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rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsWhat is the common practice for programmers checking their work in all browsers?
Hey guys and girls,
Anyone know how I can check my work on all the major browsers and devices without actually owning all the different devices?
What is the common practice?
11 Answers
Tom Bedford
15,645 PointsBrowserstack is very useful for different browsers on various platforms/devices.
If you have a mac you can use iPhone/iPad simulators and both mac and windows can use Android simulators. These are part of the SDKs for creating apps but would work to check websites.
rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsHey thanks for the reply
Is it free?
I have windows but would like to test apple products too. Wouldn't I just check in safari?
Tom Bedford
15,645 PointsIt has a free trial. I don't think the most recent versions of Safari are available on Windows.
rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsOh right.
How would I test safari then?
Buy an apple product or would something like browserstack sort it?
danielcroft
7,438 PointsYou can also on google chrome on dev tools, the bottom right corner click the "gear" to open settings then click overides which is on the left hand side then select the browser or device you want to view it in. its total free :D
danielcroft
7,438 Pointshttp://teamtreehouse.com/library/technology-foundations/chrome-devtools-basics/adjusting-settings
There is the link to the video, i suggest you watch it to fully understand. :)
Tom Bedford
15,645 PointsChanging the "user agent" doesn't make chrome render the page as another browser would. Unless there is another function I'm not aware of. It simply identifies the browser as another to the site you are viewing i.e. "user agent spoofing".
rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsOh dude you rock
Gotta love that word free.
I've built a huuuuge site on chrome and looked at it in Internet explorer and the css is all messed up. I literally almost fell off my chair.
I'l watch that vid now.
Thanks :)
danielcroft
7,438 PointsYeh that can happen quite alot, I tend to just check all the browsers i can now end then, especially IE as its known to be the the bane of our lifes.
rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsYou are going to laugh at me but I was going to use php to check the browser and if it wasn't chrome display like a javascript alert saying "Sorry the site is only available in Chrome at the moment, download here". You live and learn ey
Looks like devtools solves the problem. Thanks man.
The other guy mentioned browser stack? Why would people pay for something when chrome give it you for free?
Am I missing something here?
Tom Bedford
15,645 PointsThe other guy said:
"Changing the "user agent" doesn't make chrome render the page as another browser would. Unless there is another function I'm not aware of. It simply identifies the browser as another to the site you are viewing i.e. "user agent spoofing"."
danielcroft
7,438 PointsWell now from what hes saying i am confused if im honest.
rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsYe me too. To be honest I can't see browserstack being in business if Chrome solves that issue for free.
Completely confused now. I just want to check my css over all browsers and devices. Looks like santa s bringing me an ipad for xmas ha ha
Tom Bedford
15,645 PointsUser Agent - identifies the client to the browser. Not what you are trying to test.
Page Rendering - how the browser actually displays the page. What you are trying to test.
e.g.
You write some JavaScript to apply a particular class to an element in IE8 implementing it by identifying the user agent. You could use Chrome's dev tools to spoof the user agent and check that the class is being applied for IE8. However, any styles the class called would still be rendered by Chrome and so would not give an accurate representation of what it would look like in IE8.
By viewing the page in both Chrome and IE8 you could spot any differences in how they were being rendered.
I am not aware of anything that would make Chrome accurately render the page as if it were another browser.
James Barnett
39,199 Points> I am not aware of anything that would make Chrome accurately render the page as if it were another browser.
Sure there is ...
- IE Tab extension
- Mozilla Gecko Tab extension
rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsHow about safari?
I really want to cater for apple customers if I can.
Tom Bedford
15,645 PointsWell, IE Tab only works for the version of IE you already have on the machine.
Gecko Tab works for rendering it as if it were the old and dear Firefox 3.6 (which would also need installing).
On topic - I don't think either would be much help to Rich.
rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsJust read that myself :/
There is that open source site you get screen shots from. No idea how I would get a look at my login area
IE 10 I have Chrome I have Firefox I can download Safari is the problem.....such a big market too, foolish not to cater for them.
The css is bad enough in IE10, god knows what it is like in others.
rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsYe I get it now.
Either everyone is rich and owns every device or they are using something like browser stack then.
Be interesting to here what the guys at Treehouse have done for this site.
I have no idea what my stuff looks like on safari :/
Tom Bedford
15,645 PointsIf you have an Apple Store nearby you could drop in to give things a test.
rjendeavours
Courses Plus Student 4,965 PointsIf I bought an iphone or ipad would that assure me that it would work on a mac? There has to be an easier way surely. Looking on chrome now for an extension ha If I find it I'l let you guys know.
danielcroft
7,438 PointsLuckily i own a range of devices that i can check on such as mac book pro ipad iphone and a windows desktop for testing so the main areas are coverd.