Layout does not detect browser window size (IE)

Hi,

I am attempting to create a site which validates as XHTML 1.1. So far I
have got it fully validated but I am not happy with the way Internet
Explorer displays the site when the window is small. For some reason it
treats the table layout as though it is a fixed width, giving a nasty
horizontal scroll bar - but if you click refresh it behaves correctly,
wrapping content within the window. The site works well with Netscape,
Mozilla and Opera and the problem is sometimes hard to recreate using IE,
but to me this is a big problem. There is no way I want a horizontal
scrollbar appearing on the site unless necessary.

Is there a problem with my coding or is there some work around I could use -
something like a meta-refresh?

Any ideas?

Many thanks, Stella

test area - http://homepage.dtn.ntl.com/elphick/NCPP/

re: Layout does not detect browser window size (IE)

On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 18:37:35 +0100, "Stella" <no_spam@ntlworld.com>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Hi,
>
>I am attempting to create a site which validates as XHTML 1.1. So far I
>have got it fully validated but I am not happy with the way Internet
>Explorer displays the site when the window is small.[/color]

how have you configured Internet Explorer to render XHTML 1.1 ? This
is most likely the problem, it takes lots of registry hacking to
achieve it, and I expect something's gone wrong.

Alternatively you're sending the XHTML with the incorrect mime-type
and then expect IE to render something meaningful from it as tag-soup.
[color=blue]
>Is there a problem with my coding or is there some work around I could use -
>something like a meta-refresh?[/color]

Most likely just re-implement in HTML 4.01 strict, and the problem
will go away, you'll also be able to serve it to IE without abusing
the mime-type.

Jim.
--
comp.lang.javascript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq/

re: Layout does not detect browser window size (IE)

"Jim Ley" <jim@jibbering.com> wrote in message
news:3f5a1b63.26437815@news.cis.dfn.de...[color=blue]
> On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 18:37:35 +0100, "Stella" <no_spam@ntlworld.com>
> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >Hi,
> >
> >I am attempting to create a site which validates as XHTML 1.1. So far I
> >have got it fully validated but I am not happy with the way Internet
> >Explorer displays the site when the window is small.[/color]
>
> how have you configured Internet Explorer to render XHTML 1.1 ? This
> is most likely the problem, it takes lots of registry hacking to
> achieve it, and I expect something's gone wrong.
>
> Alternatively you're sending the XHTML with the incorrect mime-type
> and then expect IE to render something meaningful from it as tag-soup.[/color]

Thanks for your reply Jim. Whether this is the cause of my problem is now
irrelevant - you have highlighted some things that I was not aware of:

a) I had the wrong mime type (yes I was using text/html as I had previously
designed the site in xhtml 1.0 and upgraded it to 1.1, not realising the
mime type should change).

b) that IE does *not* support the correct mime type for XHTML 1.1
[color=blue]
>
> Most likely just re-implement in HTML 4.01 strict, and the problem
> will go away, you'll also be able to serve it to IE without abusing
> the mime-type.
>[/color]

You suggest HTML 4.01 strict, but would you think it terrible to plump for
XHTML 1.0 with text/html as a transitional move?

Many thanks for your good advice and information,
Stella

re: Layout does not detect browser window size (IE)

Hey Jim, I've done a bit of reading about the subject and agree with you
that HTML 4.01 Strict is the best choice.

Thanks for the heads up.

A good link to others needing insight
http://diveintomark.org/archives/200...etime_continuu
m

serving xhtml as text/html is evil - http://www.hixie.ch/advocacy/xhtml

Stella

re: Layout does not detect browser window size (IE)

On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 19:27:17 +0100, "Stella" <no_spam@ntlworld.com>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>"Jim Ley" <jim@jibbering.com> wrote in message[color=green]
>> Alternatively you're sending the XHTML with the incorrect mime-type
>> and then expect IE to render something meaningful from it as tag-soup.[/color]
>
>Thanks for your reply Jim. Whether this is the cause of my problem is now
>irrelevant - you have highlighted some things that I was not aware of:[/color]

It almost certainly wasn't, it sounds like one of the CSS bugs
surrounding float to me, but I didn't know enough for certain.
[color=blue]
>You suggest HTML 4.01 strict, but would you think it terrible to plump for
>XHTML 1.0 with text/html as a transitional move?[/color]

My reason for this is that Appendix C is hackish and even it only
claims to give you "most browsers". So as HTML 4.01 offers no less,
and isn't hackish, I recommend that.

Jim.
--
comp.lang.javascript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq/

re: Layout does not detect browser window size (IE)

"Jim Ley" <jim@jibbering.com> wrote in message
news:3f5b8052.86553026@news.zen.co.uk...[color=blue]
> On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 19:27:17 +0100, "Stella" <no_spam@ntlworld.com>
> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >"Jim Ley" <jim@jibbering.com> wrote in message[color=darkred]
> >> Alternatively you're sending the XHTML with the incorrect mime-type
> >> and then expect IE to render something meaningful from it as tag-soup.[/color]
> >
> >Thanks for your reply Jim. Whether this is the cause of my problem is[/color][/color]
now[color=blue][color=green]
> >irrelevant - you have highlighted some things that I was not aware of:[/color]
>
> It almost certainly wasn't, it sounds like one of the CSS bugs
> surrounding float to me, but I didn't know enough for certain.[/color]

Just to let you know I discovered the problem - I pulled the layout apart
bit by bit, testing as I went. It turned out to be where I had resorted to
stretching an image (using percent to fill a cell). I have changed it to
the more acceptable css background-image: url() and it works a treat.
[color=blue]
>[color=green]
> >You suggest HTML 4.01 strict, but would you think it terrible to plump[/color][/color]
for[color=blue][color=green]
> >XHTML 1.0 with text/html as a transitional move?[/color]
>
> My reason for this is that Appendix C is hackish and even it only
> claims to give you "most browsers". So as HTML 4.01 offers no less,
> and isn't hackish, I recommend that.[/color]

I have followed your advice, many thanks for your help and insight.

Stella