IE7 - Are you ready?
IE7 will be released this month - as in the next couple of weeks! Internet Explorer 7 brings the browser forward considerably in terms of web standards compliance, we've done lots of work to make sure that the browser experience is consistent with what web developers expect it to be.
When we release IE7 it will be released via Windows Update as a Critical Update. This means that lots of computers will be getting IE7 installed on them in a reletively short time span. If you manage a web site you need to make sure you are ready for this change in the market.
Lots of sites have made IE specific changes to work around some of the idiosyncrasies of IE6. You will need to make sure these changes will still work with IE7. Here's what the IE team said.
Compatibility with sites, extensions and applications has been a very high priority for us as we develop new features, enhance the existing features and move the platform forward to be more secure and standards compliant. We are continually listening to feedback from our customers, partners and leaders in the industry to resolve major compatibility issues to ensure our common customers have a great experience with IE7. As we make key improvements in areas such as layout and security, some changes need to be made by site owners to work smoothly with IE7. We have produced detailed documentation, tools and other resources to assist site, extension and application owners in their testing and development efforts to ensure they are compatible with IE7. We have also proactively worked with hundreds of companies to resolve issues that were reported through our beta testing to ensure those issues were resolved before IE7 is released.
These efforts have been ongoing since last year and have been extremely successful but we can’t ensure 100% compatibility without your help. We need you to test and ensure your sites, extensions, and applications are ready for IE7. We strongly encourage you to do the following ASAP:
So - how do you get ready for IE7? Well again the IE team have laid out the resources available to you. Here is a quote from the same place as the above quote:
Download, install and test your products with IE7 RC 1 –This is the fastest and best way to test for compatibility issues.
Download the IE7 Readiness Toolkit - This toolkit pulls together a number of important resources to help you prepare for IE7:
Developer and IT Pro readiness check lists,
Detailed documentation on important changes in IE7,
Testing and debugging guidance,
Tools for testing, debugging and investigating issues,
And more…Download and use the Application Compatibility Toolkit – Helps test browser-based applications to ensure they work with IE7.
Visit the Microsoft Internet Explorer Developer Center – You will find an array of important information for developers.
Use the Information Index for Internet Explorer7 – Think of this as a table of contents linking you to documentation, blog posts, whitepapers and other information on IE7.
Read the IE Team Blog – Use the search feature on the right to find previous posts on almost any topic you can think of with regard to IE7.
If you have specific questions that you cant find the answers for on the IE Teams blog, feel free to let me or Nigel know and we will do what we can to help!
tags: IE7, Internet Explorer, IE, Firefox