In this part of the series we look at the actual response of browsers to the technology of Active Client Pages. I shall also give you some recommendations for how to use Active Client Pages. This is the fifth and last part of the series.
Comparing Browser Response to Active Client Pages - Mozilla Firefox 2 (Page 2 of 5 )
Opening the Windows
The Descending Chain N0, N1, N20 and N30
The steps for this chain were carried out. The results were the same, except for one problem: after each window was opened, the hourglass never went away. The progress indicator at the taskbar never indicated completion. This is a weakness from the browser because, in accordance with the DOM and JavaScript specifications, the opening process was complete.
The Descending Chain N1, N21 N31, N32 and N4
The steps for this chain were carried out. The results were fine until the Document Phase (N31, N32). Doc2 (of node N32) was superimposed on Doc1 (of node N31). That is, you see the contents of the two documents of the document phase, at the same time, in their window. After that, the opening process continued to node N4.
Clicking the Buttons
The steps for this section above were carried out. The results were all right.
So there are two problems with Mozilla Firefox: the indicators, which are supposed to show that the opening process of a window is complete, falsely continue to indicate that the opening process is going on when it has ended. When the Document Phase is incorporated into the Window Phase, the documents in the document phase become superimposed. If the document phase is on its own (not incorporated into the window phase), there is no superimposition and the indicators behave correctly. I demonstrated this in an earlier series that discussed my approach to Active Client Pages.
Netscape 8
I repeated the test with Netscape. The results were the same as for Mozilla Firefox, with an additional problem. All of the windows opened in one window frame, sharing the same title bar as well as the same menu and other bars. Netscape 8 identifies the windows by tabs below the personal toolbar.
Opera 9
Opening the Windows
The Descending Chain N0, N1, N20 and N30
The steps for this chain were carried out. The results were all right. The only problem is that the windows were opened at the same position.
The Descending Chain N1, N21 N31, N32 and N4
The steps for this chain were carried out. Opera 9 could not enter the document phase. The opening stopped at node N21.
The main problem with this browser is that it cannot enter the document phase.
Safari 3
Only the pages for the first two nodes could be opened successfully with Safari 3. Active Client Pages do not work with Safari 3.
All of the files for the example can be downloaded as one zip file from:
HTML 
How Browsers Respond to Active Client Pages
