Internet Explorer 8 to Catch up on Standards?
There was good communication between the IE team and the community during the development and release process of IE7, which has been out for two years now. However, the site has been somewhat quiet lately as developers and enthusiasts alike have been wondering about plans for the next version of the browser.Well, the IE team went and dropped a bombshell on the web earlier in the week: IE8 is in development, and has passed the ACID2 test.
I read about this first on the site of Molly Holzschlag, who is actively working with the IE team to get the browser into shape. There is an official announcement on the IE team blog. I had to do a double take, then a triple take to be sure I had read it properly!
The ACID2 test is a web page constructed in such a way as to test the rendering capabilities of browsers viewing the page, and hopefully, convince the vendors to build their browsers so as to consistently render the page. This, by extension, would thereby include the web at large.
It tests how well a browser renders correct markup and styles, and also checks for how well the browser handles incorrect markup and styles.
If a browser passes the test, it displays a yellow happy face, constructed solely from markup and styles. If the test is not passed, the face may be anywhere from somewhat distorted all the way to unrecognizable. Safari passed the test some time ago, as did the beta of Firefox 3, and the Opera browser passed the test a month ago. Internet Explorer, well, the output is a mess.
The ACID2 test is not a be-all and end-all of web browser conformance, but it is a useful testing tool for browsers as they are being developed. If all browsers pass the ACID test, and keep up with compliance, well, the web would be a much better place today…
Internet Explorer is well-known (reviled, even) as a browser that is consistently years behind all the other browsers. IE6 also currently has the majority market share for web browsers, although the numbers seem to be shifting regularly, ever so slightly, towards alternative browsers such as Firefox, Opera, and Safari.
Unsurprisingly, cynics have been quick to suggest that IE8 has been tweaked just enough so as to pass the test, so the team could put out an announcement. I think that’s a bit of a stretch, and suspect the team is more aboveboard than that.
IE7 was a good step up from version 6, although is still well behind the current batch of browsers. If IE8 can pass the ACID2 test, surely that must be a good sign of things to come as the browser nears release (hopefully a year from now).
One thing I do hope for, besides the improving standards support, is that the team will not make this browser specific to Windows Vista - I think this would be a bad move as many people are still using XP and older systems, as shown by the slow Vista uptake in the year since it was released. Best thing to do, would be to make IE8 a mandatory update for XP and newer systems, and maybe even give it to Windows 2000 as well, if possible. IE6 is a mess, and difficult to get web pages to work in, and should be phased out as soon as humanly possible.
To the folks on the IE team, keep up the good work, thanks for the early Christmas gift, and please keep sharing the development news.
There is some good discussion happening on the following sites: