a product that will
1. Work
2. Work Well
3. Be Compatible
Is IMHO living in a dreamworld.
IE8 was only released 6 days ago, so there will be and already are hundreds of websites pointing out all the descrepancies between it and all other browsers.
I'm sure there will be a number of "things" that won't work right or look right in CS-CART regardless of what version.
The good thing is that there was no huge "run" to download it

As it only currenly holds a 1.56% user base. Hmmmm maybe people are starting to understand that the newest thing is not always the best thing.

"I suppose the kindest description of user reaction to IE 8's first public outing would be 'underwhelming'," commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO and founder of StatCounter."
If you are "adamant" about making it ALL work and look good in IE8, it will take quite a bit of time and patience.
But you might try this as it is my understanding that MS has incorported some backward compatibility (I'll believe it when I see it):
In your index.tpl directly under the <head> tag insert this meta-tag:
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=7" />
Let me know how that works...as I don't have IE8 and will wait at least 6 months before using it.
www.nutraceaonline.com
CS-CART VERSION: 1.3.5 SP4
Posted 25 March 2009 - 07:53 PM #4
Posted 25 March 2009 - 08:11 PM #5
This might work:
In your index.tpl directly under the <head> tag insert this meta-tag:
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=7" />
If you just try my suggestion you might find all your IE8 issues resolved temporarily. If you try to just fix that particular issue for IE8 chances are it will look bad in IE7 and FF. So if you want to "chase the tail" that's up to you.
If I had IE8 I could surely give you a more specific answer to the ONE particular issue you are having. Suffice it to say that it is NOT THE ONLY ISSUE you will have with IE8.
Which is why I gave you the overall solution, until all the "bugs" and "issues" in IE8 are worked out.
www.nutraceaonline.com
CS-CART VERSION: 1.3.5 SP4
Posted 25 March 2009 - 08:19 PM #6
The solution for me was to assign a fixed width to the .product-description class.
Most of the layout problems I've had so far have been fixed by assigning a fixed width to the elements causing trouble. Andt it looks fine in other browsers as well.
Posted 25 March 2009 - 08:22 PM #7
Reverting the site/page to IE7 standards doesn't seem like a good solution because it is now the past and IE8 and beyond are the future.
Just so you know about 30% of Internet users are still using IE6 which is about 6 years old...like I said just 'cause it's new doesn't mean it's better.

www.nutraceaonline.com
CS-CART VERSION: 1.3.5 SP4
Posted 25 March 2009 - 08:58 PM #8
Oh, and I needed to add one more tweak for those that run into this same problem.
I ended up putting a fixed width on the .product-description class. This fixed the product results pages, but it broke the product details page. Here's what I did to fix that.
1. On the product details page, I changed the .product-description class to .product-details-description.
2. I did a copy and paste on the .product-description class and styles in the css style sheet (i.e. duplicated this entry) and changed the duplicate to .product-details-description.
3. I assigned a different width to this new class in the form of min-width so that the yellow box will expand as needed but will display right in IE8.
So far, this works in IE8, IE7 and FF.
Posted 25 March 2009 - 09:19 PM #9
And maybe someone else here will get it. Saving themselves the time and trouble.
Here's the thing...you have now adjusted your css and files specifically for IE8 to make sure they are parsing correctly in IE8...more work that you shouldn't have to do just to "get it right" and compatible with FF and IE7.
Now how do you know that some of the stuff you are "fixing" are not "bugs" and/or "issues" with IE8 that will be addressed some time down the road?
You don't.
So then IE8 fixes these and your site "breaks" again. Now you have to go back in and "correct" all the things you are correcting now because IE8 changed some of it's parsing again.
Just because it's been released doesn't mean it works the way it should. MS always does these releases knowing full well there will be issues that need to be addressed, and it's easier for them to let us find these issues. Hence, if you are using any MS product you have to continually update it, especially after it's initial release.
Which is what I referred to as "chasing the tail"...
I'm just trying to save you some work down the road by making it compatible to IE7 now, then waiting for 3-6 months which will save you a whole bunch of time, trouble and frustration.
How do I know this? I've been in computers for 20 years.
But I'm sure you will continue down your path "grasshopper" and learn the hard way, as we all do.
www.nutraceaonline.com
CS-CART VERSION: 1.3.5 SP4
Posted 26 March 2009 - 01:25 AM #10
Posted 26 March 2009 - 01:51 AM #11
It seems that he has found a "solution" to his IE8 problem. I am currently facing a similar problem and will probably try his fix.
We've already talked about how the 2 of us update our software, but the fact is within the next couple of months many, many people will be using IE8. Knoxbury stated that the design of IE8 was on purpose, but the reality is that it doesn't matter if it is or not. The fact is that tons of people will be upgrading to IE8 way before Microsoft releases any kind of service pack for it so you have to do your best to make your site look good with it. When Microsoft releases an update than there may or may not be changes that need to be made and they will have to be addressed then.
While I still consider myself new to all of this and still totally learning, one thing I have learned is that you have to continually keep on top of things every time there is a new browser released and/or updated. Personally I have FF3, IE7, IE8, Safari, Opera, and Google Chrome installed on my computers just so I can check the compatibitlies of everything. There might be better ways of doing things, but I figure by having these different browsers installed than I should have my bases covered.
Anyways, just my 2 cents.
Brandon
Posted 26 March 2009 - 06:21 AM #12
All I know is that when MS released their first browser there were tons of things that needed to be addressed...
When they realeased their next browser there were tons of things that needed to be addressed...
When they released IE5 there were tons of things that needed to be addressed...
When they released IE6 there were tons of things that needed to be addressed...
When they released IE7 everyone said "FInally"...but still there are tons of things that need to be addressed...
but instead we invented a myriad of "hacks" to take care of this
not to mention the fact that there wasn't the "rush" to upgrade as we thought there would be
Like I said somewhere around 30% of Internet users still use IE6.
So now we've created even more "hacks" so that websites would work for both IE6 and IE7.
All I see is more work and less compatiblity...as now we will create more "hacks" to work for IE6-IE7-IE8
But with IE8 I guess you really didn't have to "fix" anything in order for it to work the way it should...so this post is really all a dream.
Now you think that because IE8 is out "it's a perfect world"...lol
They've re-written everything so it will all work now.
And surely there will be tons of people upgrading to IE8...

Two things I've learned is that:
1. "history does repeat itself"...
2. "we never learn from history"...
Just my 1ยข
www.nutraceaonline.com
CS-CART VERSION: 1.3.5 SP4
Posted 26 March 2009 - 02:54 PM #13
I personally look at my friends and family to see what they do and then base my opinions off of them. All of them have boughten newer computers and since IE comes standard on the computers it is what they use.
They all just go online to check their email or to just browse around and have no clue the work that goes into designing a site to be cross browser compatible. Not only do they not have a clue, but they really don't care. They just care that the webpage opens up and they find the information they want. I feel this is how most people are. Most people aren't tech savy and just use what they have.
Now that IE8 people will slowly start updating. If you use Yahoo email it is all over the place to upgrade to the "newer, faster, more secure" IE8. Also my computer has told me that IE8 is out already and a lot of people will see what is advertised and just upgrade.
Anyways, I am not promoting Microsoft or IE8.
Brandon
Posted 26 March 2009 - 03:50 PM #14
There are some interesting articles on IE8 incompatability one is:
http://www.theregist.../ie_8_released/
"...All sites need do - according to Microsoft at least - is complete the relatively simply task of inserting a tag in their code in order to render pages in IE 8's default standards mode - the new, web-standards compatible version of IE rendering. Sites that don't insert the tag won't render properly, and will be viewed in IE's non-standards "compatible view" mode...."
Evidently, there is code that can be inserted into web pages that would "tell" IE 8 to use a mode that would display versions incompatible with IE8. This would give developers time to address the compatibility issue directly.
Bob
Posted 26 March 2009 - 04:22 PM #16
Evidently, there is code that can be inserted into web pages that would "tell" IE 8 to use a mode that would display versions incompatible with IE8. This would give developers time to address the compatibility issue directly.
Yes, that is what I posted in my first reply

In your index.tpl directly under the <head> tag insert this meta-tag:
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=7" />
Supposedly you can set this to any type browser compatability:
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=7" />
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=8" />
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=8;FF=3;Opera=9;Konqueror=3;Safari=3..." />
Although like I said I haven't tested this yet because I don't have IE8...and from what I have read about it, I'm not sure it even works.
But if someone who has IE8 and is familar with "issues" would like to test and post that would be cool.
www.nutraceaonline.com
CS-CART VERSION: 1.3.5 SP4
Posted 26 March 2009 - 07:24 PM #17
I still think that this might still be a temporary fix, but I guess that what all the IE hacks are, so I'm not complaining.
Thank you WebGuy,
Brandon
Posted 26 March 2009 - 07:33 PM #18
This is great to hear that it does indeed work and thanks for testing!
Although, sometimes I can go "off on tangents" and get "long winded" I really am trying to help everyone as much as I can with what "little" I know based on my experience.
I still think that this might still be a temporary fix, but I guess that what all the IE hacks are,
Yes, generally that what "hacks" are used for...unless the "issues" that arise are not addressed, which is also a possibility...because we can't make older browsers forward compatible.
Thanks again I appreciate you taking the time to test this out.
www.nutraceaonline.com
CS-CART VERSION: 1.3.5 SP4
Posted 27 March 2009 - 03:47 AM #19
Posted 30 April 2009 - 09:24 PM #20

Looking at my site stats about 18% of my visitors are using IE8, at least now the site looks like what it was designed to look like in IE8.