[pmwiki-users] general browser rant

[Crisses]

On Apr 22, 2006, at 6:51 AM, Joachim Durchholz wrote:
> Neil Herber schrieb:
>> Just as a heads up warning, Microsoft in a recent IE "upgrade"
>> changed the way that it handles Javascript or Active-X components on
>> a web page. You now need to press space-bar or enter to "activate"
>> the script. Just what we all needed - more activation headaches from
>> MS. (I may have the technical details wrong here, but I have seen it
>> in "action". HA!)
>
> That's one of the few cases where MS isn't guilty. Blame Eolas - they
> hold a patent for automatic activation.

There's a work-around for this forced browser bug.

You need to document.write (or any other way of externally writing  
the code) for the javascript.  It's a pain in the *@#(#* but that's  
the fix.  It's really stretching to find a way around the patent.  I  
guess it is worded that the automated actions are called from within  
the html document.  Call them from outside the document, and I think  
it is OK.

Microsoft documented the fix a couple months ago with warnings.

http://developer.apple.com/internet/ieembedprep.html is Apple's fix  
-- while this is regarding embedding .mov and flash, it's probably  
still relevant just for JavaScript code.  It's much better written  
than the M$ documents, which are at : http://msdn.microsoft.com/ 
library/default.asp?url=/workshop/author/dhtml/overview/ 
activating_activex.asp

If anyone wants to work together on understanding this, I'm game.  I  
couldn't figure out whether it was going to affect my sites, and they  
were not very clear about whether JavaScript onmouseover (etc.) were  
effected.  And Microsoft only allowed the browser update for IE on  
validated copies of XP -- and I'm using 98 only for site  
proofing. :P  So I'm willing to spend a little time trying to fix JS  
code if someone's willing to work with me on it.

My JavaScript is not great, but I had been trying to look into this  
issue.

Crisses
----
"Frankl (1978) also links freedom with responsibility.  He suggested  
that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a  
Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.  His basic premise is  
that freedom is bound by certain limitations.  We are not free from  
conditions, but we are free to take a stand against these  
restrictions.  Ultimately, these conditions are subject to our  
decisions.  We are responsible."
  -- Gerald Corey, Theory and Practice of Counseling and  
Psychotherapy (Sixth Ed.) p. 147, re: Viktor Frankl.