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Manish Shah

2006-Apr-10 20:04 UTC

[Rails] detecting browser type?

I''m wondering how i can detect the browser type for the client.  I know
this
is possible, but i cant seem to find how to do this, nor any example code
for this.

I would appreciate if someone could point me to some info or just give me an
explanation.

thanks in advance.
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Noah

2006-Apr-10 20:28 UTC

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[Rails] Re: detecting browser type?

Manish Shah wrote:> I''m wondering how i can detect the browser type for the client.  I
know
> this
> is possible, but i cant seem to find how to do this, nor any example 
> code
> for this.
> 
> I would appreciate if someone could point me to some info or just give 
> me an
> explanation.
> 
> thanks in advance.
You should think very carefully about whether or not you want to do
this. Remember, users can change their user agent strings, and it''s a
foolish idea to rely on them. It''s an evil idea to try to disable
things
based on those user agent strings, because you''ll invariably end up
''out
of date'' with respect to browsers'' features, and with
irritated users
having to change their user agent strings to use your web app.

If you really need to do things differently for different browsers
(other than in CSS), you should detect browser *features* in
javascript...

if(window.XMLHttpRequest){
    request = new XMLHttpRequest();
    request.onreadystatechange=handleResponse;
    request.open("GET",theURL,true);
    request.send(null);
}

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

s.ross

2006-Apr-10 22:46 UTC

head link

[Rails] detecting browser type?

But... if you must, here''s an example how. This just checks for IE.
You''ll
want to parse the whole user-agent string. A reasonable reference on user
agent strings is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent.

<%= stylesheet_link_tag(''ie'', :media =>
''all'') if
request.env[''HTTP_USER_AGENT''] =~ /MSIE/ %>

--
View this message in context:
http://www.nabble.com/detecting-browser-type--t1427349.html#a3851912
Sent from the RubyOnRails Users forum at Nabble.com.

Scott Mathieson

2006-Apr-10 23:30 UTC

head link

[Rails] detecting browser type?

+1 for testing by browser object support => 
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=browser+sniff+object

-10 for testing by ua

ua strings are unreliable at best, don''t do it

On Monday 10 April 2006 23:45, s.ross wrote:> But... if you must, here''s an example how. This just checks for
IE. You''ll
> want to parse the whole user-agent string. A reasonable reference on user
> agent strings is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent.
>
> <%= stylesheet_link_tag(''ie'', :media =>
''all'') if
> request.env[''HTTP_USER_AGENT''] =~ /MSIE/ %>
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://www.nabble.com/detecting-browser-type--t1427349.html#a3851912 Sent
> from the RubyOnRails Users forum at Nabble.com.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails

Manish Shah

2006-Apr-14 04:43 UTC

head link

[Rails] detecting browser type?

thanks for the suggestions...i was actually using it to collect stats about
browsers most used. Its not that important and i know it can faked, but
overall should give a good idea of most common browser used.

On 4/10/06, Scott Mathieson <uberkorp@gmail.com>
wrote:>
> +1 for testing by browser object support =>
> http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=browser+sniff+object
>
> -10 for testing by ua
>
> ua strings are unreliable at best, don''t do it
>
> On Monday 10 April 2006 23:45, s.ross wrote:
> > But... if you must, here''s an example how. This just checks
for IE.
> You''ll
> > want to parse the whole user-agent string. A reasonable reference on
> user
> > agent strings is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent.
> >
> > <%= stylesheet_link_tag(''ie'', :media =>
''all'') if
> > request.env[''HTTP_USER_AGENT''] =~ /MSIE/ %>
> >
> > --
> > View this message in context:
> >
http://www.nabble.com/detecting-browser-type--t1427349.html#a3851912Sent
> > from the RubyOnRails Users forum at Nabble.com.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Rails mailing list
> > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
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Oleg Frolov

2006-Apr-15 06:38 UTC

head link

[Rails] detecting browser type?

Recently, I started to like the idea of separate stylesheet for IE.
Usually, I have three stylesheets - one for standard compliant
browsers (more or less) - firefox, last revs of opera, safari and any
other with gecko or khtml engine. The rendering differences are very
minor for these browsers and it is easy to have clean css. The second
stylesheet is for IE. I just take my standard-complaint (no hacks)
stylesheet and modify the parts that are not working in IE. You may
want to not to have a third stylesheet and serve one of the
beforementioned stylesheets to the unknown browsers. But I do have
third one. It uses very basic css and should work in old operas and
other 1% market share browsers. At least, these users can access your
content now.

Then I do detect browser by user-agent. Yes, we''ve heard that it is
not good, for user can change his user-agent string. But:

1. Most(really) of them don''t (especially those IT-ignorant)
2. If they do, then they must whay they do or face consequences

This tehnique works for me. Haven''t got any complaints.

And I don''t need much more time to maintain 3 separate stylesheets for
it is easy to create standard-compliant version (no hacks). And then
you just need to tweak it for IE without worry that your hacks will
break the intended behaviour of all good browsers. Third stylesheet is
really simple - only basic styling to get accessible content.

My approach is inspired by
http://www.stylegala.com/articles/no_more_css_hacks.htm
I dislike the idea to mix code and css, so I invented my own approach.

Just my .02 cents :)

--
olegf

On 4/14/06, Manish Shah <mnshah@gmail.com> wrote:> thanks for the suggestions...i was actually using it to collect stats about
> browsers most used. Its not that important and i know it can faked, but
> overall should give a good idea of most common browser used.
>
>
>  On 4/10/06, Scott Mathieson <uberkorp@gmail.com> wrote:
> > +1 for testing by browser object support =>
> > http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=browser+sniff+object
> >
> > -10 for testing by ua
> >
> > ua strings are unreliable at best, don''t do it
> >
> > On Monday 10 April 2006 23:45, s.ross wrote:
> > > But... if you must, here''s an example how. This just
checks for IE.
> You''ll
> > > want to parse the whole user-agent string. A reasonable reference
on
> user
> > > agent strings is
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent.
> > >
> > > <%= stylesheet_link_tag(''ie'', :media =>
''all'') if
> > > request.env[''HTTP_USER_AGENT''] =~ /MSIE/ %>
> > >
> > > --
> > > View this message in context:
> > >
> http://www.nabble.com/detecting-browser-type--t1427349.html#a3851912
> Sent
> > > from the RubyOnRails Users forum at Nabble.com.
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Rails mailing list
> > > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> > > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> > _______________________________________________
> > Rails mailing list
> > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>
>
>

Todd Fisher

2006-Apr-15 15:19 UTC

head link

[Rails] detecting browser type?

I also create my own IE specific stylesheet.  I include the styleshee in all
browsers but shield it with:

  <!--[if lt IE 7.]>
  <style type="text/css">
    @import url("/stylesheets/iefix.css");
  </style>
  <![endif]-->

I also aggregate all my CSS into one file, so I have helper methods that
look in /stylesheets/iefix/ for files and aggregates those into iefix.css

On 4/15/06, Oleg Frolov <leopardus.vulgaris@gmail.com>
wrote:>
> Recently, I started to like the idea of separate stylesheet for IE.
> Usually, I have three stylesheets - one for standard compliant
> browsers (more or less) - firefox, last revs of opera, safari and any
> other with gecko or khtml engine. The rendering differences are very
> minor for these browsers and it is easy to have clean css. The second
> stylesheet is for IE. I just take my standard-complaint (no hacks)
> stylesheet and modify the parts that are not working in IE. You may
> want to not to have a third stylesheet and serve one of the
> beforementioned stylesheets to the unknown browsers. But I do have
> third one. It uses very basic css and should work in old operas and
> other 1% market share browsers. At least, these users can access your
> content now.
>
> Then I do detect browser by user-agent. Yes, we''ve heard that it
is
> not good, for user can change his user-agent string. But:
>
> 1. Most(really) of them don''t (especially those IT-ignorant)
> 2. If they do, then they must whay they do or face consequences
>
> This tehnique works for me. Haven''t got any complaints.
>
> And I don''t need much more time to maintain 3 separate stylesheets
for
> it is easy to create standard-compliant version (no hacks). And then
> you just need to tweak it for IE without worry that your hacks will
> break the intended behaviour of all good browsers. Third stylesheet is
> really simple - only basic styling to get accessible content.
>
> My approach is inspired by
> http://www.stylegala.com/articles/no_more_css_hacks.htm
> I dislike the idea to mix code and css, so I invented my own approach.
>
> Just my .02 cents :)
>
> --
> olegf
>
> On 4/14/06, Manish Shah <mnshah@gmail.com> wrote:
> > thanks for the suggestions...i was actually using it to collect stats
> about
> > browsers most used. Its not that important and i know it can faked,
but
> > overall should give a good idea of most common browser used.
> >
> >
> >  On 4/10/06, Scott Mathieson <uberkorp@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > +1 for testing by browser object support =>
> > > http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=browser+sniff+object
> > >
> > > -10 for testing by ua
> > >
> > > ua strings are unreliable at best, don''t do it
> > >
> > > On Monday 10 April 2006 23:45, s.ross wrote:
> > > > But... if you must, here''s an example how. This
just checks for IE.
> > You''ll
> > > > want to parse the whole user-agent string. A reasonable
reference on
> > user
> > > > agent strings is
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent.
> > > >
> > > > <%= stylesheet_link_tag(''ie'', :media
=> ''all'') if
> > > > request.env[''HTTP_USER_AGENT''] =~ /MSIE/
%>
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > View this message in context:
> > > >
> > http://www.nabble.com/detecting-browser-type--t1427349.html#a3851912
> > Sent
> > > > from the RubyOnRails Users forum at Nabble.com.
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Rails mailing list
> > > > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> > > > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Rails mailing list
> > > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> > > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> > >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Rails mailing list
> > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> >
> >
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
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