IE7, IE8 Incompatibility Serious Issue

  • I think people considering using Twenty Twelve should be aware of a serious compatibility issue with IE7 and IE8 – they will only display the Mobile menu. IE7 and IE8 still account for 15% of all web browser share, and IE8 will remain for a long time – there are still a lot of XP machines around.

    I think Twenty Twelve’s incompatibility with IE7 and IE8 is currently a fatal flaw – it really is not okay to have the Mobile menu the only menu displayed on IE7/8. While the percentage of IE7/8 will drop, right now that means over 1 in 10 visitors will see a broken site.

    Otherwise, the pure simplicity of Twenty Twelve is quite nice, and it does look like it will serve as a good parent theme – but only after the IE7/8 problem is fixed.

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

  • IE7 accounts for less than 2% of the current browser market. IE8 can’t even manage 8% these days. The former is 6 years old and the latter over 3 years old. Both are known to have very badly broken CSS box models. If you want to cater to these old, broken, browsers, create a child theme and use some conditional CSS.

    Thread Starter wpweaver

    (@wpweaver)

    I guess it depends on whose stats you believe, but https://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php shows about 15% for the combined IE7/8.

    And the fact that IE7/8 suck doesn’t mean one wants one’s site to look broken for over 1 in 10 of the visitors.

    Whatever – I do think it is important that people considering 2012 know that it currently does not work right for a significant share of browsers.

    And the reason 2012 is broken is because of the conditional CSS that IE7/8 can’t parse. So the only way to fix it in CSS would be to completely redo the 2012 menu model.

    And if you don’t too much mind an ignorant question from a newbie trying to get started with WordPress, how would you do that?

    I mean, in the past, with Drupal and even old fashioned HTML sites, I have used conditional statements to get IE-x to act civilized. Even (gag, shudder, retch) IE6. Couldn’t that be done with 2012 without tearing out the Engine Room and installing a new Diesel?

    It has been done.

    Wal I swan.
    Thanks.

    For those worrying about IE7/8 compatibility just add this script to your header and the theme will work in those browsers…

    https://code.google.com/p/css3-mediaqueries-js/

    Thanks you jjust1 – Will try it.

    @jjust1 That Google code fix advises “Doesn’t work on @import’ed stylesheets (which you shouldn’t use anyway for performance reasons).”

    Does this mean it won’t work on child themes, which @import parent style sheets? Child themes and styles are a recommended best practice.

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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