Cross-Platform Style Differences

Despite the commonality that CSS brings to Navigator and Internet Explorer, there is no guarantee that the visual representation of a particular style will be the same in both browsers. Differences can be attributed to browser bugs, varying interpretations of the standard, and disagreements in design philosophies. Differences can also accrue even among different operating system versions of the same browser.

To demonstrate this point, Figures Figure 3.4, 3-5, and 3-6 show three different renditions of the same CSS-enhanced page (Example 3.4) in Internet Explorer 4 for Windows 95, Navigator 4 for Windows 95, and Navigator 4 for the Macintosh. All browser windows were sized to fill a 640-by-480 monitor, minus the Windows 95 Taskbar and Macintosh menu bar.

Example 3.4 loaded into Internet Explorer 4 for Windows 95

Figure 3-4.  Example 3.4 loaded into Internet Explorer 4 for Windows 95

Example 3.4 loaded into Navigator 4 for Windows 95

Figure 3-5.  Example 3.4 loaded into Navigator 4 for Windows 95

Example 3.4 loaded into Navigator 4 for the Macintosh

Figure 3-6.  Example 3.4 loaded into Navigator 4 for the Macintosh

Notice how each browser shows a vastly different quantity of the document, even though a specific font point size is assigned for all paragraph elements. Next, check out how Internet Explorer and Navigator ...

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