Topic awaiting preservation: browser chaos!? (Page 1 of 1)

hi,

I'm working on some DHTML, and don't know, how to set/move layers (and test for the exceptions, of course) in all the "exotic" browsers. Up to now I have:

var N = (navigator.appName=='Netscape')? 1:0
var I = (navigator.appName=='Microsoft Internet Explorer')? 1:0

if (N) window.document.layername.left=x;
if (I) layername.style.left=x;

if (N) window.document.layername.visibility="visible";
if (I) layername.style.visibility="visible";

Does this work with Opera and all the other browsers? or do I have to add a third (or 5th etc) if-condition?
It's confusing enough with 2 browsers alone, so why the hell don't these companies make all javascript the same? -> oh, I forgot, one of the companies is Microsoft =) [but actually I prefer MSIE to NN]

Oh, and by the way, is there a possibility to make the script work for both?
for example:

if (I){
var front="";
var back="style"}
else {var front="window.document";
var back="";}

front.layername.back.top=100; // this here should work for all browsers... but it doesn't *g*

Thanks for your help!

BTW: the homepage I'm currently working on is on http://www.kasag.com/phoenix
* I was somehow inspired by your main entry script "lost v2.0" =)

I'm afraid you're using extremely old techniques. I recommend you read this tutorial:
http://www.scottandrew.com/weblog/articles/dom_1
And then maybe this one: http://www.scottandrew.com/weblog/articles/dhtml_ns6

Both from www.scottandrew.com .

erm, ok, but will this work for Browsers with Version 4 or 5?

version 5 and 6 browsers, actually. And 7, when they start to come out.

Version 4 browsers are getting quite old. If they're a concern to you for some reason or other, then you'll have to continue testing for document.layers (which reveals an NN4.x user) or document.all (which reveals an IE user). But when document.getElementById exists, it's almost always best to use that instead.

Don't test specifically for the Navigator.appName. Do something like

var RecentBrowser = (document.getElementById)?true:false; // should use newer DOM methods
if (!RecentBrowser) {
var OldIE = (document.all)?true:false; // should use document.all
var OldNN = (document.layers)?true:false; // should use document.layers
}

But honestly, if you don't have a specific reason for wanting to please version 4 browser users, then I wouldn't recommend that you worry about it.

yup, there quite right for example:
if (N) window.document.layername.visibility="visible";
this should be:
if (N) window.document.layername.visibility="show";
for Netscape 4. Neither will work for Netscape 6.

and the window. isnt needed BTW.
and your missing document.all/document.getElementById()

really that code is very old. Even the way you set I & N to true or false, its much smarter using something like:
IE=(document.all)?1:0;
NS=(document.layers)?1:0;
if(!IE)DOM=(document.getElementById)?1:0;
etc..

there are still flaws with this, for opacity and such. Remember IE is backward compatably unlike NS.