Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains some answers to some frequently asked questions.

This site doesn't work properly

QuirksMode.org is built using modern CSS, but unfortunately some browsers don't (entirely) support modern CSS. In practice, this means that this site, the page header in particular, looks distinctly odd in Internet Explorer versions 6 and lower.

This site in Internet Explorer 6 and lower

This is a deliberate decision, and not an error. I don't want to spend more time on old-fashioned or outright crappy browsers than is strictly necessary.

Since Internet Explorer 7 supports modern CSS fine, this site works properly in that browser. If you're an Explorer user I advise you to upgrade as soon as possible.

Because they don't support position: fixed, Explorer 6 and lower don't show the site navigation too well. You can solve this by setting your preference to position: absolute.

Is there a downloadable version of this site?

No. This is a website, supposed to be read on the Web. Feel free to copy (parts of) this site to your own computer for reference, as long as you do not re-publish them. I do not provide any other version than the one you're currently reading, though.

Have you written a book?

Yes.

Which other books do you recommend?

The true book for every serious JavaScripter remains David Flanagan, “JavaScript, the Definitive Guide”, 5th edition, O’Reilly, 2001. I co–edited chapters 17-19 of this book. (Note: 5th edition 2006 coming up.)

Flanagan is theoretical, though, and it gives a complete overview of JavaScript, including many features you'll never need in a website. If you're looking for a beginner type book you might try Negrino & Smith, “JavaScript for the World Wide Web”, 5th edition, Peachpit Press, [2003?]. It contains some very useful examples and though it doesn’t treat advanced programming tricks, it will certainly help you get started.

I also recommend Jeremy Keith, DOM Scripting: Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model, 1st edition, Friends of Ed, 2005. This, too, is a book that doesn't delve too deeply into technology, but gives non-programmers such as graphic designers/CSS wizards an excellent overview of the most common uses of JavaScript - as well as the most common problems.

lang="nl" Voor het Nederlandse taalgebied kan ik Peter Kassenaar, Basiscursus JavaScript 1.5, [5e editie?], Academic Service, 2003, aanbevelen. Een voorvader van dit boek leerde me in 1998 in twee dagen basis-JavaScript, en hoewel ik het ben ontgroeid, heeft het me toendertijd bijzonder geholpen.

Where is your X page/article?

If I published it on this site, or if it was in the old JavaScript Section or CSS2 Tests site, you can find it in my sitemap. I admit the sitemap is unwieldy, but I've tried to structure it as logically as possible.

If I published it on another site you can find it on my publications page. This page is far shorter than the sitemap, so start here if you're not sure whether the page you're looking for is on my site or not.

Which font do the QuirksMode and PPK logos use?

None. The QuirksMode and PPK logos were custom-designed by Beng for the 2003 redesign.

Why didn't you answer my mail?

Please remember that I'm quite busy. Replying to feedback is a low-priority task. I'm very sorry, but the help I offer is free, which means that paid jobs come first.

Some reasons why you didn't receive an answer:

  1. You didn't use my contact form.
    I filter mails sent through this form into a special mailbox, and once every while I go through all these mails. Conversely, mails sent directly to me may not get my attention since they're in the wrong mailbox.
  2. You sent me a script you wrote. Please don't! I don't have the time to look at them, so I trash them immediately.
  3. You asked a complicated CSS question, with lots of boxes and floats and margins and stuff.
    Ask CSS Discuss instead.