crazy cross-platform javascript rendering problems

02-28-2007

Long story short, I built a website based primarily on JavaScript:

http://www.sjcga.com

The site renders *great* in WinIE6/7 and in Mac/Win Opera9.

It has problems in Mac/Win Firefox2, and in Safari(OSX) ... especially
the Gallery, but the rightside menu is funky also.

I've "validated" my scripts through a couple different systems, to no
avail. I wish I could just say, "If my code works in two browsers, then
it's not my fault" ... but ... well ... I want my code to work
everywhere, and the burden obviously is on me.

Now, honestly, I only care about Safari because several of the SJCGA
people (my clients!) use it. But I sure would like to figure out what
the problems are in FireFox! It's a popular browser, growing in market
share.

I would even be willing to do a browser check, and offer up different
functions and codes for each browser ... IF only I could figure out what
the problems are! Is there a list of Firefox ECMA quirks somewhere?

HELP! I am at the end of my rope, and I've pulled out all my hair. Any
clues?

Bottom line: WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY JAVASCRIPT!?

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03-02-2007

On Mar 1, 7:28 am, töff 93722 <t...@arcticcoconut.com> wrote:
> Long story short, I built a website based primarily on JavaScript:
>
> http://www.sjcga.com
>
> The site renders *great* in WinIE6/7 and in Mac/Win Opera9.
>
> It has problems in Mac/Win Firefox2, and in Safari(OSX) ... especially
> the Gallery, but the rightside menu is funky also.
>
> I've "validated" my scripts through a couple different systems, to no
> avail.

Perhaps you should spend some time validating the HTML and CSS -
there's plenty to fix.

<URL: http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=ht...w.sjcga.com%2F
>

> I wish I could just say, "If my code works in two browsers, then
> it's not my fault" ... but ... well ... I want my code to work
> everywhere, and the burden obviously is on me.

It will not happen anytime soon, if ever.

> I would even be willing to do a browser check, and offer up different
> functions and codes for each browser ... IF only I could figure out what
> the problems are! Is there a list of Firefox ECMA quirks somewhere?

There are very, very few. Most browsers are sufficiently compliant
with the ECMAScript spec that you needn't worry about it 99.9% of the
time. The real issue is support for DOM standards, which aren't
ratified by the ECMA but by the W3C and to a limited extent by popular
consensus (so-called "industry standards").

> HELP! I am at the end of my rope, and I've pulled out all my hair. Any
> clues?

You might start with:

Error: parent is not defined
Source File: parent.SJCGAgallery.ShowPic(32,1,17,0)
Line: 1

Error: parent.SJCGAgallery has no properties
Source File: javascript

arent.SJCGAgallery.ShowPic(32,1,17,0)
Line: 1

And fix both the script and HTML in lines like:

var PageTop="<HTML>\n<HEAD>\n<LINK href=\"sjcga.css\" rel=\"stylesheet
\">\n</HEAD>\n<body bgcolor=ffffff text=757575 link=be3000
vlink=be3000 alink=be3000>" ;

Use HTML. It nonsensical to use script to create entire pages that
can be done vastly more efficiently with plain (valid, non-deprecated)
HTML. And don't use frames.

Yes, I had a crappy day - suffer in ya jocks. :-/

--
Rob

03-02-2007

> Are you looking in Firefox's Error Console?

Yes, and it shows no javascript errors AT ALL

... it does, however, show some CSS errors, and I am trying to fix
those. It'd would be great if tweaking the CSS fixed the display problem
... I could see that happening. I'm trying to make my CSS comply with
standards, but I haven't figured out yet what's wrong with my CSS as it
stands.

I'm trying to install Firebug now. Thanks for that tip.

> You might start with:
> Error: parent is not defined
> Source File: parent.SJCGAgallery.ShowPic(32,1,17,0)

But "parent" IS defined: that's where the javascripts reside, in a
sibling frame, accessed through the standard "parent" object in the
frame heirarchy ... and I *know* the frames exist, I *know* parent is
defined, because the scripts there are executing! If
parent.SJCGAgallery.ShowPic() didn't exist, how could the browser run
the script? The scripts ARE running, just fine! FUNCTIONALITY of the
scripts is at 100% ... FireFox's DISPLAY of the generated content is the
problem.

(Good lord, maybe javascript isn't the problem. Maybe I'm totally in the
wrong newsgroup.)

Where did you get that error anyway? I don't see it in the FireFox error
console.

> Use HTML. It nonsensical to use script to create entire pages that
> can be done vastly more efficiently with plain (valid, non-deprecated)
> HTML. And don't use frames.

I have to disagree there. I currently have three hundred photos to
manage, each with its own display page, and all grouped into several
thumbnailed gallery pages, many cross-referenced. There's no way in heck
I would consider building a plain HTML page for each photo. Every time
somebody gave me a new photo, I'd have to make a new page, and edit
every thumbnail gallery it belongs to. It'd be a nightmare. A database,
and on-the-fly page generation from the database, is the only way. (And
what's wrong with frames?)

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