So I’ve done a bit of cross-browser testing for my new CatCubed design:

• Safari, Chrome (i.e., Webkit): works perfect
• iPhone Mobile Safari (i.e., Webkit): works but any fixed attachment is ignored (this is due to how the iphone browser works)
• Firefox, Camino (i.e., Gecko): works except for multiple background images
• Internet Explorer 8: Works (after a small fix) but is ugly due to lack of CSS3 support
• Internet Explorer 7: fails dramatically because of IE float bugs
• Internet Explorer 6: fails dramatically because of IE float bugs and lack of CSS2 support
• Opera 10: fails somewhat due to a bug in how Opera handles floats. Also is ugly due to lack of CSS3 support

Also, thanks to Jason I found (and fixed) a bug that only occured on large monitors (24″  or more).

As I mentioned, I added a small fix for IE so it’s readable, but I’m not bothering to fix the IE6 or IE7 massive fails and I added a very basic stylesheet for IE6/7 so they could at least read the content. Also, I added a “why don’t you try another browser” warning to the site for IE users.

Just thought I’d mention that this redesign is meant as a means for me to experiment with new techniques and do so quickly, which is why I am no longer fully supporting IE with this site. There are workarounds for many of the techniques that I am using on this site, but it would take me at least twice as long to implement. All my real work projects will continue to be built with a graceful degradation / progressive enhancement process in mind.

I’ve recently decided it was time to revamp catcubed.com. The design will be overhauled and it will be developed using new HTML5 structural elements. I’ve begun this process by researching the proper semantics and layout techniques for these new elements. The W3C HTML5 specs are vague in spots and this is all fairly new so there is some disagreement among the supposed “experts.” There are already a couple wordpress HTML5 templates out there, but they also differ in many ways.

What follows is the guidelines I’ve devised based on both the W3C HTML5 specs (I usually refer to the latest draft and then review any differences with the older last published version) and the collective opinions of the various “experts”—not all of whom I agree with. A list of reference links is included at the bottom of this article. I’m fairly new to all this too so I could be wrong about a few things so please let me know if you find any flaws in these guidelines.

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