Comments on: Conditional Compilation in JavaScript http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/ Web development and Internet trends Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:09:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Robert Nyman http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-591434 Robert Nyman Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:57:59 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-591434 Faruk, Dude, it's been a while! :-) Interesting, thanks for sharing - that situation os just so very hard to deal with. Sorry about the name, not really sure why that would happen. I have had UTF-8 for years, and your name has always worked before. I think I'll take the easy way out and blame the latest version of WordPress... :-P Faruk,

Dude, it’s been a while! :-)
Interesting, thanks for sharing – that situation os just so very hard to deal with.

Sorry about the name, not really sure why that would happen. I have had UTF-8 for years, and your name has always worked before. I think I’ll take the easy way out and blame the latest version of WordPress… :-P

]]> By: Faruk Ate? http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-591371 Faruk Ate? Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:38:12 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-591371 Also, Rob! Shame on you for your system not supporting the special s in my name! ? ? ? Also, Rob! Shame on you for your system not supporting the special s in my name!

? ? ?

]]> By: Faruk Ate? http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-591370 Faruk Ate? Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:37:32 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-591370 I just thought I'd share here that the above code, combined with HTML-based IE Conditional Comments, allows you to reliably detect what <em>rendering engine</em> of IE you're dealing with. Now that IE8 is out and ships with both the IE7 and IE8 rendering engines, in a way that can no longer ever be detected by looking at the UserAgent string, this mechanic is rather valuable. I wrote it all down in a post on my own blog: <a href="http://farukat.es/journal/2009/05/250-ie8-x-ua-compatible-solutions" rel="nofollow">IE8 and X-UA-Compatible part deux: solutions</a>. Could be very useful for people :-) I just thought I’d share here that the above code, combined with HTML-based IE Conditional Comments, allows you to reliably detect what rendering engine of IE you’re dealing with.

Now that IE8 is out and ships with both the IE7 and IE8 rendering engines, in a way that can no longer ever be detected by looking at the UserAgent string, this mechanic is rather valuable.

I wrote it all down in a post on my own blog: IE8 and X-UA-Compatible part deux: solutions.

Could be very useful for people :-)

]]> By: Thank you for 2008 - Happy New Year! - Robert’s talk - Web development and Internet trends http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-492997 Thank you for 2008 - Happy New Year! - Robert’s talk - Web development and Internet trends Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:40:42 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-492997 [...] Conditional Compilation in JavaScript [...] [...] Conditional Compilation in JavaScript [...]

]]> By: Robert Nyman http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-299773 Robert Nyman Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:00:15 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-299773 Tanny, That's great! Thanks for letting me know! Personally, I use the <a href="http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/compressor/" rel="nofollow">YUI Compressor</a> since it seems most effective and haven't broken any script (conditional compilation excepted, then). Tanny,

That’s great! Thanks for letting me know!
Personally, I use the YUI Compressor since it seems most effective and haven’t broken any script (conditional compilation excepted, then).

]]> By: Tanny O'Haley http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-299394 Tanny O'Haley Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:53:43 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-299394 Robert, I have a version of <a href="http://tanny.ica.com/ica/tko/test.nsf/jsmin.html" title="JSMin with support for Microsoft conditional comments" rel="nofollow">JSMin</a> that keeps in conditional comments. I modified the javascript version by Franck Marcia. What do you use to minify your code? Robert,
I have a version of JSMin that keeps in conditional comments. I modified the javascript version by Franck Marcia.

What do you use to minify your code?

]]> By: Robert Nyman http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-285391 Robert Nyman Tue, 27 May 2008 18:28:42 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-285391 pepelsbey, Absolutely, that's one usage. :-) pepelsbey,

Absolutely, that’s one usage. :-)

]]> By: pepelsbey http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-285272 pepelsbey Tue, 27 May 2008 16:16:19 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-285272 Thanks for reminding this cool feature ) So, now i have simple version targeting for emulating :hover pseudo-class on any elements by JS for IE6: <code>var ltIE7 = false /*@cc_on @if (@_jscript_version <= 5.6) ltIE7 = true @end @*/</code> Thanks for reminding this cool feature )
So, now i have simple version targeting for emulating :hover pseudo-class on any elements by JS for IE6:
var ltIE7 = false
/*@cc_on @if (@_jscript_version <= 5.6) ltIE7 = true @end @*/

]]> By: Robert Nyman http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284947 Robert Nyman Tue, 27 May 2008 10:27:52 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284947 philippe, Well, I do hope people who read anything I have written, and with how this post is constructed too, do understand what my general stance is. :-) philippe,

Well, I do hope people who read anything I have written, and with how this post is constructed too, do understand what my general stance is. :-)

]]> By: philippe voncken http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284930 philippe voncken Tue, 27 May 2008 09:53:33 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284930 Often, the specific problems could be avoided by using simple solutions. Sometimes, we attack a concrete wall that could be circumvent. I prefer to talk about solutions proposed by the standards rather than specific solutions. Your ticket is interesting but I would have preferred that you start by saying that this tricks is to be used with caution in mind that the standards are the path to the side clear of force in order to protect young developers and show the way to the right direction :) Often, the specific problems could be avoided by using simple solutions. Sometimes, we attack a concrete wall that could be circumvent.

I prefer to talk about solutions proposed by the standards rather than specific solutions.

Your ticket is interesting but I would have preferred that you start by saying that this tricks is to be used with caution in mind that the standards are the path to the side clear of force in order to protect young developers and show the way to the right direction :)

]]> By: Robert Nyman http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284876 Robert Nyman Tue, 27 May 2008 08:42:44 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284876 Grant, You're welcome. :-) Andreas, Ah, too bad. Wonder why he would break that implementation? Martin, Yes, it's all about cutting requests too. :-) Morgan, Thanks! philippe, There is a difference what we find to be best in theory, and what's best in real life. As mentioned in the post, using proper approaches such as object detection isn't fool-proof, hence the nedd for a solution like this (just as using conditional comments has almost become a de-facto standard to overcome IE-specific problems). Grant,

You’re welcome. :-)

Andreas,

Ah, too bad. Wonder why he would break that implementation?

Martin,

Yes, it’s all about cutting requests too. :-)

Morgan,

Thanks!

philippe,

There is a difference what we find to be best in theory, and what’s best in real life. As mentioned in the post, using proper approaches such as object detection isn’t fool-proof, hence the nedd for a solution like this (just as using conditional comments has almost become a de-facto standard to overcome IE-specific problems).

]]> By: philippe voncken http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284866 philippe voncken Tue, 27 May 2008 08:30:45 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284866 Use a specific code of a browser is not a good practice. I think we must insist on this point to recall whenever one gives tips and tricks like this. The best interface is simple and minimalist, but it is perform that the user expects. The best web code is the one that works with all browsers, because it is easier to maintain and it is accessible. Reduce to the minimum functional Javascript allows this. Use a specific code of a browser is not a good practice. I think we must insist on this point to recall whenever one gives tips and tricks like this.

The best interface is simple and minimalist, but it is perform that the user expects.

The best web code is the one that works with all browsers, because it is easier to maintain and it is accessible. Reduce to the minimum functional Javascript allows this.

]]> By: Morgan Roderick http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284404 Morgan Roderick Mon, 26 May 2008 20:55:03 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284404 Thank you for another nugget of wisdom Robert. Sometimes I feel that reading your blog is like going over stuff I've learned and forgotten again. So please keep the nuggets coming! Thank you for another nugget of wisdom Robert. Sometimes I feel that reading your blog is like going over stuff I’ve learned and forgotten again.

So please keep the nuggets coming!

]]> By: Martin http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284297 Martin Mon, 26 May 2008 18:54:57 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284297 I've previously used this to detect whether the current browser is IE or not: <code><!--[if lt IE 7]><script src="/js/ltie7.js" type="text/javascript"></script><![endif]--></code> Where ltie7.js contains the following: <code>var ltIE7 = true</code> I feel like I can trust this method more than checking Navigator properties. Alltough, looking at this code now, I'm not sure why i put the code in a new file instead of just writing it in the script block… The @cc_on-method is nice if you want to keep all your code in one place though. I’ve previously used this to detect whether the current browser is IE or not:
<!--[if lt IE 7]><script src="/js/ltie7.js" type="text/javascript"></script><![endif]-->
Where ltie7.js contains the following:
var ltIE7 = true
I feel like I can trust this method more than checking Navigator properties. Alltough, looking at this code now, I’m not sure why i put the code in a new file instead of just writing it in the script block…
The @cc_on-method is nice if you want to keep all your code in one place though.

]]> By: Andreas http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284279 Andreas Mon, 26 May 2008 18:31:04 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284279 Nice! Didn't know about that. Too bad <a href="http://joliclic.free.fr/php/javascript-packer/en/" rel="nofollow">Nicolas Martin's PHP-port of Dean's packer</a> does not keep them in :/ Nice! Didn’t know about that. Too bad Nicolas Martin’s PHP-port of Dean’s packer does not keep them in :/

]]> By: Grant Palin http://robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284176 Grant Palin Mon, 26 May 2008 17:02:29 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2008/05/26/conditional-compilation-in-javascript/#comment-284176 That's pretty cool. I can see that there are some cases where that sort of capability would be very useful. That’s pretty cool. I can see that there are some cases where that sort of capability would be very useful.

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