Aug 05
Trash All IE Hacks
Let’s admit it, we all hate Internet Explorer 6. About 80% of our CSS debug time are spend on IE6. We all know that IE6 is outdated and has horrible CSS rendering engine. However, most average Internet users haven’t realized that yet. Why? Because we put our hard work on it and patch the bugs by various IE hacks. Well, it is time to do something…
Common IE hacks
-
CSS Conditional comments
In order for our sites to work on specific verson of IE (due to improper CSS rendering), CSS conditional comments are used to apply special CSS specifications to fix it. If you haven’t realized this yet, read the IE bug articles on positioniseverything.net (warning: you might hate IE more after you read them). -
PNG hack
As mentioned early, IE6 is outdated and doesn’t support PNG alpha transparency. In order to display PNG (with alpha transparency) properly in IE6 or older version, we use this hack.Aleksey asked on "Simple Double Quotes":
"Hello Nick. I see some bug.
The Close button ( X ) don’t transparent. Test on IE6 and MyIE."My response:
"Yes, I know the PNGs don’t display probably in IE6. But guess what, I’m not going to bother to fix it. I’m sick of hacking IE6 bugs. You should upgrade your browser anyway. Why are you still using the outdated browser?"
Why trash IE6 hacks?
I know this is difficult because about 37% (according to w3schools.com) of internet users are still using IE6. But, together we can make a different. Stop using IE hacks on your sites and let them see the ugly side of IE6. Eventually, they will find a better browser (ie. Firefox) or at least upgrade to newer version of IE.
Update:
Agree with the comments below, the statistic from W3schools does not reflect the entire internet. According to TheCounter.com, the global browser stats of IE6 users is 52% in July 2007.
Support me
If you agree with me, please support Web Designer Wall by making a vote and spreading out the word. Let’s trash all IE hacks and code happily ever after…
Loading …Conclusion
85% voted yes
15% voted no
Here are what people have said:
- "My boss will fire me if my sites don’t work in IE6" because 52% of internet users are still using IE6.
- Display a message (in yellow bar), "You are using an outdated browser, please upgrade your browser" to IE6 users.
- If it is a personal project, you can ignore all the IE6 users. But for professional or commercial projects, you can’t live without them.
- Avoid using any features (ie. PNG, CSS selectors) that are not supported by IE6.
Illustrating the Flower Pattern Neil Duerden
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286 Webdesign Ansbach http://www.keimzelle-grafik.de
May 4th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Hello guys, nice discussion. I have to amdit IE6 bores me, too. But think of the old days, when we had to struggle with IE5.X this was really a sad time.
I think the problems with IE have become a lot better. IE7 is a really nice Browser and Microsoft did its homework. So its only a matter of time, when webdesigners have a more easy job (withs CSS 2). The next step will be CSS 3 and the new compliant browsers.
285 Hans http://www.spenk.nl/
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:57 am
Maybe you can write a script for us so we can tell people to upgrade when the got an outdated browser?
284 Matt
April 20th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
In grade school, was there ever a time when a classmate would tell everyone not to do a certain assignment with the thought that if no one did it, then the teacher couldn’t give all zeros and no one would have to do the work? Why did that never work? Because there was always that one person that would do it anyways and that person would receive a grade while the rest of the class suffered a zero. Same principle. The idea would work if the majority of websites refuse to code for IE6, but they more than likely will continue to, and those that do not will be at a comparative disadvantage.
283 D.D.D
April 14th, 2008 at 11:03 am
I disagree to remove IE6 hack. If you write good CSS code and understand how IE 6 rendering works, you don’t take 80% of your production time, at least I don’t. I really don’t know about the idea that web designer/developer force to user update their browser. I guess because that is not our job. Our job is make it happen with given environment.
However, I agree that it will be nicer if IE 6 would be gone, especially when it comes to PNG. : )
282 janx
March 30th, 2008 at 11:19 am
you’re site is even bugged on Mozilla when you resize the browser.
281 Ben
March 30th, 2008 at 8:15 am
With a response like: “Yes, I know the PNGs don’t display probably in IE6. But guess what, I’m not going to bother to fix it. I’m sick of hacking IE6 bugs. You should upgrade your browser anyway. Why are you still using the outdated browser?”
You obviously don’t live in the real world (if that’s even the comment you made).
YES, IE6 is annoying, but your stance to “not fix it” is just lazy and arrogant. Educating the user properly is much more valuable and crying about a simple filter rule to cater for IE6 … lift your game mate.
There’s plenty of ways to get around issues IE6 is throwing up and while it takes time to learn ways around initially they become second nature quickly and for the most part won’t slow you down much at all.
As I said, I agree with you that IE6 is bad but with a user base that large you can’t just ditch it from a business point of view.
That’d be like going to a mechanic with a car that steers a bit odd or where the doors don’t close and instead of fixing it just says : “Nah mate, not gonna fix that for you. Just get a new one”
That’s not going to fly with you is it?
280 Joseph Crall http://www.oldhatcreative.com/
March 21st, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Im just wondering what % of the 37% of IE users defined by W3 are dev machines?
279 david g.
March 12th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I’m lookin’ forward sabotaging ie-6, i’m like using 2/3 of my debug time finding the proper solution for this $”!%.
278 Adevine
March 11th, 2008 at 2:20 am
hi friends actually
i m facing a problem in IE 6 by using iepngfix.htc , Actually this fix brings transparency in my png images but these images are not clickable due to this fix. whenever i remove this fix from my css the images become clickable but their transparency disappears. If anyones knows any solution of this problem plz mail me.
277 David Smith http://www.aheadcreative.co.uk
March 6th, 2008 at 7:46 am
I really think that if you code well MOST things work in IE. I disagree that we should not include elements in our designs which IE6 doesn’t support. We SHOULD include them, but add them as progressive enhancements.
For example if you use PNG’s to make semi-transparent navs, then newer browsers will have that extra enhancement, and people who use IE6 will not. So what?
One day IE6 user will say: “Why does that website look better on yoru computer Joe?”. And Joe will say “Because i’m using Firefox/IE7″, and hopefully they will upgrade.
One thing to note is that IE7 is now added as a standard install with all new Automatic Updates! So hopefully we should be able to forget about the rubbishness of IE6 with the next few years. Until then - progressively enhance your sites/designs.