> I am about to start coding for a new site, and client asked me to make > sure my code will work for IE8, meaning when IE 8 comes out, she doesn't > need to pay me extra to fix any problem that may occur in IE 8. Client is > from a web media company, though I understand her concerns and that she has > to answer to her client, but I just don't know how or if I should commit to > such 'expectation'. > Last time with IE 7, there was no problem and none of the sites I coded > for her break when IE 7 came out. I think this version targeting thing > really got people worry. > Say, I code my CSS with best practice just like I'd always do, and treat > IE browsers with CC should it be needed. Do I need to worry anything with > IE8? It didn't occur to me to worry anything at all until client was making > this request. >
My take on this is you cannot *really* code for a browser that's not released yet. Alpha/Beta/pre-release versions simply are not the same as final versions. There's a slight difference in this case because you do have a safety net - if the site works in IE7, but truly goes pear shaped in IE8, you can version switch it back to IE7. But, that's a first ever situation and I would not change my dealings with a client on that basis. As an ongoing client relations precedent I'd suggest that you do not commit to making something work in a browser that's not in final release. Reassure them that you will code to best practice; ensure any conditional comments are version tagetted appropriately (do not use "if IE", always use something like "if IE lte 7" or "if IE 6"); mention that version switching is a safety net; do test in beta browsers but don't guarantee the final release. If their site ultimately needs work due to a new browser release, that's part of the cost of ownership of a web presence. You can agree to minimise the risk, but you can't guarantee the site won't need work in IE8's final version. Hope that helps :) -Ben -- --- <http://weblog.200ok.com.au/> --- The future has arrived; it's just not --- evenly distributed. - William Gibson ******************************************************************* List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *******************************************************************
