I have recently had to do some script debugging, both client and server side and found some good resources on the topic I thought I would pass along. This is one of those things I have do remind myself of how to do from time to time. I typically use Firefox to debug Javascript, but there are times I have to do it with IE.

So below for my own reference as well as hopefully some one else's, are some useful links for debugging Javascript in IE.

Microsoft's Script Debugger can be downloaded from here.

Directions on using it are here.

Monica Rosculet wrote a great article about debugging script with Visual Studio here.

The source of most of this information came from an IEBlog entry that can be found here.

Hope this saves someone else some research time!

Cheers,

Robert Porter

A number of blogs incorporate scrolling blocks of text in their blog posts. This helps keep things organized and neat in the post.

The last time I needed to do this I used JavaScript, but since a lot of users turn scripting off for security reasons, I looked around and found a way to do it with good old CSS.

<div style="overflow:auto; height: 200px; width: 300px;>
<p>Some text to scroll around with.</p>
</div>

See it in action below:

        Dim oInboxAgenda As WFXTENDERLib.WfxAgenda

        Try

            ' Navigate to the Inbox for the Initial Routing Workflow user

            oInboxAgenda = oWFXConnection.Agenda(WORKBOX_TYPE_CLOSED)

            'Clear previous filters

            oInboxAgenda.SetFilter("", "", "")

            oInboxAgenda.SetFilter("Business Process", "=", "Initial Routing Workflow")

            'Refresh data so filter is applied

            oInboxAgenda.Refresh()

            Return oInboxAgenda.Count

        Catch eX As System.Exception

            MsgBox(eX.ToString)

        Finally

            System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(oInboxAgenda)

            oInboxAgenda = Nothing

        End Try

    End Function

So in a nutshell, a simple DIV and some CSS goes a long way. An added benefit is that this simple tag is supported on almost every browser.

I am still trying to figure out other ways to do this, I would prefer not having to hack the html view of my posts each time. But this works for now.

Cheers,

Robert Porter

I just opened my browser and tried to go to Windows Live, and received the following:

Other web sites are working fine, did Live die?

I have and love a PPC phone. It's a PPC6700 and runs Windows Mobile 5. Microsoft recently released a new tool that makes me love my phone even more!

Windows Live Search for Mobile just added a whole new dimension to my mobile experience. In and of itself it has justified the data package I have bought!

It brings localized search to your hand held! It works for either Java or WM powered devices so it's not an Microsoft only offering.

It supports scrollable, zoomable maps, driving directions, address look ups, business lookups, SMS capabilities pretty much everything search related.

But it gets better! I recently had need to meet a friend after work and was not familiar with the establishment or it's location.

A quick search yielded me the address and phone number (linked so I could click on it to make the call) and a map and driving directions!

This is the default starting page on my phone. I had already selected Raleigh, NC as my local area. Then I typed "playmakers" without the quotes, into the search bar and received the following listings. The first listing was the correct one.

Notice that the phone number is a clickable link! Clicking it dialed the number for me!

Also notice that it showed me a rough distance estimate. 3.36 miles.

I decided that I wanted the map and selected map from the menu and voila!

Here is the map I received, in just 2 -3 seconds!

 I could (and did) zoom in, click and drag the map around with my stylus, and switch to turn by turn text directions.

All in all a wonderful enabling technology! Run, don't walk, to your mobile browser and download this small application now!

The direct download link for your mobile phone is:

http://wls.live.com

The JME2 version for both the US and UK is also available there.

The application is GPS aware and works with some built in GPS's and almost all external GPS devices provided they can be configured to talk on a COM port.

Happy Mobile Searching!

Bob Porter

I have given IE7 a fair chance, really… well I have! It started out as my default browser shortly after it was released. Then, after a week of watching it hang, and bring down half my system with it, I demoted it to my not default browser and put Firefox back as my default browser.

Of course various sites still require IE to function so I kept it going and would use it several times a day. But over the weeks it kept getting ever more fragile, and was finally starting to crash just loading Google as my home page.

(Hmmmmm, would Google do… Nah, I am not that much of a conspiracy nut!!!)

Anyway, today was the proverbial last straw and I uninstalled IE7. I am now happily back to IE6 for all things ActiveX and Microsoft specific, and use Firefox 2.0 for most of my day to day browsing. I can’t exist without some flavor of IE installed and 7 was just not working.

I will try it again, maybe when 7.1 comes out?

Cheers,

Robert Porter

I downloaded and installed IE7 on the day it was released. And have been fairly pleased with it overall. I still tend to use Firefox as my default and main browser, but that may change.

One thing I have noticed of late, as soon as I get 4 – 6 tabs open in IE the CPU usage pegs, Memory use skyrockets and then the browser becomes non-responsive.

This was not the case following the initial installation, and I have added some toolbars, including the beta version of Yahoo’s new toolbar, so I suspect that the issue is a conflict.

If anyone knows of anything that could be causing this behavior please do let me know. And if I solve it I will post an update here.

Cheers,

Robert Porter

Less than a day after IE7 was released various and sundry pundits began to loudly proclaim that IE7 had a “major” vulnerability in it. Further it was described as a “new” vulnerability, and to the uneducated reader would seem to indicate that IE7 was less secure than it’s predecessor. FUD in action.

Sigh…

Okay, everyone, take a deep breath. Hold it, okay let it out slowly. It’s all right, the world is still there. And guess what, some people make a living spreading FUD. (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) especially where Microsoft is concerned.

The “flaw” was reported by Secunia here it is actually on older flaw that is still present in IE6. It’s risk rating is very low. And according to Microsoft the vulnerability is not in IE but rather Outlook Express, although IE is used as a vector to exploit the vulnerability. (Now, I still consider that a vulnerability in IE no matter how you slice it.)

The point is this is a known exploit (shame on MS for not patching it yet) but not a new vulnerability and not one known to have been exploited in the wild. What all this amounts to is that MS bashers are once again attempting to impune all that MS has done to make the OS and it’s systems more secure, because it’s fun to beat up on MS.

In other words, there is no value add from these reports, they just strive to cause confusion, they don’t clearly identify the source of the issue, the risks involved or even deliver factual information. Anyone can take a poke at any major institution or person of interest. It’s our national pastime it seems, but I would respect someone a lot more for being clear, concise and factual than for casting FUD around.

Robert Porter

Hmmm