The RSPB required a web application through which they could provide learning material to people interested in birds and birdwatching. Once a user has logged-in they are presented with 6 different modules as well as access to the resource library which contains the RPSB Handbook of British Birds and Where to Watch Birds - Britain.
A handy application that I have come across recently is IETester. It pretty much says on the tin what it does; it allows you to test your website/web application in various versions of Internet Explorer; 5.5, 6, 7 and 8 beta 1.
Once installed, the application takes on the appearance of a typical Microsoft application, not too dissimilar from Word 2007. At first glance the interface seems quite sparse as most of the options are greyed-out suggesting they are not available, however once you click to open a ‘New Tab’ they gain colour.
You are able to run multiple tabs side-by-side using the different versions Internet Explorer and each tab operates in exactly the same way the ‘official’ Microsoft versions work, albeit the interface is slightly different. Should you find it necessary it is also possible to change the settings of Internet Explorer, just like you are able to do in the official versions.
Whilst I have used other applications that allow me to run multiple versions of Internet Explorer on the same computer such as the versions from evolt’s browser archive which were made easier to install with the Multiple IE installer from Tredosoft, I find IETester much easier and less time-consuming to use as it is all contained within one handy application. I must add however that the application is still an alpha release and so there are likely to be a few bugs.
Below are some screenshots of the application with my website loaded in the different versions of Internet Explorer available.
scottmallinson.com in Internet Explorer 5.5
scottmallinson.com in Internet Explorer 6
scottmallinson.com in Internet Explorer 7
scottmallinson.com in Internet Explorer 8 beta 1
As you can see from the above screenshots, there is little/no difference between the appearance of my website in Internet Explorer version 6, 7 and 8 beta 1. However in Internet Explorer 5.5 the layout is broken which I will aim to fix when time permits, and as visitors to my website who use Internet Explorer 5.5 only account for 0.64% of all visitors in a ten month period it’s debatable as to whether it is necessary.
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2 Responses to “IETester: browser testing in Internet Explorer made easier”
I came across the same app a few weeks ago. Personally, although I haven’t tested it much, I have continued using my hard drive images on Virtual PC’s. I think my main issue, though very possibly extremely unfounded, is that I worry that the IE Tester correctly emulates the rendering engines of the differing IE’s, so using the original browsers makes me feel somewhat safer.
Also what makes me wonder is why has no one been able to make this kind of application before? It would of been very useful when IE7 launched.
by Kean Richmond on May 8th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Agreed, whilst the application is still in alpha I wouldn’t use it a sole means of testing websites.
I think that it is currently more suited as a moment-of-need testing application than using Virtual PC’s to test which are more suited at testing milestones within a development.
by Scott Mallinson on May 9th, 2008 at 1:05 pm