[thelist] using ie5.5 && ie5

[Aylard JA (James)]

Michael,

> How can you have different versions of IE running on the same machine? Is
> there a registry trick?

	In the strictest terms, it isn't possible to have two separate
versions of Win32 IE (from version 3 on up) installed on the same machine.
With IE 5 and IE 5.5, there is an installation option available to run IE 4
in "compatibility" mode -- if IE4 is already installed on the PC. However,
compatibility mode is not IE 4 native mode. Compatibility mode uses the core
browser component of IE 4, but uses a lot of the framework of IE 5/IE 5.5 to
support it. For instance, not all filters work for me in IE 4 compatibility
mode. But I have never seen the differences between IE 4 native mode and IE
4 compatibility mode satisfactorily documented.
	For testing purposes, some have taken to running a copy of either IE
5 or IE 5.5, IE 4 in compatibility mode, and a hacked installation of 16-bit
IE 3 on the same PC. But I think the drawbacks to this approach are serious
enough to avoid it. For one, almost no one in the general public will be
using the 16-bit version of IE 3, so if you are testing your pages for
compatibility, how is this going to give you an accurate picture of how your
pages look to those using 32-bit IE 3 (and there are some significant
differences IIRC)?
	My advice: separate bootable partitions on a single PC, with a
different version of IE installed on each; multiple PCs (if you have them),
each with a different version of IE installed on each; or, best yet, IMO,
using OS emulation software such as VMWare (http://www.vmware.com/) and
creating various OS/IE installations as required.

hth,
James Aylard