determining user browser(NS or IE) ?

**tabsquare** · Apr 26, 2001 06:41

I want to make an if stament that will do a thing if the browser is Internet Explorer. Else if the browser is Netscape will execute other code. How can I make that?

if (Internet Explorer)
{execute this code}

else if (netscape)
{execute this other code}

?
Thanks

PS-also, is there a tutorial or reference that sais what commands are supported by each kind of browser?(most important for me at the moment is knowing wich commands are supported by browsers to show and hide layers..)

**maximumedge** · Apr 26, 2001 07:31

hello,

try this:

Code:

var browserName=navigator.appName; 
if (browserName=="Netscape")
{
// exectute this code 
}
elsif (browserName=="Microsoft Internet Explorer")
{
// exectute this code 
}

this will detect which browser is being used. however, i strongly recommend that instead of doing this you should, whenever possible, determine if the browser supports a certain feature. here's an example for a user to automatically bookmark a page in internet explorer:

Code:

if(window.external) {
window.external.AddFavorite('http://www.yoursite.com/','Your Site')
}

this will insure that all browsers which support that function will have it done, and it will be ignored by browsers which don't support it. also, since you can't include all the minor browsers such as opera or webtv in the browser detection, this makes sure everything works the way you want.

Jason Weinstein
webmaster@MaximumEdge.com
http://www.MaximumEdge.com/

**tabsquare** · Apr 26, 2001 07:52

Thanks max

yes, that's better I think too.

Actually If I had a lot of pages I wouldn't check for minor browser, but since I have only a couple pages to test, I think I will make it the more browser compliant possible

the PS question? ^

**tabsquare** · Apr 26, 2001 08:27

I use the below code to show a layer in IE when a link is passed

onmouseover="document.alllayername].style.visibility='visible'"[

and this one is the code to hide it

onMouseOut="document.all['second'].style.visibility='hidden'"

these two doesn't work on netscape....wich is a code that works for netscape that has the same output?

Thanks

**jonsteele** · Apr 26, 2001 16:24

Hi,

To hide show layers in Netscape 4, you have to use:

Code:

document.layers['layer_name'].visibility = "hide";
document.layers['layer_name'].visibility = "show";

For Netscape 6 you have you use

Code:

document.getElementById("layer_name").style.visibility = "visible";
document.getElementById("layer_name").style.visibility = "hidden";

So for it to work on all browsers, try this:

Code:

<html>
<head>
<script>
function show(){
  if(document.getElementById) {document.getElementById("layer_name").style.visibility = "visible";}
  else if(document.layers) {document.layers["layer_name"].visibility = "show";}
  else {document.all['layer_name'].style.visibility = "visible"
}

function hide(){
  if(document.getElementById) {document.getElementById("layer_name").style.visibility = "hidden";}
  else if(document.layers) {document.layers["layer_name"].visibility = "hide";}
  else {document.all['layer_name'].style.visibility = "hidden"
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<div id="layername" style="position:absolute;left:200;right:200">HELLO</div>
<a href="#" onmouseover="show()" onmouseout="hide()">
Mouse Here!
</a>
</body>
</html>

Note that for Netscape, the layer has to be absolutely positioned.

Jon.

**Slash** · Apr 26, 2001 17:34

Here is a more generic way to detect your browser, and also to join it with many more re-usable functions.

Code:

<script language="JavaScript">
	// detect browser type ;
function init(){
	this.ver=navigator.appVersion
	this.dom=document.getElementById?1:0
	this.ie5=(this.ver.indexOf("MSIE 5")>-1 && this.dom)?1:0;
	this.ie4=(document.all && !this.dom)?1:0;
	this.ns5=(this.dom && parseInt(this.ver) >= 5) ?1:0;
	this.ns4=(document.layers && !this.dom)?1:0;
return this;	
}
bw=new init()			

	// hide and Show funtions..
function show(div){
	obj=bw.dom? document.getElementById(div).style:bw.ie4?document.all[div].style:
		bw.ns4?document.layers[div]:0;
	if(obj) obj.visibility='visible'
}

function hide(div){
	obj=bw.dom? document.getElementById(div).style:bw.ie4?document.all[div].style:
		bw.ns4?document.layers[div]:0;
	if(obj) obj.visibility='hidden'
}
</script>

This type of code called Object Oriented DHTML. Which is generic and very usefull in hadling many cross-browser DHTML implementation. Define once, and forget about it.

I've tried this code many times beacuse it was really the best I ever had. It is recommended for complex DHTML cross-browser scripting, but it can be used on simple pages too.
Slash

**tabsquare** · Apr 28, 2001 05:36

HI, sorry if I am late replying....

I tried using the above codes, but all two of 'em give me an error. Maybe it's because I use IE 6 beta, wich may have some bug. But it doesn't work anyway in netscape.

I uploaded the page I was working on.
I call the function with an argument in the first link at the left "manage it". Could someone please check and tell me what's wrong?
http://www.tabssquare.com/aspkeeper/test.htm

Thanks all for helping

**jonsteele** · Apr 28, 2001 09:41

You need to use quotes around the layer you are calling, because its a string, not a variable

:

onmouseover="show('first')"

So put single quotes around the layer name...and similarly with onmouseout and hide.

Jon.

**tabsquare** · Apr 28, 2001 10:14

you right, my mistake, but still doesn't work.....

**jonsteele** · Apr 28, 2001 10:41

You need quotes when calling the function in the onmouseover/onmouseout.

But you don't need quotes in the actual function.

function show (layername){ //no qutoes
...
document.getElementById(layername)... //no quotes
document.layers[layername]...//no quotes
document.all[layername].... //no quotes
...
}

**tabsquare** · Apr 28, 2001 11:30

yes, I forgot to upload the right one...
I think I tested everything about those quotes, but it still doesn't work...

**jonsteele** · Apr 28, 2001 12:17

Both your show and hide functions are missing a closing brace '}' for the if statement.

Hopefully that should fix it.

function show(layername){
if(document.getElementById) {document.getElementById(layername).style.visibility = "visible";}
else if(document.layers) {document.layers[layername].visibility = "show";}
else {document.all[layername].style.visibility = "visible"}
}

function hide(layername){
if(document.getElementById) {document.getElementById(layername).style.visibility = "hidden";}
else if(document.layers) {document.layers[layername].visibility = "hide";}
else {document.all[layername].style.visibility = "hidden"}
}

**tabsquare** · Apr 28, 2001 13:01

AH AH......AH AH.....it works!!! I AM GENIOUS!!!

well maybe not. I works great now thanks. There is still something wrong in netscape, so that's why I hate netscape eh eh
I bought a JS book, I think I will skip all chapters and go directly to the debugger software chapter

Thanks a lot

**jonsteele** · Apr 28, 2001 13:59

For the netscape problem...

You have the show/hide for the div's in the <div> tag. Try adding an <a> tag and putting it in there. Netscape doesn't support event handlers in the div.

<a href="#" onmouseover="show('first')" onmouseour="hide('first')">
<div id="first">
...
</div>
</a>

Jon.

**tabsquare** · Apr 29, 2001 08:22

HI again

mmm doesn't work, you sure you are talking about netscape 6? I have that one.
The layers show up on mouse over, but it seems like if the images at the bottom on the layer don't show up. Is it possible that I have to preload them?

**tabsquare** · Apr 29, 2001 09:46

finally...finished.

It works great now. Finally. I should test that also in Opera and in the others, but...that's for another day of my life

Thanks

User Tag List

Thread: determining user browser(NS or IE) ?

Thread Tools

Display

here's another question. Hopefully the last one

oo alleluiaa!!!

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions