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It has been a while since I started to follow web standards and started cross-browser coding (not to be confused to cross-site scripting). I became aware of the importance when I saw the immense number of visitors using Firefox and IE Explorer along with other browsers like Safari and Opera. I even got visitor using the Play Station 3 browser. I figured I couldn’t just ignore people using browsers my site didn’t support, so I learned about the W3C Recommendations and basic cross-browser scripting. I stopped using IE specific functions and properties. A book that helped me is SAMS Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours. It’s up-to-date and includes information on cross-browser scripting and web standards.

Internet Explorer is still the mainstream browser, but you can see that Firefox is also dominant. In addition, despite having a relatively smaller number of users, Opera and Safari are also a significant segment of the statistics. This table shows the importance of cross-browser coding and web standards.

The first step of following web standards is reading the W3C XHTML recommendations. I suggest using the XHTML Transitional DTD since the Strict DTD is literally strict. A DTD is a Document Type Definition and it basically defines the regulations of web standards and is used to validate your XHTML code. Then you can start validation your websites using the W3C Validator to check whether the document is valid in the DTD you chose.

The second step is to learn how to code your JavasScript to work in all browsers. JavaScript can be scripted to be cross-browser multiple ways, but the most widely used method is by using the try and catch method. The following is an example of a cross-browser AJAX object initialization.

try{
　　// Firefox, Opera 8.0+, Safari, IE7
　　ajaxReq = new XMLHttpRequest();
　　}catch(error){
　　　　// IE5, IE6
　　　　try{
　　　　　　ajaxReq = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
　　　　　　}catch(error){
　　　　　　　　try{
　　　　　　　　　　ajaxReq = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
　　　　　　　　　　}catch(error){
　　　　　　　　　　　　return false;
　　　　　　　　　　}
　　　　　　　　}
　　　　　　}
　　　　}
　　}
}

This script tries a method and if an error occurs it detects it and executes the code within the catch expression. There can be a try expression within a catch expression and thus a cross-browser script can be coded this way.

To successfully code in cross-browser format, you should learn what functions or properties are IE or Firefox specific and avoid using them. Web standards are cross-browser coding are becoming more important by the second, so it’s to your benefit to get used to them as apply them when you’re coding.