Microsoft Launches modern.IE Internet Explorer Testing Resource

Microsoft has announced the release of modern.IE, a new resource for Web developers to make sure their sites work well on Internet Explorer.

Microsoft has introduced a new way for developers to test Websites for compatibility with Internet Explorer, modern.IE.

Modern.IE is a free set of tools and resources designed to make it easier for developers to ensure their sites work beautifully across Internet Explorer as well as other modern browsers, said Ryan Gavin, general manager of Internet Explorer at Microsoft in a blog post.

The new modern.IE is a resource for developers that includes three key things: a new automated code scanning tool for sites that outlines small code fixes to help ensure sites address past browser versions while taking advantage of modern browser features; a three-month free subscription to BrowserStack, making it easy to test legacy versions of browsers; and an overview of coding best practices for the modern Web. Microsoft hopes these tools let developers spend less time testing code, and more time innovating online.

“As part of the modern.IE release, we’re excited to announce a special partnership with BrowserStack, a leading browser testing service that lets developers test their site on any browser on any Windows OS. For any Web developer that visits BrowserStack via modern.IE, we’re offering three months of this service for free over the next year,” Gavin said

IE9 and the recently released IE10 represent an entirely new chapter in IE’s long history, he said. “We have made a lot of changes over the last several years: adopting automatic updates to move customers to the latest version of IE; the introduction of Platform Previews for early developer feedback; and the full embrace of modern web standards, coupled with cutting edge performance and advanced touch capabilities, just to name a few,” Gavin said.

Yet, Microsoft also recognizes that customers on older versions of IE continue to be a real challenge for developers testing their sites, particularly for those developers on non-Windows

Modern.IE features a wizard that scans for common coding practices that might prevent users from having their best experience on a site. Developers start by entering a webpage URL that they want to test and modern.IE returns a report on the compatibility issues.

“The wizard doesn’t offer a complete checklist for coding the modern Web, but it is intended to focus on the things that can make a real difference in the overall user experience,” Gavin said in the post. “We plan to continually improve, and add to, modern.IE and we want the developer community to help us in this effort.”

Microsoft also is making available free virtual images for developers to download and run local versions of Internet Explorer with Windows for testing – even on Mac, Linux or PC. Developers can download these on modern.IE.

In addition, Microsoft is providing best practices and sample code for cross-browser coding. The team has compiled a list of the top 20 tech tips that address most of the compatibility issues developers have coding for the Web and IE.