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How can you handle the demands of different browsers while designing attractive Web pages?  Some HTML authors suggest that you use an older version of HTML to ensure portability.  Others say that you should push the medium forward by coding to the latest standard and using the most recent enhancements. 

 

Lowest Common Denominator Coding

 

Although it can be difficult to create pages that are always displayed properly, it is not impossible.  One way to create portable pages is to use a lowest-common-denominator approach.  This approach provides the greatest acceptance across browsers, because the authors choose to code their HTML using the next-to-last release of HTML.   

 

Cutting-Edge Coding

 

Another strategy to adopt when designing your Web site is to stay at the cutting edge.  By requiring the latest software, some designers insist that their users keep up with them.  This design strategy can result in visually exciting and interactive sites that keep pace with the latest technology.  Plug-ins are helper applications that assist a browser in rendering a special effect.  Without the plug-in, your user will not see the results of your work.

 

Browser-Specific Coding

 

Some Web sites are coded for one particular browser or brand of browsers only.  The author may have wanted to use a unique enhancement for the site, or may have found that the site did not render properly in other browsers.  On the Web, you never can be sure of the type of browser your user has.  However, this method of browser-specific coding may be viable on a company intranet, where you know or you can specify that all users have the same brand and version of browser. 

 

Solving the Browser Dilemma

 

You must test your work in as many browsers as possible during the entire development process to make sure that your pages will render properly.  Knowing your audience is a major step towards correctly implementing your site.  Many general Web users access the Web view America Online, Inc. (AOL), so test your work using their browser as well.  In an academic environment you may encounter readers that use Lynx, a text-only browser. 

 

Coding for Multiple Screen Resolutions

 

A computer monitor’s screen resolution is the width and height of the computer screen in pixels.  Most monitors can be set to at least two resolutions, whereas larger monitors have a broader range from which to choose.  Screen resolution is a function of the monitor’s capabilities and the computer’s video card.  The three most common screen resolutions (traditionally expressed as width X height in pixels) are 640 X 480, 800 X 600, and 1024 X 768.  Figure 1-3 on page 15 of the textbook shows a Web page coded at 800 X 600 and viewed at 640 X 480 with horizontal scroll bars.