Script tag not supported in current browsers

[mabel_minn]

1) Script Title: Tabs Menu (mouseover)

2) Script URL (on DD): http://dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex1/tabmouseover.htm

3) Describe problem:
This script uses <layer> and <ilayer>. From what I've been able to gather, these two tags are no longer supported by any current browsers. However, the script advertises that it works with "FF1+ IE5+ Opr7+". This seems misleading, at the least. If someone could shed some additional light on this, I would appreciate it! Thanks!

[jscheuer1]

That tag was used to give backward compatibility to NN4 type browsers. It will not prevent the script from working in modern browsers.

[mabel_minn]

Thanks for your input...that helps to explain things. Could I just take out the <layer> and <ilayer> statements? I've got the page coded both with a XHTML 1.0 Transitional and HTML 4.01 Transitional doctype. Should either of those work with this script? Thanks again for your help!

[Twey]

Yes. You'd lose NN4 support, but hey, no-one cares about NN4

I've got the page coded both with a XHTML 1.0 Transitional and HTML 4.01 Transitional doctype. Should either of those work with this script?

It'll be valid HTML 4.01 Transitional if you remove the <layer> and <ilayer> and put the script in an external file. However, I strongly suggest you use HTML 4.01 Strict. There's really no reason to still be using either of the Transitional DOCTYPEs on the Web of today. XHTML should be avoided because IE doesn't support it yet.

[jscheuer1]

Yes you can remove it, but there really is no need to unless you just can't sleep at night without passing the validator robot.

[mabel_minn]

Not only was the validator failing, but the latest version of IE was giving me an error on the <layer> statements during runtime. I took them out and the error went away. Thank you both for your input. It really helped me out a great deal!

[jscheuer1]

IE was giving me an error on the <layer> statements during runtime. I took them out and the error went away. Thank you both for your input. It really helped me out a great deal!

Mmm, not on the demo page though. I'm thinking that there must be something else going on with the page to do that. IE shouldn't even try to execute any layer statements unless you altered the script or have another that changes the meaning of some of the branching tests involved, something like that.

As Twey says though, it really isn't crucial to support NN4 any longer, except in special situations.

Oh, and you are welcome.

[Twey]

It's browser detection, it's not hugely reliable.

Yes you can remove it, but there really is no need to unless you just can't sleep at night without passing the validator robot.

Well I for one like to know that my code is actually HTML

[jscheuer1]

Well I for one like to know that my code is actually HTML

I know that what I write is HTML, at least in some century.

Anyways, we weren't discussing what you or I write, but what was written by someone else. No matter whatever else you may want to call it, it was HTML code at the time, and pretty darn serviceable HTML code at that, having stood the test of time so far.

I'm thinking that the error in IE reported by mabel_minn must have more behind it than has so far been let on.

Oh, and I agree, the browser detection of some of these older scripts is, at best, outmoded. But that has nothing to do with the HTML code. There is a thin line here with this script though, the 'detection' could be seen as feature branching and was quite good (whatever it is) for its day.

[Twey]

No matter whatever else you may want to call it, it was HTML code at the time, and pretty darn serviceable HTML code at that, having stood the test of time so far.

Agreed. A decade or so on, though, Web technologies have changed somewhat.

the 'detection' could be seen as feature branching and was quite good (whatever it is) for its day.

Not really. You're right in saying that it was good compared to the majority of scripts in its day, but at the same time all the language features necessary for doing proper feature detection were there and could have been put to use. It's because of scripts like this one that DD has a bad reputation amongst experienced web developers.