MicrosoftInternetExplorer

Last edit May 31, 2014
Microsoft InternetExplorer (MSIE) is a common and popular WebBrowser, loved by many and used by many more. Users of WindowsXp take note. InternetExplorer is being changed significantly by SP2 upgrade released in Aug2004
  • The SP2 enhancements of InternetExplorer is not available to users of Microsoft OS's prior to WindowsXp. These users can consider using MozillaFirefox which has most IE features and more secure due to absence of ActivexTechnology.
    • MozillaFirefox users will still need to keep IE 5 or later in order to access up-to-date patches from the Microsoft Windows Update site (it requires activex to work).

IE is not the only browser using IE engine

Recently there have been third party browser addons for MSIE that modified InternetExperience. Some examples include Maxthon, Netcaptor, Avant Browser et al. Starting with WindowsXp SP2 MSIE has add-on technology included, and MS site has a list of free RssViewers at http://windowsmarketplace.com/Results.aspx?collID=58

InternetExplorer InformationSecurity notes

Please see MicrosoftSecurity frequently on information related to more important patches. Quite often these relate to MicrosoftInternetExplorer, due to its embedded ActivexTechnology that is good on functionality but lax in security measures. WindowsLonghorn version of MicrosoftInternetExplorer will have this "Low-Rights" mode as an additional defense. See blog and comments at http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2005/06/09/427410.aspx
InternetExplorer 7 

 "We have decided to do a new version of InternetExplorer, this is IE 7," -- BillGates
Said to be released for preliminary testing summer 05, and will have new protections against viruses, spyware and phishing scams. MicrosoftChannelNine wiki had been the source for input of IE feature requests.

It may be possible WindowsXp SP2 is a prerequisite for IE7. (see for example report at http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1765169,00.asp)

Other initial reports noted this IE release is separate from the upcoming WindowsLonghorn release, that the antitrust concerns of Microsoft getting into security is manageable, and that WindowsTwoThousand users (approx 50% of installed base) will be left out. Speculation exists whether the noncompliance to standards of IE6 (e.g. CSS, XML, PNG handling) will be addressed as well.

CSS and PNG graphics support are expected to be included in the new release, as reported in program manager Chris Mellon blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2005/04/22/410963.aspx.

But no SVG (ScalableVectorGraphics support) in version 7 except thru plug-ins, which enabled v4 onwards to offer SVG code within the Object tag.

IE7 news and assessments

IE7 released Nov06.

Beta of IE7 released end Jul05 indicates it breaks common search engines and instant messaging applications. And some complained about lack of adequate CSS2 support in that browser.

From IE blog in May05, it was confirmed that tabbed browsing is in. There were also in the same article notes on compatibility, and it appears that applications built using Web Browser component (e.g. VbClassic) will continue to work. See http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2005/05/26/422103.aspx
  • Stringent testing of older applications is probably still well advised.

API changes under WindowsXp SP2

Cannot find a site listing all "new APIs", nor old ones that the IE in SP2 release ceases to use. Closest is this site that was put up during beta testing. See http://www.profundis.co.uk/peteblog/Trackback,guid,3b1072c6-0750-431a-8071-9fcb27721638.aspx

MS Enhanced Browsing Security paper at http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/7/9/879a7b46-5ddb-4a82-b64d-64e791b3c9ae/05_CIF_Browsing.DOC mentioned the new (Attachment Execution service) AES API. Not sure whether all others are mentioned

Third party addons aiming to enhance MicrosoftSecurity

See http://www.corestreet.com/spoofstick/index.html where a link exists for an IE version. This software was spotted whilst searching for a tool to reduce IDN SocialEngineering risk for FireFox, but may be useful to people using IE and want more awareness of the real destination of their web request.

Brief History of InternetExplorer

(Please note: InternetExplorer was built from the SpyGlass Mosaic code. SpyGlass still exists in assorted incarnations (QNX has an implementation), but they left the commercial browser business after the Microsoft deal.)

InternetExplorer 3 was a major of release that successfully entered Microsoft into the browser wars. Netscape Navigator 3, released around the same time, was probably the superior product.

And then Microsoft released InternetExplorer 4 and included with it a number of essential upgrades to the Windows 95 OperatingSystem. The decision to bundle InternetExplorer with Windows 95, and later Windows 98, was a major factor in the MicrosoftAntiTrust case. InternetExplorer 4 itself was a significant step up from any other browser, thanks to its support for DynamicHTML and improved support for CascadingStyleSheets.

Netscape was slow in releasing its fourth-generation product, and released a long sequence of slow and unstable preview release versions that disenchanted many of its users. In early 1998 Netscape announced that it was releasing the code to Navigator as the OpenSource MozillaBrowser (though it would be a few years and a major rewrite before it was complete and stable.) Later that year Netscape was purchased by AmericaOnline, which mysteriously failed to integrate the browser engine into their products (which embedded IE as the built-in browser) but was content to simply release mediocre 4.x release after mediocre 4.x release, and eventually AOL-branded versions of MozillaBrowser without any ValueAdded for users.

Meanwhile, Microsoft released InternetExplorer 5 (shipping in Windows 2000), 5.5 (shipping in Windows XP) and 6. Again, DynamicHTML and CascadingStyleSheets support was improved. But few significant features were added after version 4.

Nowadays, InternetExplorer 6 can be considerably improved by using MyIE2 (http://www.myie2.com/), which provides an improved interface -- tabbed browsing, popup filters, and MouseGestures.

See http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/history/ie.htm for a more detailed history

Probably the first browser out there that supports the CommonUserAccess or anything like it. Specifically, after you fill out a form you tap <Enter>. You don't transfer a hand to the mouse, find the Submit button, and click (or hit <Tab>, <Space>). Nowadays, this is commonplace.

Reviews and version compares

see http://reviews.cnet.com/Microsoft_Internet_Explorer_6_0/4514-3513_7-20832430.html?tag=btm

Check out this silliness: "Three GET Requests Are Sent When You Retrieve Plug-in Served Content" http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;293792 Newer versions of IE (5.5+) only send two GET requests to get one resource. The behaviour is by design.

That is insane. IE gets the content type by making a request with a special user-agent?! What's wrong with a HEAD request? Didn't it just get the content type, and that's how it knows it needs to use a plugin?! Can't IE cache the data stream and forward it to the plugin once it's been initialized? The page doesn't say anything about IE 6, one hopes they've fixed this crap.

I'm trying to implement a dynamic two-way client-server HTTP connection. With NetscapeNavigator this seems not so hard - the client can send form data on the fly and the server can send data on the fly by holding the connection open and serially doing 'write data'/'flush buffer' and/or sending a multipart/mixed MIME type message. My problem: it doesn't work with MSIE (Macintosh v5.0). When I do (python) sys.stdout.flush() MSIE keeps on waiting for more (possibly long-delayed) data. When I try multipart/mixed, MSIE says it doesn't know how to handle that MIME type. The MS documentation goes something like: MSIE doesn't support server-push, contact the coder of the website and tell them to re-write their content. It's very frustrating. Of course there are hacks and workarounds, but all I'm asking is for a simple buffer flush; is that so hard? Anyone have any insights? -- AndyPierce

Bleah. From http://www.unixinsider.com/swol-02-2000/swol-02-regex.html:

What you can't do is render these results in InternetExplorer. InternetExplorer 5.0 doesn't support section C.5 of the HTTP 1.0 standard (reproduced as 3.7.2 of HTTP 1.1), so that kind of push is impossible without resorting to client-side Java.

This seems to be part of a pattern with InternetExplorer - Apache comes standard with a hack in its configuration file to work around broken SSL behavior, if the user agent string contains "MSIE".

I do this type of pushing with a frame which does a reload every second, which then puts information in the JavaScript in the other window. This has its drawbacks (among them a status bar which goes Transfer Transfer Transfer Transfer every second).

Moved from "CantOpenWikiDbForUpdate":

Sometimes, when you save a WikiPage, the contents of the edit window are discarded.

It might be helpful to warn IE users to copy their text before clicking the "Save" button.

[The above may be true, but might also be caused by 'key bounce' if using refresh.]

Merged from PageHolder

PageHolder is a feature in a more recent version of MicrosoftCorporation InternetExplorer that allows you to split the screen into two regions. The "PageHolder" region is perfect for pages with a lot of links (e.g.: RecentChanges). When you click on a link in the PageHolder region, the link is opened in the right-hand region of the screen. It allows for rapid navigation of the RecentChanges (All who are a RecentChangesJunkie take note!).

How do you access this?

Using a hyper link on an html page, I want to launch specifically InternetExplorer with a url. How? Thanks. It's just a convenience thing for a web page that must be IE.

I'm a little confused as to what exactly you are trying to accomplish. What do you want to have happen if someone using Konqueror reads your page from a machine that doesn't have IE on it?

Jeez, judgemental much? Perhaps it's an intranet page and one of those links is Windows Update. Anyway, it's possible with mozilla-based browsers to create a signed javascript that can request unlimited system access, including launching external programs. Of course, it's much easier to just put a note that says "requires IE: click start->run and type 'iexplore <url here>'" and you can even javascript it so you suppress the message if the useragent is IE. Done right, that works with every browser. I've tried launching apps from pages (even file-based pages) in IE, and believe me, it's much more painful than it's worth.

Moved from TheAdjunct...

InternetExplorer 7 - I am frightened by it

I read many industry articles that Google provides. Our resident JavaScript expert seem to be "more" impressed by IE7 and I get scared if most people start to think that way.

IE7 works only in WindowsXp SP2 (with DotNetFramework) or WindowsVista onwards. And one analyst is saying MS is trying to reapply their success story (when Windows first start to take over) by locking down access to APIs.

I know (not in CC definition of knowledge) by reading that some IE6 and below APIs were "replaced". See also comment in QuickDiff for WebApplicationProblemDomain

I've been frightened of everything Microsoft puts out, ever since "Win2000-certified software" installer scripts insisted on putting a load of indecipherable jibberish in the registry. Creating an installer these days is so mysterious that only a Wizard can do so. Then, of course, the crap probably doesn't uninstall completely, but who can tell when the registry is so full of jibberish? And since spring 2005, when I first played with Gmail, I've begun to get the heebie-jeebies from Google. But maybe it's me. Maybe I'm too old. Maybe my problem is I can't use an iPod... -- ElizabethWiethoff

I am curently using Internet Explorer 8, but when I visit the download page for IE8 on Microsoft's website, I am shown the message "Internet Explorer 8 is not compatible with your system." It goes on to identify my operating system correctly and state "Internet Explorer 8 will not run on your system". No wonder people love it!

CategoryMicrosoft CategoryWebDesign CategoryWebBrowser