PRB: Scripting Differences in Internet Explorer for Macintosh

ID: Q216593

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Explorer (Programming) versions 4.0, 4.01, 4.01 SP1, 4.01 SP2, 5.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01, 4.5 for Macintosh
Microsoft JScript, versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0
Microsoft Visual Basic, Scripting Edition, versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

This article contains a quick list of general programming features not supported on Internet Explorer for Macintosh.

MORE INFORMATION

ECMAScript (JavaScript) is supported; the same version of the JScript script engine that ships with the Windows version of Internet Explorer also ships with Macintosh Internet Explorer.

The following programming features are not available or supported on Internet Explorer for Macintosh:

VBScript - In Macintosh Internet Explorer 4.0 and 4.01 Show unsupported Scripting Errors was on by default. That means <SCRIPT = "VBSCRIPT"> caused a warning message. In 4.5 it is no longer activated by default. Users must select it, so in 4.5 VBScript tags do not cause that initial error. The user may still see an error when the script goes off looking for a VBScript object or routine on the page.

Scripting Java applets - Script has no means of communicating with java applets and vice versa.

Remote Scripting - Because Remote Scripting uses a Java Applet to transfer remote script calls to the server and Javascript to Java communication is blocked, Remote Scripting will not function properly.

Script Debugger

Script Control

Windows Script Host

Script Encoding - There is no binary application planned for the Macintosh platform for use in doing the actual script encoding itself. However, pages containing encoded JScript will work as normal in the Internet Explorer browser on Macintosh; the Macintosh JScript script engine can decode encoded script properly.

DHTML Behaviors

Features not listed here, such as ordinary DHTML scripting, are supported on Macintosh and expected to function with minor platform-specific variations in behavior from the Win32 platform.

NOTE: This article applies only to scripting technologies that have client-side functionality. Purely Server-side scripting technologies, such as Active Server Pages and Windows Script Components, are unaffected by the choice or platform of the client browser.

REFERENCES

The best place for product feature information on Macintosh Internet Explorer is the Macintosh Internet Explorer Site.

The best place for general information on Microsoft Scripting features and script engines is the Microsoft Scripting Site.

Additional query words:


Keywords          : kbInternet kbScript kbGrpInet kbInetDev 
Version           : MACINTOSH:4.0,4.01,4.5; WINDOWS:3.0,4.0,4.01,4.01 SP1,4.01 SP2,5.0
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: July 27, 1999