DevEdge News: The Netscape Gecko Cross-Browser Development Newsletter 2002 Issue #6 - Special Edition - August 28, 2002 ******************************** Netscape 7.0 Has Launched! ******************************** You have received this newsletter because you subscribed to devedge-news@netscape.com (formerly xbrowser-list). Subscribe and unsubscribe information is located at the end of this newsletter. <---------------I N T H I S E D I T I O N-----------------> 1) Introducing Netscape 7.0 -New Features -Available Platforms and Languages 2) Why Support Netscape 7.0 and Standards? 3) Web Development Tips -New in Netscape 7.0 -Web Development and Testing -New Tools 4) Preparing Customer Support Information 5) Customizing and Distributing Netscape 7.0 6) Tip for VeriSign Customers 7) Opt In/Out & DevEdge News Information <------------------------------------------------------> Check out Netscape 7.0, the fastest Netscape browser ever. This standards-based browser is an easy upgrade from Netscape 4.x or 6.x. Netscape 7.0 has received rave reviews for its enhanced performance, stability, and innovative features for fast and efficient browsing and email. NEW FEATURES: * Tabbed Browsing lets you visit multiple web pages in a single window * Bookmark Groups let you save, and then launch, several web pages in one bookmark * Click-to-Search - Select a word within a web page and conveniently search * Print Preview lets you see a page before you print it * Quick Launch speeds browser start-up time * Update Notification tells you when updates to Netscape are available * Support for the P3P (Privacy Preference Project) standard * Numerous security, stability, and performance enhancements over 6.x. * Netscape Mail enhancements: -QuickSearch to find messages, easy filter set-up, and more. -New corporate features in Netscape Mail including S/MIME, Secure LDAP, and Offline LDAP -Mail labels allow you to prioritize your emails using colors * Integrated support for both AIM and ICQ Your web site visitors can download Netcape 7.0 or order a CD at: http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/7/download.jsp AVAILABLE PLATFORMS: Windows, Mac Classic, Mac OS X, Linux AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: US, UK and Canadian English Japanese Simplified Chinese French German Spanish Brazilian Portugese will follow in coming weeks. ------------------------------------------ 2) WHY SUPPORT NETSCAPE 7.0 AND STANDARDS? ------------------------------------------ * When your site works with Netscape 7.0, you also support AOL for Mac OS X, CompuServe 7, Netscape 6.x, and Mozilla users across Windows, Mac, Linux, and various UNIX platforms. Many millions of people - including lots of new international users. * Your IE 6 content may already work in Netscape 7.0. (See Web Development and Testing below for tips.) * CSS-driven, standards-based code is a lot more efficient in the long run than maintaining browser-specific content. * Standards-based content is more easily re-used across browsers, other devices, and with partners. See WebMonkey's "Web Standards for Hard Times" for more reasons and tips. http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/02/33/index1a.html?tw=authoring ------------------------------------- 3) WEB DEVELOPMENT TIPS ------------------------------------- DEVELOPER HIGHLIGHTS Netscape 7.0 is based on Mozilla 1.0 Release Candidate 2. The codebase is a refined version of the code behind Netscape 6.x so you should encounter a minimum of web development issues. Some changes you'll find in Netscape 7.0: * A new layout mode preserves Gecko's industry-leading standards support while rendering traditional table-and-image layouts in a backwards-compatible way (See 153032 and 161691 at http://bugzilla.mozilla.org) * Plugins bundled in the full Netscape 7.0 download include Flash 6 r47 (now fully scriptable in Netscape 7), Real 8 and Viewpoint, along with support for Sun Microsystem's Java (version 1.4.0_01) and NullSoft's WinAmp player. More about plugins and Netscape Gecko: http://devedge.netscape.com/central/plugins/ WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING Netscape 7.0 is based on the Netscape Gecko embeddable browser within Netscape 6, Mozilla, AOL for Mac OS X, CompuServe 7, a Windows version of AOL (in beta), as well as other browsers. If you have not fully tested on Netscape 6.x browsers, and your site is DHTML and/or plugin heavy, the Netscape Gecko Compatibility Handbook is a good introduction: http://devedge.netscape.com/viewsource/2002/gecko-compatibility/ The Netscape Gecko Central home page has a variety of useful tips as well: http://devedge.netscape.com/central/gecko Review Your Current Browser Detection ------------------------------------- If your site specifically detects "Netscape 6" or the entire Netscape 6.x user agent strings, now is the time to re-evaluate your strategy. Sites compatible with Netscape 6.x should work equally as well across platforms on the other browsers mentioned above -- provided your browser detection is set up correctly. For simplicity, we recommend you detect "Gecko". Need more granular detection? Please see: http://devedge.netscape.com/viewsource/2002/browser-detection/ Evaluate Your Current Site Compatibility ---------------------------------------- If you're using user-agent detection and see website issues, try the User-Agent Toolbar to see if the site renders properly with a Netscape 6 or IE 6 user agent string. More information: http://devedge.netscape.com/viewsource/2002/gecko-compatibility/#testing Check Your Code ---------------------------------------- Mozilla's JavaScript debugger project, codenamed Venkman, is nearing a 1.0 release. It provides a powerful debugging environment for Mozilla-based browsers, including the Netscape 7.x series of browsers and Mozilla milestone builds. More information: http://www.mozilla.org/projects/venkman/ Visit http://devedge.netscape.com/central/ for pointers to CSS and HTML validation tools. -------------------------------------------- 4) PREPARING CUSTOMER SUPPORT INFORMATION -------------------------------------------- If your site lists system requirements or caveats, because your visitors will not know what "Netscape Gecko" is, we recommend that you use specific browser names as needed: -AOL for Mac OS X -CompuServe 7 -Netscape 6+ -Mozilla -------------------------------------------- 5) CUSTOMIZING & DISTRIBUTING NETSCAPE 7.0 -------------------------------------------- The Netscape Browser Distribution Program gives you access to our Client Customization Kit, "Netscape Now!" logos, and other information to help you customize the browser with our own branding and content. Check out the options available for driving traffic to your site by adding your own bookmarks, personal toolbar links, sidebar tabs, and more. http://wp.netscape.com/bisdev/distribution/index.html -------------------------------------------- 6) TIP FOR VERISIGN CUSTOMERS -------------------------------------------- Ever get customer reports of "website certified by an unknown authority" messages? It's more common than you might think. This message results when secure servers with step-up certificates, such as VeriSign's Secure Site Pro, fail to send an intermediate CA certificate along with the signed certificate. It's easy to overlook the step during certificate installation but, for your server to properly initiate 128-bit sessions with browsers, you must install both the intermediate CA certificate and signed certificate on your server. Please forward this information to your server administrators to verify their setup. Installing VeriSign's intermediate CA certificate only takes a few minutes. Follow the links below to the instructions for your type of server: * iPlanet 4.X: http://www.verisign.com/support/tlc/class3_install_docs/netscape/iplanet_global.htm * Netscape Enterprise Server 3.X: http://www.verisign.com/support/tlc/class3_install_docs/netscape/v00g.html * Red Hat Linux Apache/SSL Server. http://www.verisign.com/support/tlc/class3_install_docs/ssleay/v00g.html For other servers, please search VeriSign's website. ----------------------------------------------------------------- For more information and tools, visit http://devedge.netscape.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- 6) HOW TO SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE FROM DEVEDGE NEWS ------------------------------------------------- Feedback? 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