"Internet Explorer 8 is set to be Microsoft's most standards compliant browser ever. After originally stating that IE8 would default to the same non-compliant behavior exhibited by IE7, Microsoft relented and plumped for standard-by-default. The first beta of IE8 was released in March and it did indeed default to standards compliance. Web developers have been clamouring for standards compliance for a long time; IE is a long way behind the competition, requiring considerable hacks and workarounds to get pages working properly. IE8 should make things a lot better - but it will still fall far short of the standards set by Firefox, Safari, and Opera. Some of these problems are technical, but others are cultural. Where the other browser developers are open and communicative, Microsoft is still leaving web developers in the dark."
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2007-02-07
I am confused. Why do they call the standards compliant mode, "quirks mode" ?
FTA: Web developers will be able to add a tag to their page (or their web server) to force pages to render in the same manner as IE7. Pages without the tag will continue to use the "doctype switch" to choose between the old, nonstandard "quirks mode" and the new "standards mode"; pages with the new tag will still use the doctype switch, but this time to choose between "quirks mode" and "IE 7 mode."
RTFA could prevent confusion (and probably immature MS bashing).
Member since:2005-07-05
There is nothing immature about pointing out the flaws in both Microsoft's products and their business practices. Even with the improvements IE 7 has, it is still the town idiot of web browsers. IE 8 will be the same.
As long as Microsoft's browser remains as closed and tied to proprietary crap as it currently is, it will always be the most useless browser of the bunch.
Member since:2005-07-06
did you read on ?
Pages without the tag will continue to use the "doctype switch" to choose between the old, nonstandard "quirks mode" and the new "standards mode"; pages with the new tag will still use the doctype switch, but this time to choose between "quirks mode" and "IE 7 mode." The tag will be supported in beta 2 of IE8 (due in August), and is also available to IE 8 beta 1 with the latest security update.
in fact, in case you missed it again....
but this time to choose between "quirks mode" and "IE 7 mode.
Member since:
2005-07-06
Why do they call the standards compliant mode, "quirks mode" ?
From Wikipedia..
Quirk
Quirk may refer to
Odd habit
A quirk is an odd habit. Most dictionaries list this word's origin as “unknown”. However, as the surname arises from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, and because the island is somewhat notorious for idiosyncratic behaviors, we may find the word's origins there. Many surnames have fluctuated in their pronunciations and, hence, their spellings. Prior to the twentieth century, the most common variant for this “phylum” was Quark.
Is that not describing all versions of IE up to version 8 ?
After all, are the previous 7 versions not the ones causing the problems with broken sites ?