Re: Re: How to identify Service Pack using javascript

I wasn't suggesting anyone should use IE7 while it is still in Beta. 
Just pointing out that the sole reason for its existance is because it 
was the only way that Microsoft could plug hundreds of ActiveX holes 
without removing ActiveX completely. It will be a way to plug part of 
ActiveX once released - not the best way, just a way - which currently 
isn't possible with IE.

I agree 1000% that people shouldn't be using ancient techniques such as 
browser sniffing. All modern browsers (Firefox, Opera,  Safari etc) 
follow the same standards closely enough that it is rarely necessary to 
distinguish between them except where you try to use standards that are 
so new that all of the browsers haven't implemented it yet.

I would recommend not using IE at all as there are several free 
alternatives that are at least 10000% better than IE9 would have been 
had Microsoft decided to contine developing web browsers after 1998 
rather than just producing minimal patches. IE7 once released may be a 
contender for the best browser of 1999 - it will certainly be obsolete 
by 2002 at the very latest.

Most browsers at least provide an option to have them identify 
themselves as IE in order to get past the antique browser sniffer code.

regards,
Stephen Chapman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ask Felgall           http://www.felgall.com/
Focus on Javascript   http://javascript.about.com/
Steve's Railway pages http://rail.felgall.com/
AMRA Inc              http://www.amra.asn.au/
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bluestfan wrote:

>Why would you want to? What need would you have to find out what 
>service pack someone is using via a web page? 
>
>Not to attack anyone, but the advice is so bad; Mr. Chapman who in 
>their right mind would attempt to fix a problem with a stable release 
>of software by using a beta release (of Microsoft no less).
>
>Anyone who is browser sniffing still is a dinosaur in computing. That 
>was the way to go back in 1994.. it is now (since before 2000) 
>considered best practices to use cross browser DOM scripting... not 
>to sniff for a browser type.
>
>I would recomend not to use a beta version software package from a 
>company that historically has unstable insecure software. Talk to any 
>web designer and most would agree; use firefox.
>
>Active X is slow and insecure by design, where as Javascript is quick 
>and secure by design. If you had people using your site and you put 
>active x controls in the site.. you would have to practically 
>blackmail/pay any competent computer literate individual to use the 
>site.
>
>- David
>
>--- In [email protected], Stephen Chapman <steve@...> wrote:
>  
>
>>It is difficult to tell what browser is being used from within 
>>Javascript. Telling the Operating System is just about impossible. 
>>    
>>
>The 
>  
>
>>only way to do it is to rely on thebrowser telling the truth about 
>>    
>>
>what 
>  
>
>>they are and most browsers will lie and claim to be IE.
>>
>>You can use IE HTML conditional statements to test for IE and which 
>>version of IE that it is but apart from the fact that IE has been a 
>>Windows only browser since tha Mac version was killed off in 2003 
>>    
>>
>you 
>  
>
>>can't get any more specific as to which version of Windows (without 
>>relying on what the browser places in the navigator object).
>>
>>There are about 600+ known security holes in IE6 where SP2 is not 
>>installed. A few dozen of these holes can be patched by installing 
>>    
>>
>SP2. 
>  
>
>>Most of them can be patched in IE6 by disabling ActiveX. To patch 
>>    
>>
>all of 
>  
>
>>them properly you need to upgrade to IE7 (that is the main reason 
>>    
>>
>for 
>  
>
>>the existance of the new version).
>>
>>regards,
>>Stephen Chapman
>>
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>Ask Felgall           http://www.felgall.com/
>>Focus on Javascript   http://javascript.about.com/
>>Steve's Railway pages http://rail.felgall.com/
>>AMRA Inc              http://www.amra.asn.au/
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>>Please check the security certificate attached to this email
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>
>>Note that emails more than 100k in size sent to this email
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>>
>>
>>
>>Maninder, Singh wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>Is there anyway I can determine the service pack using javascript?
>>>
>>>My application works on IE 6.0 and above, but only when IE 6.0 
>>>      
>>>
>without service pack (browser SP) is installed, it starts behaving 
>weirdly (crashes, etc).
>  
>
>>>Are there any known bugs in IE 6 without service pack?
>>>
>>>Can I identify this in the headers?
>>>
>>>Please let me know your thoughts.
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>Mandy.
>>>
>>>
>>>
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